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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.

Buzz about the Celebrate Princeton! Street Fair is growing
Culture

Princeton street fair growing in attendance, set for June 10

by David Sibray

Set for June 10, the Celebrate Princeton! Street Fair in Princeton, West Virginia, continues to grow in attendance, attracting thousands of visitors to the community’s historic Mercer Street district annually, according to organizer Lori McKinney. This year the 10 a.m.-5 p.m. event presented by the Princeton Renaissance Project will feature performances by the Cirque-de-Vol Aerial … Read more

Children enjoy discounted rides at Camden Park
Culture

Greater Huntington launches second summer of weekday family fun

by David Sibray

Coming off its successful first year, Greater Huntington launches its second season of weekday family festivities during “Funington” in June and July. The region-wide program provides discounts and specific scheduling to help area families arrange family-fun events, according to Anna Adkins, spokesman for the Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau. Adkins said the program was so … Read more

The sun sets beyond the New River Gorge Bridge in southern West Virginia. (Photo courtesy Wendy Parks Scott)
Culture

Photographer of iconic New River Gorge photo found

by Will Reedy

For more than a year after this iconic photograph of the New River Gorge hit social media, West Virginia Explorer editor David Sibray spent countless hours attempting to find its then-unnamed source, Wendy Parks Scott. Scott had published the popular image without a watermark, and the image went viral, so it appeared the editor might never get … Read more

West Virginia ramps cleaned and ready to eat. Photo courtesy Barbie Watson Howard.
Culture

Help us build 2017 guide to W.Va. ramp feasts

by David Sibray

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