Arts and music will fill the streets of downtown Pikeville this weekend. The Mountain Grrl Experience kicks off on Friday. The event is intended to promote Appalachian women in a safe environment.
The goal is to help protect and support women in the region. Robin Irwin is the executive director for the Appalachian Center for the Arts. She recently spoke with Eastern Standard about the event. She noticed a side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Domestic violence was on the rise, intimate partner violence of all kinds, stalking, menacing, physical, emotional, financial abuse of all intimate partners and no one was really talking about it at the water cooler level.”
She said the money raised from the festival will help women in need.
“The net proceeds from this festival go to Turning Point Domestic Violence Services and the Perry Cline Emergency Shelter. They were thrilled. Turning Point was not a recipient of any funds last years because we really didn’t know about them.”
This is the second time they have held the Mountain Grrl Experience. It starts Friday at 11AM and is scheduled to run through Saturday evening rain or shine.
You can hear more with Robin Irwin on Eastern Standard
