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.

Jonathan Moore

Ghost in the Machine: Moore returns after 14 years

The 2014 relaunch of West Virginia Explorer has been deputied not by a jet-setting newcomer to the industry, but by our publication’s first webmaster. Answering the clarion call for assistance in the relaunch of more than 2,000 pages, Jonathan Moore has returned after 14 years, and I couldn’t be happier. Though a skillful webmaster, he … Read more

Deaths in 1911 witnessed through second sight

SUTTON, W.Va. — One of the most publicized cases of extrasensory perception reported in West Virginia involved the deaths of a mother and seven children in the town of Sutton on February 19, 1911. According to author and publisher Jim Comstock, who recounted the details in the W.Va. Heritage Encyclopedia in 1976, the tragedy unfolded … Read more