Fairs, festivals, and events in West Virginia provide an authentic way to experience the state’s rich Appalachian culture, warm hospitality, and vibrant community spirit, especially as the remote-work revolution brings new residents from big U.S. cities seeking connection and local experiences. From lively music festivals and traditional craft fairs to food and heritage events, West Virginia’s year-round calendar brings people together to celebrate local art, music, food, and history. These gatherings support small businesses, showcase talented local artists and musicians, and create fun, family-friendly entertainment for both longtime residents and newcomers. For remote workers and new residents, attending West Virginia’s fairs and festivals is a wonderful way to meet neighbors, make memories, and feel at home in the Mountain State while enjoying its unique charm and sense of community.
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — The State Fair of West Virginia will open Thursday for its 101st year, beginning a 10-day run of concerts, carnival rides, livestock competitions and agricultural exhibits that annually draw visitors to the Greenbrier Valley from across West Virginia and surrounding states. The fair will run Aug. 13–22 at the State Fairgrounds in … Read more
MARLINTON, W.Va. — The annual Perseid meteor shower arrives during one of the busiest travel months of the year, and for millions of people across the eastern United States, one of the best places to experience it may be hiding in plain sight: the mountains of West Virginia. While much of the East Coast contends … Read more
CLIFFTOP, W.Va. — Every summer, thousands of musicians carrying fiddles, banjos, guitars, mandolins, and dulcimers wind their way up a narrow mountain road in southern West Virginia. They come from nearly every corner of the United States and from countries as far away as Japan, Australia, England, Germany, and Sweden. Few are household names, and … Read more
PAW PAW, W.Va. — Every autumn, a remarkable fruit ripens quietly beneath the forests of Appalachia. It has a creamy texture, a flavor often compared to banana, mango, and vanilla, and a history stretching back thousands of years. Yet many Americans have never tasted one. In the tiny Morgan County community of Paw Paw (410 … Read more
MOUNT HOPE, W.Va. — Tens of thousands of scouts, volunteers, leaders, and family members are arriving in southern West Virginia this week as Scouting America’s National Jamboree transforms the mountains of the New River Gorge region into one of the nation’s largest youth adventure camps. Held at the 14,000-acre Summit Bechtel Reserve in Fayette County, … Read more
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — For many West Virginians, memories of the state fair begin in childhood—first rides on the midway, cotton candy shared with family, prize-winning livestock, and long summer evenings spent beneath the glow of carnival lights. For some children in foster care, those memories have never had the chance to begin. This August, a … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — If you’re organizing a fair, festival, concert, race, museum exhibit, or community event, you know that attracting visitors can be as challenging as planning the event itself. Social media no longer reaches people the way it once did, and too often, great events go unnoticed beyond their own followers. That’s why West … Read more
LEWISBURG, W.Va. — From prize-winning quilts and homemade jams to champion livestock and towering garden vegetables, the competitive exhibits at the State Fair of West Virginia have long been among the event’s biggest draws. With the fair’s 101st annual celebration just weeks away, organizers are reminding exhibitors that entry deadlines are rapidly approaching. Livestock entries … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One of West Virginia’s largest Independence Day weekends in years is set to unfold in Charleston, where the state’s official America250 Capital City Celebration will coincide with the annual Charleston Sternwheel Regatta, creating four days of concerts, fireworks, history, and family entertainment. The free celebration, July 2-5 on the West Virginia State … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Drivers approaching West Virginia’s State Capitol this week may find themselves looking twice. Rising 230 feet above the Capitol grounds, the America250 Wheel has transformed Charleston’s skyline ahead of the state’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Billed as the world’s tallest portable Ferris wheel, the massive attraction is the centerpiece of the … Read more
