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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.

A family of loggers poses with their beasts of burden alongside logs timbered in the mountains of southern West Virginia.
Culture

Discover Hatfield-McCoy country at Appalachian Heritage Day

by David Sibray

Though the Appalachian Mountains wander from Alabama to Newfoundland, there’s hardly a more quintessentially Appalachian territory than that in which the Hatfields and McCoys feuded in southern West Virginia. That’s why the inaugural Appalachian Heritage Day being hosted Aug. 24 in Logan, West Virginia, has all the makings of a world-class celebration of culture, according … Read more

The Powell Mountain goat once grazed the cliffs along US-19.
Culture

Famous West Virginia goat has likely passed

by David Sibray

Her white coat gleaming against the grey cliffs atop Powell Mountain, a lonely she-goat that became the darling of motorists traveling U.S. 19 has likely passed. Anne Johnson, who helped popularize the Powell Mountain Goat through her photography, confirmed Wednesday that it had not been seen grazing above the expressway for six months. “The mountain … Read more

Hatfield family performers pose for a promotional portrait for "Deadly Divide: The Hatfield & McCoy Story." Photo courtesy Crissy Musick Photography.
Culture

New feud performance attracts national TV attention

by Bianca Bosworth

A new outdoor-drama performance of the Hatfield and McCoy feud is packing the amphitheater at Chief Logan State Park and will host a national TV crew tonight during “Descendant’s Night,” during which members of the two famous families will be admitted at a discount rate. Director Bill France said the true-to-history drama that concerns the … Read more

The summer sun sets over the campus of Shepherd University at Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
Culture

Bee Line March celebrated in Shepherdstown July 21

by David Sibray

In June 1775, Colonel William Morgan hosted a barbeque just outside Shepherdstown, West Virginia, at what’s now known as Morgan’s Grove Park. The event marked the beginning of a march over more than 600 miles to join George Washington’s Continental Army in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The beginnings of the Bee Line March will again come to … Read more

Fireworks displays in West Virginia are extremely popular.
Culture

Why you should avoid buying fireworks wrapped in brown paper

by Clyde Craig

The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office is reminding residents and visitors to buy and use consumer fireworks in a safe manner. Fireworks can be dangerous, causing serious burn and eye injuries. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, on average, 280 people go to the emergency room every day with fireworks-related injuries in the … Read more

West Virginia Week Challenge 2019
Culture

West Virginia tourism social-media challenge starts June 14

by Bianca Bosworth

West Virginia Day is being celebrated this coming week, and Governor Jim Justice and state Tourism Commissioner Chelsea Ruby are encouraging West Virginians and those who love the state to celebrate and help build tourism on social media. “It’s time to celebrate America’s best-kept secret with seven days of wall-to-wall West Virginia on social media,” … Read more