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.
RED JACKET, W.Va. — Long before William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield became one of the most famous figures in Appalachian history, another Hatfield was remembered as a mountain giant along the Tug Fork. His name was Ephraim Hatfield, though generations knew him better as “Big Eaf.” He was the father of Devil Anse and several … Read more
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — Every autumn, thousands of paddlers descend into West Virginia’s mountains to run the Gauley River, one of the world’s celebrated whitewater runs. They come for rapids named Pillow Rock, Lost Paddle, and Sweet’s Falls, as scheduled releases from Summersville Dam send enormous volumes of water through the river’s rugged gorge. But the … Read more
RICHWOOD, W.Va. — Before funeral homes became commonplace in West Virginia, a death could put an entire community to work. Someone washed and dressed the body. A carpenter or neighbor might build the coffin. Men dug the grave. Friends and relatives brought food and stayed through the night with the deceased, keeping a vigil traditionally … Read more
HILLSBORO, W.Va. — Visitors to a West Virginia Civil War battlefield have reported hearing galloping horses and cannon fire and seeing soldiers who seemingly disappear. Now Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park in Pocahontas County is joining the West Virginia Paranormal Trail, a statewide tourism route devoted to places associated with ghosts, cryptids and other unexplained … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Black bears, brown bats, flying squirrels and a forest predator once eradicated from West Virginia are among the animals featured in the state’s 2027 wildlife calendar. The W.Va. Division of Natural Resources has released its annual West Virginia Wildlife Calendar, pairing original paintings by wildlife artists with hunting and fishing dates, moon … Read more
BEAVER, W.Va. — Gary Morefield was cleaning an old gravestone in a small cemetery in an Appalachian valley when he reflected on what such places can reveal. “Cemeteries are like libraries,” he said. “You can learn the history of a place just strolling through.” The stone belongs to Clarkson Prince, who came from Philadelphia to … Read more
PIPESTEM, W.Va. — A West Virginia mountain resort overlooking a federally protected river gorge will host its first Oktoberfest in October, when fall color typically peaks along the Bluestone River. Pipestem Resort State Park has scheduled its inaugural Oktoberfest for Oct. 16–18, with events spread across the resort and into the Bluestone Gorge. On Saturday, visitors … Read more
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Thirty-nine short films from across Appalachia will be screened free in a historic West Virginia theater in October as a growing regional film festival opens its doors to audiences without an admission charge. The Mtn Craft Film Festival will return Oct. 2–4 to the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center in downtown Clarksburg, … Read more
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Filmmaker Bob Ahmed was scouting the mountains of Virginia for a place to shoot his new movie when he got lost, his phone died, and he kept driving. Then he found the farm he had been looking for in West Virginia. That unexpected discovery eventually brought Adam’s Fire, a feature film about … Read more
CEDAR GROVE, W.Va. — Forrest Hull remembered autumn before foliage forecasts, scenic-drive maps, and photos of mountainsides ablaze with color became common ways to mark the season in West Virginia. “Where are the autumns of yesterday?” Hull asked in a 1970s essay appropriately titled “Yesterday’s Autumns.” He remembered little boys who “played so hard all … Read more
