iPRES 2015 isn’t just about digital preservation.  It’s also about having a great time, Tar Heel style.  Here are some of the social event and entertainment opportunities on offer.  Don’t forget to also check out our About Chapel Hill page, which lists a variety if sights and highlights that you might want to consider in town and in the surrounding area.

Conference Events:

Clef Hangers – Monday, November 2 at the Opening Reception

clef-hangersThe UNC Clef Hangers (also known as the Clefs) is the oldest a cappella group at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Clef Hangers were established in 1977 and were originally called the Morrison Dorm Singers. In their first concert, in 1979, they wore vests (covered with buttons) and bowties, which they continue to don today. Since their first tour to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1980, the Clefs have performed for audiences in Spain, Mexico, France, Scotland, Switzerland, The Bahamas, Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York, and many other locations domestic and abroad. During a tour to New York City, they performed on the television show Good Morning America. Since 2002, they have also performed at the UNC Commencement ceremony. The Clefs have released several professionally produced studio albums, which have received numerous awards.

Tommy Edwards – Tuesday, November 3 at the Group Dinner

tommy_edwardsTommy Edwards is lead singer and guitarist for The Bluegrass Experience, one of the Southeast’s most respected traditional music groups. He is also host of the “Bluegrass Saturday Night” radio program, which features both classic and contemporary bluegrass recordings as well as interviews with people associated with the music and a calendar of traditional music events in the Heart of Carolina. Edwards has performed professionally for more than 35 years, was twice named World Champion Bluegrass Guitarist and has recorded or performed live with an array of bluegrass greats. He and his wife Cindy are respected collectors of and authorities on the traditional pottery of central North Carolina. They operated an antiques business for more than 25 years.

Carolina Heartland Cloggers – Wednesday, November 4 at the NDSA Awards Reception

carolina-heartland-cloggersFounded in 1984, the Carolina Heartland Cloggers, are based in Durham, North Carolina.  They are an adult traditional clogging team that exhibits a variety of styles which exemplify the rich heritage and art of Southern Appalachian clogging in North Carolina. Their dance routines include freestyles, precision, smooth, hoedown, show and line.  According to the North Carolina History Project, “Clogging, derived from the Gaelic word meaning “time,” developed during the colonial period in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The dance draws upon European, African-American and Native American folk dance traditions. Clogging was also selected because its ‘distinct, dignified and beautiful footwork’ can be performed in groups, by couples, or alone. In the 1920s the dance’s popularity increased and became a permanent fixture in Appalachian heritage when Bascar Lumar Lunsford, host of the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville, added a team clogging competition to the Festival.”

Other Informal Events:

DigCCurr Institute Alumni Mixer – Tuesday, November 3, 16:45-18:15

Have you participated in one of the DigCCurr Professional Institutes?  Want to catch up with your colleagues?  Join us at the Tobacco Road Sports Cafe immediately after the conference sessions wrap up and before the conference dinner.

BitCurator Users Mixer – Thursday, November 5, 19:00-21:00

If you’re a user of the BitCurator environment, BitCurator Access tools, or would just like to hang out with and compare notes with people who are, come on by to the BitCurator Social Mixer at iPRES 2015 in the Back Bar at the Top of the Hill in downtown Chapel Hill. If you plan to attend, please complete the short RSVP form to help with planning.

iPRES 2015 Beer Tour – Thursday, November 5

You can start at the iconic Franklin St. Top of the Hill and make your way over to the establishments in Carrboro.  Or you can choose a shorter tour that’s all within Carrboro itself. The stops along the tour also serve food, so you can fuel up along the way. There will be plenty of chance to socialize and experience the heart of Chapel Hill, so come along whether or not you’ll be partaking of the beer. Participants can find groups and start the tour whenever they’d like after the day’s events wrap up. There will be a group headed out from Top of the Hill after the BitCurator Users Mixer.