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.
West Virginia will suffer six more weeks of winter, French Creek Freddie predicted on Wednesday during a Groundhog Day celebration at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in Upshur County. Freddie, the state’s most popular weather-predicting groundhog, came out of hibernation on Wednesday to provide his annual forecast to fans and followers in attendance. “Freddie was … Read more
Older folks who live in the valley of Paint Creek may recall legends about how the stream was named: an ancient warpath followed it through the mountains, and warriors celebrated their battles by painting trees along the trail a bloody red. According to late archaeologist Sigfus Olafson, the stories were true. The route was actually … Read more
It might sound like a joke, but it’s true that a circus clown helped relocate the West Virginia capital from Wheeling to Charleston, its present location, in the late 1800s. They say that finding a location for the seat of government had been a bit of a circus anyway, and the capital city had shifted … Read more
Until just after the Civil War, large parts of the valley of the Ohio River in what’s now West Virginia were controlled by pirates. Sparsely settled, these marauders in watercraft hid easily in the river’s coves, sporadically raiding ships and riverside communities. The opportunity to plunder along the route, far from civil authority, was extremely … Read more
Nature has always been a key component of the mission at the Huntington Museum of Art in Huntington, West Virginia. With a nature trail, plant conservatory, and wheelchair-accessible sensory trail on the property, it celebrates nature and strives to educate. But while the exhibition of art is chief among the missions that may spring to … Read more
To see it now, a visitor might hardly guess the Ohio River at Parkersburg was a stretch of river that many boat captains feared. Long ago known as the “Graveyard of the Ohio,” it was considered one of the most dangerous sections on the 981-mile river. Now a popular destination for water recreation—fishing, kayaking, and water … Read more
MOOREFIELD, W.Va. — Tales of hidden treasure appear throughout the annals of West Virginia history. The legends of hoards buried by prehistoric peoples, retreating soldiers, and reclusive misers could fill a book. One of the best-known tales is that of the Branch Mountain Treasure, which allegedly included $40,000 in gold secreted by three deserting Rebels … Read more
STRANGE CREEK, W.Va. — Too much time may have passed to confirm anything of the indomitable legend of Strange Creek, long among the most haunting tales in West Virginia history. Few travelers now pass through the old town by that name or ascend the stream that follows a winding course from the Elk River into … Read more
Though its speakers are aging and declining in number, there are still places in West Virginia where folks speak in what’s known as the Southern Mountain Dialect, more often called Appalachian Speech. Professor Wylene Dial was one of several authorities on the matter and studied it after she arrived in West Virginia in 1945 to … Read more
First Lady Cathy Justice and the West Virginia Department of Education have announced the names of the five finalists for its Golden Horseshoe Sword-Smithing Design Contest. This contest is the 10th installment of the First Lady’s Student Artist Series, a program designed to promote the importance of art in West Virginia schools. High school students … Read more
