The Tennessee Old-Time Music & Dance Association (TOTMADA) will host the Thomas Maupin Festival to celebrate traditional music and dance on Saturday, Aug. 24.
This family-friendly agritourism event is organized to help the nonprofit’s mission to preserve Appalachian artforms, like raw bluegrass and the lively buck dancing style of the early 1900s. To enrich the experience, there will also be a variety of activities to help folks discover the joys of time-honored Southern pastimes. On behalf of the Uncle Dave Macon Days Festival, the nonprofit will crown a National Old-Time Buck Dancing Champion!
The festival is inspired by Thomas Maupin, a renowned local buck dancer. Buck dancing is a folksy derivative of tap dancing that originated in the southern United States long ago. Typically, the dance is performed to the accompaniment of stringed instruments like fiddle, banjo and mandolin. Like tap dancing, it requires accurate timing and a good sense of rhythm to do it properly.
Few dancers carry the torch like Thomas Maupin, a master of “flatfoot” buck dancing who adopted the style during his childhood. Over the years, he’s built up a glowing reputation by appearing at music contests, accompanying bluegrass bands and impressing crowds with his percussive footwork. His authentic style led him to receive various awards, including the Uncle Dave Macon Days Trail Blazer Award, the Tennessee Governor’s Folklife Heritage Award and even a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Thomas Maupin accepts National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts
The foundation of the Thomas Maupin Festival is a daylong mix of performances that will take place on a large custom-built stage supported by tall cedar tree trunks. To keep the heart of Appalachia alive, the Tennessee Old-Time Music & Dance Association invites fellow buck dancers of all ages to share the stage to compete for the title of National Old-Time Buck Dancing Champion. The dance competitions will follow specialized music competitions for bands and solo stringed instrument players. In addition to the competitions, expect to see musical performances from Glade City Rounders, Uncle Shuffelo and His Haint Hollow Hootenanny, and Daniel Rothwell & Overall Creek.
MaupinFest invites everyone to get involved. Different workshops will be offered for festival attendees who dance or play music. These workshops are a good way to sharpen skills in a lighthearted, interactive environment for everyone. There’s plenty more to experience at the Thomas Maupin fest including exhibits, vendors, jam sessions and more.
After the evening concert, the festival will close with a square dance under the summer night sky. Festivalgoers are more than welcome to camp onsite for a fun overnight experience.
MaupinFest will be held at the Historic Hootenanny Haven located at 539 Coopertown Rd. in Unionville, Tennessee, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. General admission is $10 for adults and $6 for kids ages 6–12. Children below the age of five get in free. Camping requires a flat $10 fee; additionally, the Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Shelbyville is offering special rates for MaupinFest ticket buyers who would like nearby lodging.
For more information about the MaupinFest, visit facebook.com/maupinfest.
