Try out a new way to connect with your community in 2026!
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Community Sing
The Community Sing is led by Olivia Perske and Connie Townsend. This monthly sing, occuring on the last Monday of the month in September-April, was inspired by a class at the Augusta Heritage Summer Workshops. Workshop leader Matt Watroba spoke of a conversation that he had with Pete Seeger, who said that, “the most important thing I ever did was get people to sing together.” This is not a choir – participants sit in a circle, and share songs from the folk tradition. We invite you to come and sing; enjoy the beauty of group music-making in a warm and welcoming environment. ALL are welcome, regardless of experience, age, or self-determined skill.
For questions about the community sing please reach out to Olivia Perske at oliviaiperske@gmail.com
Elkins Barn Dance Collective Dance Series
Monthly in Elkins, WV
We are excited that community dancing is back in Elkins, WV! Look for announcements of monthly dances at various locations around Elkins, including the Arts Center, Big Timber, the YMCA and the downtown Augusta Heritage Center.
Monthly square dances will start again in August. Come dance with us at Augusta’s Summer Heritage Programs!
Check out our upcoming dances here!
All dances start at 7pm unless otherwise specified. General Admission: $10; Students/AmeriCorps/Fixed Income: $5
Voices of Augusta (Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 p.m.)
Elkins, WV
The Voices of Augusta is a dynamic and inclusive choir program for singers in 1st through 6th grade. Singers will experience the joy of singing in a group while learning musical traditions from Appalachia and around the world, improving their musicianship, and having fun with their friends. The choir is directed by Olivia Perske. Scholarships are available.
Program will continue until the beginning of December, with our final concert on December 11.
Rehearsals on Tuesdays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., beginning Tuesday, September 8 at the Arts Center
Tuition $120, scholarships available
Olivia Perske leads the choir, with assistance from Emily Miller.
Rehearsal Location: The Randolph County Community Arts Center, 2 Park Street, Elkins, WV 26241
Augusta Strings Program
Augusta Strings Program (Thursdays, 5:45 – 7:15 p.m.)
Elkins, WV
The Augusta Strings Program is a strings ensemble for students in 4th through 12th grade. Students will experience the joy of learning musical traditions from Appalachia, improving their musicianship, and having fun with their friends. Each student can choose to learn banjo, fiddle or guitar. New this year: we have added a more advanced band class for students who are proficient on their instruments. Each week’s lessons include one hour of group lessons on individual instruments (or the band class) and 30 minutes of time as a full ensemble. No prior experience on your chosen instrument is required for our group lessons.
The offered classes are as follows:
Fiddle with Jesse Milnes
Banjo with Adam Casseday
Guitar with Seth Maynard
Band class with Gerry Milnes
Rehearsals on Thursdays from 5:45-7:15 p.m., beginning September 10
Program will continue until the beginning of December, with our final concert on December 11.
Tuition: $240, scholarships available.
Rehearsal Location TBA
Foodways Classes
All classes held in Elkins, WV.
Augusta is presenting a series of foodways classes in Elkins, WV. The classes will be taught by experienced chefs and home cooks from a variety of cultures represented in Appalachia today. Classes will cover specific dishes (In past seasons we have covered arepas, hand pies, pizzelles, pancit noodles, pepperoni rolls, dumplings, and collard greens, as well as addressing topics such as using local seasonal ingredients and home-canning techniques). Students can expect to come away from each class with hands-on knowledge about how to make a dish and hopefully a deeper understanding of the importance of that dish to the people whose kitchens it sprang from.
What are foodways?
Foodways are more than food itself — they are the beliefs and context surrounding food, the person-to-person teaching of its preparation, as well as the community in which the food is enjoyed. The passing down of food traditions from one generation to the next is an integral piece of a community’s identity and culture. We use food to deepen community ties, celebrate important holidays, mark milestones, and enrich our lives. A community’s values are readily communicated in the ways that food is celebrated and shared within it.
Lift Your Voice Choir
Elkins, WV
Augusta’s Lift Your Voice Choir is an inclusive and joyful community singing outlet for folks who already love to sing and those who would like to experiment with using their voices. The repertoire features traditional vocal music from exciting singing traditions found right here in West Virginia, including old-time, bluegrass, shape-note, gospel, and more, as well as traditions from other parts of the world. Singers will come away with a beautiful repertoire of new songs, a deeper understanding of the cultures they grew out of, and the lasting joy of singing together. Singers of all levels, ages and vocal ranges are welcome! The project is aimed at increasing opportunities for creative aging and lifelong learning in our community.
Rehearsals take place on Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m., with one season in the fall and one in the spring. Rehearsal location for this season is the Randolph County Community Arts Center.
Registration is on a sliding scale of $40 to $200 for the season, with singers choosing the amount they can contribute. Singers of all levels, ages and vocal ranges are welcome to participate. The project is aimed at increasing opportunities for lifelong learning in the local community.
Bring a water bottle, a recording device (like your phone!), and your vocal cords! We will provide the rest!