Berea, KY

The Levitt AMP Berea Music Series, presented by First Friday Berea, is fostering an inclusive creative economy in a small Appalachian town with abolitionist roots.

 

A community of just over 17,000 people, Berea reflects a story of American social progress and craftsmanship. The namesake Berea College was founded in 1855 as the South’s first non-segregated college; the town has also been home to numerous cultural tastemakers, from the late feminist author bell hooks to the late “Mother of Folk” Jean Ritchie.

As Kentucky’s Folk Arts & Crafts Capital, Berea is known for its preservation of Appalachian artisanship—a track record illustrated by its Old Town Artisan Village, where locals and visitors can find hometown craftspersons at work in studios and galleries. The neighborhood has also been the nucleus of the vibrant Levitt AMP Berea Music Series since 2017. From multigenerational Berean families to students newer to town, residents have united on the lawn of the community’s bucolic Berea City Park Expansion for joyous, free concerts traversing diverse musical genres.

For almost a decade, the impact of the music series has been all-encompassing, bringing together community members who may not usually cross paths and realizing the full potential of Artisan Village—which, prior to the Levitt AMP Berea Music Series, was largely dormant following a hurricane that devastated many of its independent storefronts. Today, with weekend summer concerts unfolding regularly at the City Park Expansion just a short walk away from the cultural district, the Levitt AMP Berea Music Series continues to fuel Artisan Village’s economic recovery while positioning it as an inclusive haven for art, food, and community gatherings.

Presented by First Friday Berea, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring radical hope, encouraging camaraderie and building an enlivened community in Berea, Kentucky, in partnership with the Mountain Association.