Join Yay Bikes! and the Center for Folklore Studies for a folklore-themed bike ride! What’s folklore, you ask? Folklore is everyday culture—practices that we often take for granted even though they are central to who we are. The American Folklore Society defines folk traditions as “the things that people traditionally believe (planting practices, family traditions, and other elements of worldview), do (dance, make music, sew clothing), know (how to build an irrigation dam, how to nurse an ailment, how to prepare barbecue), make (architecture, art, craft), and say (personal experience stories, riddles, song lyrics)." Through this ride, we will come to appreciate some of the unique folk traditions of our city!
Our ride will focus on foodways, the immigrant experience, faith and religion, vernacular architecture, and intentional communities.
We will begin at Whole Foods with a short introduction to Folklore Studies, including a couple samples from the Folklore Archives.
Then we will head to Saraga International Grocery at 1265 Morse Road, where Lauren Pond, a documentary photographer who specializes in faith and religion, will discuss her work with immigrant groups in Columbus. Lauren is also a content producer in the OSU Center for the Study of Religion and is working on the American Religious Sounds Project, which featured it’s early galleries, Listening for Religion, on the Center for Folklore Studies website.
Lastly, we will get a short tour of vernacular architecture and intentional communities at Rush Creek Village in Worthington. Dr. Katherine Borland, Director of the Center for Folklore Studies, will give background about the history of the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture and Harold Pepinsky, a resident of Rush Creek, will tell us about life and community in the village. We might also hear about his role in the Worthington Jam!
After the ride, we will create our own folklore by telling stories and sharing bike know-how while we break bread at Whole Foods.
P.S. Want something fun to do after the ride? The 61st Columbus International Festival takes place at the Ohio Expo Celeste Center Nov 12-13th!
