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.

Kimberly King and Stephanie Bachman perform Dwayne Yancey's The Picture Window in 2017

Greenbrier Valley Theatre presents New Voices fest through Feb. 3

The Greenbrier Valley Theatre through Feb. 3 will showcase a series of eight 10-minute plays featuring local performers as part of its tenth annual “New Voices” festival.Teaching Artist Lukas Hagley, who is directing and performing in this year’s festival in Lewisburg, West Virginia, says a committee combed through hundreds of submissions and found eight plays … Read more

Yonder Mountain String Band will perform at Keith Albee Feb. 10, 2018.

Yonder Mountain String Band to perform at Keith-Albee

“Rewriting the hip progressive-bluegrass genre,” Yonder Mountain String Band will perform Saturday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center in Huntington, West Virginia, according to Angela Jones, director of Marketing & External Affairs for the Marshall Artists Series.Presented by the Miller Investment Group at RBC Wealth Management, Yonder Mountain has spearheaded … Read more

A couple soaks in a heart-shaped tub at County Road Cabins

Red heart-shaped tubs attracting couples to W.Va. cabins

Red heart-shaped bathtubs gained world fame in the ’70s in Pocono resorts, and now three of these mementos of American romance are attracting a new clientele in West Virginia.Three tubs have made their way into luxury vacation cabins among the national parks of southern West Virginia, where they’ve become exceptionally popular draws, according to Jennifer … Read more

Visitors dine at North Bend State Park circa 1965

Winter weekend at North Bend State Park to highlight ’60s

Scheduled for the weekend of Jan. 19-21, the annual Winter Wonder Weekend this year at North Bend State Park will feature hiking, crafts, and activities—all with a 1960s theme. Emily Fleming, deputy director of the W.Va. Division of Natural Resources, which sponsors the annual event, said the 1960s was an exciting decade in Ritchie County … Read more

Railroad architecture at Grafton, WV, Taylor County, Monongahela Valley Region

B&O Railroad completed to Wheeling on Jan. 1, 1853

On January 1, 1853, the first train arrived in Wheeling, West Virginia, (then Virginia) on the newly completed Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the first rail line linking the Atlantic seaboard with the Ohio River.The event was groundbreaking—not only for what would become northern West Virginia, but for the nation. For more than a quarter century … Read more

Moving Clouds By Arthur Harvey in West Virginia

Hidden History photo exhibit moving across southern W.Va.

Southern West Virginia’s rich history is celebrated annually through winning photographs featured in the 2017 Hidden History photo exhibit now on display in Logan. According to Jodi French-Burr, organizer of the competition, the historically based photographs by West Virginia photographers are on display at the Country Roads Visitor Center in Logan. First displayed at Tamarack, … Read more

Blennerhassett by Candlelight Tour

Candlelight tours of Blennerhassett Island set for Oct. 13-14

PARKERSBURG, W.Va.—For two nights in October visitors to Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park can experience the candle-lit world of 1805 and attend a period-accurate party during the park’s popular Mansion-by-Candlelight event.On Oct. 13-14, the event will capture the magic of the island’s historic setting with hundreds of candles lighting the way to the its namesake … Read more

Telescopes at Green Bank, WV, Pocahontas County, Allegheny Highlands Region

West Virginia observatory monitors signals from distant galaxy

Scientists working with the remote National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia, have detected repeating radio signals being emitted from a dwarf galaxy three billion light-years away. Astronomers dedicated to finding signs of intelligent alien life recorded 15 repeating fast radio bursts on August 26, according to an August 30 Newsweek article. The … Read more