History Alive! programs come to state parks this summer

Historical figures from Mark Twain to Sacagawea will visit West Virginia state parks on weekends this summer as part of the West Virginia Humanities Council’s History Alive! program.

These living-history portrayals by scholars will provide a passage through time for student and adult audiences, according to Paulita Cousin, a naturalist at Blackwater Falls State Park who will help host a program featuring "Teddy Roosevelt" on July 18.

“At Blackwater Falls, like at most state parks, we include a featured activity on weekends," Cousin said. "The opportunity to have figures from United States history adds to the interpretative programs we plan at the park."

The program features scholars from around the state who will portray historical figures at venues including museums, schools, libraries, community centers, and fairs and festivals.

The History Alive! programs are free to attend and open to all park visitors, overnight guests, and the public.

Blennerhassett Island / Mark Twain—June 20
Beech Fork State Park / Sacagawea—June 22
Watoga State Park / Mark Twain—June 22
Beech Fork State Park / Benjamin Franklin—June 28
Watoga State Park / Teddy Roosevelt—June 28
Pipestem Resort State Park / Stonewall Jackson—June 29
Watoga State Park / Benjamin Franklin—July 5
North Bend State Park / Charles Schulz—July 6
Beech Fork State Park / Mark Twain—July 13
Pipestem Resort State Park / Sacagawea—July 13
Blackwater Falls State Park / Teddy Roosevelt—July 18
Watoga State Park / Ostenaco—July 19
Beech Fork State Park / Charles Schulz—July 20
Beech Fork State Park / Ostenaco—July 27
Blackwater Falls State Park / Stonewall Jackson—July 27
Pipestem Resort State Park / Harriet Tubman—July 27
Beech Fork State Park / Gabriel Arthur—Aug. 30
Blackwater Falls State Park / Ostenaco—Sept. 29

To learn more about West Virginia Humanities Council, visit www.wvhumanities.org. For more about History Alive! programs and other events and activities at West Virginia’s state parks, visit www.wvstateparks.com.