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Appalachian Dungeon Fest spotlights the fantastical music of dungeon synth.
Also, every year, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival stages a formal dance. Organizers rely on a manual that’s been passed down for generations.
And, small dairy farms are closing across the country. Central Appalachia has been hit hard.
You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.
In This Episode:
You can find all kinds of music in Appalachia. Old-time and bluegrass, but also jazz, rock & roll, hip hop and dungeon synth.
Dungeon synth spun out of black metal, but it’s got a much different feel – like the soundtrack to a walk through Middle Earth. That kind of music will be showcased just outside Whitesburg, Kentucky in June at Appalachian Dungeon Fest. Host Mason Adams recently spoke with one of the festival’s organizers.
Appalachia is home to a lot of festivals. In Eastern Kentucky, the town of Pineville has the state’s oldest festival on record. It’s called the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival, and it happens Memorial Day weekend.
It’s a four-day celebration that culminates with an exquisite tradition: The Grand March. A traditional dance that has been passed down since the first festival in 1931. Folkways Reporter Will Warren was born and raised in Pineville and grew up taking part in the festival. In 2023, he reported on the Grand March.
A lot of the milk we drink comes from far away. Lately, gas prices have spiked. That’s hurting small dairy farms, which have already been disappearing for decades. In Tazewell County, Virginia, the owners of the last remaining dairy recently announced plans to close. Radio IQ’s Roxy Todd spoke with farmers in southwestern Virginia about the challenges of keeping a dairy open.
Perry Bennett won the West Virginia Photographer of the Year award back-to-back in 2025 and 2026.
Bennett shoots photos for the West Virginia Legislature and for arts groups around Charleston, including the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Charleston Ballet. Recently, Bennett spent a week in Reykjavík, Iceland, representing Team USA in the 2026 World Photographic Cup.
He got to join the group because of a photo he snapped in Charleston two years ago.
WVPB’s Maria Young sat down with Bennett.
The American Lung Association has released its 27th State of the Air report on air pollution. In the report, the association graded air quality for metro areas across the country.
Appalachia ran the gamut, from A through F, depending on the county. West Virginia’s Charleston-Huntington metro area received all As.
Kevin Stewart is director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association. WVPB News Director Eric Douglas spoke with Stewart about the report and what it means.
The Trump administration wants to open thousands of acres of national forest to new road building – areas that have been off-limits for decades. But critics in North Carolina and other states say the government’s justification for rolling back the so-called “roadless rule” just doesn’t hold up. Blue Ridge Public Radio’s Katie Myers and WABE’s Emily Jones teamed up to report on this topic.
Some people are noticing that while it’s still early in the Spring, they’re already seeing more ticks than usual. And with an increase in ticks, the chances of contracting a tick-borne illness go up too. WVPB’s Chris Schulz spoke with Dr. Kane Maiers, associate medical director for UPMC GoHealth Urgent Care in West Virginia to learn more.
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Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hole Dweller, Flickers from the Fen, Foglord, Mons Mythic Synthesizer Music, Spife, Larry Rader, Mary Hott, Bob Thompson, Jeff Ellis and Hello June.
Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens.
You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.
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Through early October, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum in North Carolina is hosting an exhibit celebrating one of the region’s most notable fiber artists – Barbara Grennell. The exhibit does more than expose people to great art; it asks people, what makes art, art? Folkways Reporter Wendy Welch reports.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsGwyneth Philips is an ice hockey goalie for the Ottawa Charge in Canada. Philips, who grew up in Athens, Ohio, played on the U.S. Women's National Team during the 2026 Winter Olympics, where the team won gold. Inside Appalachia Associate Producer Abby Neff spoke with Philips.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsMany farmers in our region raise sheep for meat, but not so much for wool. There’s not a great market for it with textile companies overseas, but researchers at Virginia Tech have teamed up with farmers, to figure out how to use wool to insulate houses, potentially creating a new market.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsThis week, it’s not easy to find a place to play hockey in Appalachia, and if you happen to be young and ambitious, it can be harder. Also, rappers and musicians across West Virginia come together for a song challenge. And, farmers learn to turn unwanted sheep’s wool into home insulation.
Continue Reading Take Me to More News
