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.

A gated mine opening along a rail trail near Ansted, West Virginia, attracts an interested hiker.

Abandoned mine shaft lore in Fallout 76 a real-world concern

In Fallout 76, abandoned mine shaft story-lines play an important role, yet beyond the video game, abandoned coal mine openings in West Virginia pose a real-world problem.While many mine openings have been sealed or gated, historian and publisher David Sibray says abandoned mine openings are a concern for law enforcement in the Mountain State.“Only last … Read more

Glade Creek wanders through a snowy hollow at Babcock State Park. Photo courtesy Rick Burgess.

Explore winter in West Virginia with Rick Burgess: Part 2

Winter in West Virginia may be more varied than in any other eastern U.S. state: Its northern panhandle suffers the brunt of lake-effect snows, while its Potomac lowlands and sheltered southern valleys witness only a few blanketing snows per season. Rising to more than 4,000 feet above sea level, its Allegheny Mountains are practically Canadian in climate … Read more

The golden dome of the W.Va. Capitol overlooks a ruined landscape.

WVExplorer releases Fallout 76 monster podcasts

Many monsters featured in the Fallout 76 video game are based on real-world West Virginia legends, about which David Sibray, publisher of West Virginia Explorer, has had much to say. A folklorist and historian, Sibray has been featured on many interviews since news of the game’s release was announced in early 2018.What are the legends … Read more

A historian at Wolf Creek Park documents a stone remnant of the mining industry there.

Historians seek information on Wolf Creek area in Fayette County

Historians from West Virginia State University are seeking historical information about the Wolf Creek plateau area in central Fayette County, particularly the 1,000-acre Wolf Creek Park development between Oak Hill and Fayetteville, West Virginia.According to Billy Strasser, a spokesman for the New River Gorge Trail Alliance, the team is conducting a research project and field … Read more

It’s beginning to look like Christmas at the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History in Parkersburg, with the annual “Trees of Our Heritage” display underway through Dec. 23, 2018.

“Trees of Our Heritage” on display at Blennerhassett Museum

It’s beginning to look like Christmas at the Blennerhassett Museum of Regional History in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where the “Trees of Our Heritage” display is underway through Dec. 23, 2018. The annual event features 36 Christmas trees representing cultures around the world and memorials and holiday themed displays on the museum’s three levels. A new … Read more

The Braxton County Visitors Center will host Bazarre, a forum for authors who specialize in the paranormal Nov. 17, 2018.

Five authors to discuss UFOs, paranormal in Sutton Nov. 17

Five nationally recognized authors who specialize in paranormal investigations will gather November 17 in Braxton County—home of the legendary Flatwoods Monster—for a public discussion of UFOs, hauntings, and the paranormal.Dave Spinks, Stan Gordan, George Dudding, Seth Breedlove, and Eric Altman will be speakers at the forum and meet-and-greet to be hosted from noon until 4 … Read more

The Fallout 76 map of The Forest includes many features borrowed from central and western West Virginia.

Mapping Fallout 76: John Barton explores The Forest

Editor’s note: The sixth installment in John Barton’s examination of a map of the soon-to-be-released Fallout 76 video game investigates The Forest, based principally on the large, hilly heartland of central West Virginia.When players first set foot outside Vault 76, they’re blinded by sunlight then overwhelmed by the natural beauty that opens around them. This … Read more

Cullen MacGregor peers out from beneath a fur-lined collar during his travails in a post-apocalyptic West Virginia.

Story set in post-nuclear West Virginia predates Fallout 76 game

A science-fiction author who popularized monsters featured in the Fallout 76 video game also penned a story set in a future West Virginia that survives a nuclear apocalypse.Both the story and the game take place in versions of central Appalachia insulated by mountain ranges that protect it from atomic blasts — explosions that decimate eastern cities … Read more