West Virginia Explorer West Virginia Explorer
Browse

Culture

West Virginia culture is a captivating blend of rich Appalachian traditions and vibrant high culture infused with the jazz of surrounding U.S. cities like Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The state is renowned for its deep-rooted Appalachian heritage, which is showcased through folk music, storytelling, and traditional crafts such as quilting and woodcarving. Visitors can experience this authentic culture at local festivals and heritage museums throughout the Mountain State. At the same time, West Virginia also embraces high culture, with world-class performances at the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, acclaimed theater productions at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and art exhibitions at the Huntington Museum of Art. This unique mix of mountain traditions and refined artistic offerings makes West Virginia a true cultural gem in the heart of Appalachia.

Mountaineer Statue Detail in West Virginia
Culture

Heroic statue recalls role of Union-loyal “mountaineers” in Civil War

by David Sibray

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Historian and journalist Jim Comstock battled ceaselessly to keep alive the memory of the West Virginia “mountaineer”— the independent, Union-loyal resident of the state’s mountain regions.Comstock pointed out that misconceptions about them have developed over the years. They didn’t wear beards. They opposed slavery. And they were no friends to the Southern … Read more

Attack At Harpers Ferry
Culture

Park to commemorate the 165th anniversary of John Brown’s Raid

by David Sibray

HARPERS FERRY, W.Va. — The National Park Service is hosting special events in West Virginia’s eastern panhandle to commemorate abolitionist John Brown’s attempt to launch a nationwide anti-slavery uprising. In October 1859, Brown and 21 co-conspirators attacked the armory in Harpers Ferry, then part of Virginia, which was then the largest slaveholding state in the … Read more

The center hall at Arthurdale , West Virginia
Culture

Roosevelt’s first social experiment attracts visitors to rural West Virginia

by David Sibray

ARTHURDALE, W.Va. — The Kingwood Pike climbs slowly from the valley of the Monongahela River at Morgantown into the Allegheny highlands atop the Chestnut Ridge.There, travelers are provided with eastward vantage points across the open farmlands of Preston County, long renowned as the heart of West Virginia’s Buckwheat Belt.To the southeast of the crest, beyond … Read more

Ambrosia Actors In Parlor
Culture

Comedy film trailer trots out restrained high-style madness

by Clyde Craig

BECKLEY, W.Va. — The release of the trailer for a comedy film debuting next week in West Virginia may catch some viewers off guard.Though filmed in West Virginia and starring West Virginia natives, the movie “Ambrosia!” is a high-style, polished affair that may seem more appropriate to affluent New England.Co-director David Gravely says the film’s … Read more

Ambrosia Movie 2
Culture

W.Va.-made comedy “Ambrosia!” to be released in September

by Clyde Craig

BECKLEY, W.Va. — The producers of the West Virginia-made comedy film Ambrosia! have announced a September release that will be followed by a series of statewide and national screenings.Afterward, the feature-length independent film will be released on streaming platforms globally, though producer Saja Montague says those details are still being established.“We’ve had many excited community … Read more