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.
As a result of the year’s strange weather, annual wildflower walks being led by park rangers in southern West Virginia this weekend are expected to include the unexpected. The walks, which are scheduled at Babcock, Hawks Nest, and Pipestem Resort state parks and in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, will at least … Read more
PAX, W.Va. — Interest in West Virginia’s haunted places is growing, says a Web developer whose guide to West Virginia ghosts is now ranked No. 1 for hauntings in the United States. The increasing interest in spooky locales is likely a result of a hunger for the paranormal nationally as well as in-state efforts to … Read more
Do you have a favorite West Virginia ramp feast you’d like to share with the public? We’d like to hear from you. Now in its fourth year of publication, our guide to Ramp Feasts and Festivals is annually visited by more than 10,000 visitors, according to publisher David Sibray, who encourages readers to share the list of celebrations of this spring-blooming … Read more
A pioneering team of scholars who are dating old log structures in West Virginia has discovered rare, previously undocumented examples of log construction and a mysterious lack of early cabins. Dr. Kristen de Graauw, of the Historic Timbers Project, says she and research partner Shawn Cockrell have notably found two extraordinary diamond-notched structures, of which, … Read more
SANDSTONE, W.Va. — Native inhabitants of what would become West Virginia were preparing in late summer for the onslaught of winter — the subject of a September 5 program at the National Park Service’s Sandstone Visitor Center off I-64. The 10 a.m.-4 p.m. interactive program is free and open to the public and will feature reenactors renowned … Read more
Every year for more than a decade West Virginia Explorer contributor Blair Frier has documented the Dublin Irish Festival in Dublin, Ohio, through exceptional photography. Though dedicated to promoting fairs and festivals in West Virginia, we annually feature the results of his excursion as a speciall feature. Dublin (Ohio) Irish Festival — August 2014 Photographer … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — More than 1,500 spectators are anticipated to attend a three-day concert that opens a new festival ground in the New River Gorge June 5-7. The first Mountain Music Festival at ACE Adventure Resort is expected to increase traffic throughout the resort and should help ignite interest in the region as a music … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — Set to open with an inaugural concert June 6-7, the new 12,500-capacity festival ground at ACE Adventure Resort has been designed as a focus for outdoor venues for the New River Gorge region. Hosting its first Mountain Music Festival, the festival ground and stage is intended to support year-round programming on a … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Throughout this publication, you’ll see West Virginia abbreviated in two ways: “WV” and “W.Va.” This is intentional. We follow journalistic guidelines that emphasize clarity, even if it means using different forms depending on context. Which abbreviation for West Virginia is correct? According to official style guides for American English, “W.Va.” remains the … Read more
It’s an argument as old as West Virginia itself — is West Virginia a northern state or a southern state? Let us know what you think. Vote here. [poll=”2″] Stay tuned for our North-South article On May 8, 2014, we’ll present the opinions of geographers, historians, social scientists, and include various other comments we’ve … Read more
