Heritage on display at W.Va.’s Vandalia Gathering this weekend

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — This weekend, the grounds of the West Virginia Capitol will host the 48th Vandalia Gathering, the state’s annual celebration of West Virginia heritage.

Thousands of visitors from around the state and nation attend the event, which is free to the public, features traditional West Virginian music, dance, art, crafts, food, and storytelling.

This year, the gathering will also feature a cycling watch party with inflatables and food trucks on the rear deck of the Capitol’s Culture Center plaza on Greenbrier Street, a good viewing spot for the Pro Road National Championships.

On Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., a beer garden featuring local beers will be open to guests 21 years old and older.

The gathering kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 23, in the state theater with an awards ceremony for quilt and wall-hanging winners as well as the presentation of the 2025 Vandalia Award, the state’s highest folklife honor. A concert will follow the award ceremonies.

Saturday evening’s concert, starting at 7 p.m. in the state theater, will also feature another presentation of the Vandalia Award, followed by a concert.

Outside activities begin on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and will feature old-time fiddle, bluegrass banjo, and mandolin contests, as well as half-hour concerts throughout the day.

Sunday’s events begin at 10:30 a.m. with a one-hour gospel set by Angie Richardson at 11 a.m., followed by old-time banjo, lap dulcimer, flat-pick guitar contests, and more half-hour concerts by local West Virginia musicians.

The fiddle and guitar competitions have a youth category for musicians 15 years of age or younger. Traditional dance offerings range from demonstrations of ethnic and square dancing to flat-foot dancing in the Great Hall of the Cultural Center, where spectators are encouraged to jump in and kick up their heels.

The popular Liars Contest returns on Sunday in the state theater at 2:30 p.m. Registration begins at 1:30 p.m. as storytellers compete for Goldenseal Magazine’s coveted Golden Shovel Award.

The Old-Time for Young ‘Uns area will feature craft activities, storytelling, live craft demonstrations, Vandalia booths featuring a unique sampling of traditional foods, Vandalia Gathering t-shirts, and official Almost Heaven merchandise.

For attendees, free parking will be available in the metered spots and the parking garage within the Capitol Complex.

For more information on the Vandalia Gathering, click here. For more information on the USA Cycling Watch Party, click here.

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