BLACKSBURG – The Moss Arts Center marks its 10th anniversary with a free community celebration on Saturday, Aug. 26. Featuring hands-on arts activities for all ages, community performances, music making, learning opportunities, giveaways, food trucks, and more, the rain-or-shine event culminates with a free outdoor concert by the Grammy-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers.
“Experience Art: 10th Anniversary Open House” features events throughout the Moss Arts Center, located at 190 Alumni Mall.
Activities and community performances, 3-5 p.m.
Activities, art, and music fill the afternoon. A dynamic lineup of local musicians and area student groups offers sounds for every taste — from blues and Dixieland to folk and classical.
A range of participatory activities and learning opportunities for all ages includes an interactive installation blending music and technology in the Cube, a music jam and drum circle led by local musicians, a community art project and special hands-on art area for kids, how-to sketching and dance workshops, story time events, and an instrument petting zoo.
The celebration continues with a Cajun dance party on the Moss Arts Center lawn at 5 p.m. featuring the Grammy Award-winning Lost Bayou Ramblers. Standing at the crosscurrents of Louisiana culture between Cajun and Creole, the group has evolved into a progressive band that excites, challenges, and redefines both genre expectations and cultural preconceptions.
The community celebration and Lost Bayou Ramblers concert will take place rain or shine. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be held in the Moss Arts Center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located in the Street and Davis Performance Hall.
The Moss Arts Center is celebrating its 10th anniversary throughout the 2023-24 season. An innovative facility where performance arts, visual arts, and technology intersect, the center became Virginia Tech’s first professional presenting arts program when it opened in the fall of 2013. Over the past 10 years, the Moss has presented seasons filled with unforgettable performances by professional touring artists, inspiring exhibitions by acclaimed visual artists, and rich engagement experiences, all with an emphasis on diverse cultures and voices.
Susan Bland for Virginia Tech