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.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Holiday overindulgence has a long association with West Virginia, where homecomings are celebrated in a big way. Though it now boasts one of the lowest rates of alcohol consumption in the U.S., that wasn’t always the case. In the 1800s and early 1900s, distilling “moonshine” was a vital part of the rural … Read more
MIDDLEWAY, W.Va. — The Wizard Clip haunting, the first documented poltergeist in America, occurred in the late 1700s in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Though centuries have passed, its legend endures, earning residents the nickname “Clippers” to this day. Referred to as the “truest ghost story ever told” by the late James Cardinal Gibbons, … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va. — The momentum behind “Ambrosia!”—an award-winning West Virginia–made screwball comedy—continues to build as filmmakers announced that the film has been nominated for Best Picture at the Rehoboth Beach International Film Festival. A contingent from the production that was filmed in Beckley will attend the festival screening in Rehoboth Beach, with hopes high for … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia First Lady Denise Morrisey is inviting students, educators, and artisans from across the state to help celebrate the holiday season through two creative initiatives hosted at the state culture center. This year marks the launch of the First Lady’s inaugural Gingerbread House Competition, open to K-12 classrooms and adult participants … Read more
BEAVER, W.Va. — For those who step outside on Wednesday to look up, the full moon that rises over West Virginia will be more than a pale, familiar globe. It’s the closest and brightest full moon of the year—a supermoon popularly known as the “Beaver Moon.” Its name carries echoes of state history stretching back … Read more
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Rising above the end of this city’s central avenue, the prehistoric Criel Mound—one of the largest burial mounds in West Virginia—has long captivated both onlookers and archaeologists alike. Over the years, its origins have sparked countless theories—ranging from tales of mythic giants to speculation about a lost tribe of Israelites. In … Read more
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Film fans across West Virginia are in for a frightfully fun weekend as Halloween-themed screenings, premieres, and film festivals take over theaters and community spaces from Huntington to Saint Albans. From cult classics to indie horror debuts, here’s a look at some of the cinematic highlights scaring up excitement across the Mountain … Read more
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A horror-thriller filmed in Huntington in 2024, “Self Help” is set for a nationwide theatrical release on Halloween through Mainframe Pictures. The rollout will include “Mischief Night Sneak Previews” on Thursday, Oct. 30, followed by a digital release from Cineverse in early 2026, according to Dave Lavender, director of the West Virginia … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — This winter, the small mountain town of Fayetteville, perched at the edge of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, will swap its usual crowd of rock climbers and whitewater paddlers for a different kind of adventurer—artists. In January 2026, Fayetteville will launch “Fayetteville Creates,” a month-long, town-wide artist residency inviting … Read more
FAIRMONT, W.Va. — A lesser-known encounter with an extraordinary Mountain State cryptid is still capturing the imagination of West Virginians a half century later. On a warm July day in 1968, in the hills near Grant Town, West Virginia, Jennings Frederick was hunting for groundhogs when he heard a high-pitched noise that morphed into a … Read more
