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.
ALDERSON, W.Va. — Perhaps few people could have predicted that one of the most electrifying figures of the Jazz Age would emerge in a quiet valley in West Virginia, a seeming world away from the glitz and glamor of Paris and New York City.But that’s exactly what became of Ada Beatrice Queen Victoria Louise Virginia … Read more
FAIRLEA, W.Va. — The State Fair of West Virginia is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and proponents say there’s never been a better time to attend the August 7-16 celebration.From humble agricultural roots to an entertainment-packed event that draws more than 200,000 visitors annually, the fair stands as a cherished tradition, uniting generations of families, farmers, … Read more
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. — On December 1, 1859, abolitionist John Brown, having been convicted and sentenced to death for planning and executing an uprising in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, delivered a final statement to his jailer that he wished to be shared with the public: The final hours of abolitionist John Brown “I, John Brown, am … Read more
MILTON, W.Va. — Breece D’J Pancake soared like a meteor through the American literary universe in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Kurt Vonnegut wrote of him, “I give you my word of honor that he is merely the best writer—the most sincere writer I’ve ever read.”Who was Breece D’J Pancake? A rising voice in … Read more
LOGAN, W.Va. — By the time the world would come to know him as “Devil Anse,” Anderson Hatfield had already left a significant mark on West Virginia—not for bloodshed or bullets, but for business.Long before the famous Hatfield-McCoy feud erupted into violence, Hatfield was a man caught between two worlds—the self-reliant, traditionalist Appalachia of his … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Film Office quietly turned three years old in 2025, but the celebration is far from low-key.Since its relaunch in 2022, the office has emerged as a powerhouse of opportunity in West Virginia filmmaking, helping turn the Mountain State into one of the most attractive filming destinations in the United … Read more
BUFFALO, W.Va. — Samantha Jane Atkeson was a teenager when she had to face down Union soldiers searching her home in Buffalo, West Virginia, on the Kanawha River in Putnam County. A few torn and stained pages of her journal are preserved in the Clements Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They recount the story of … Read more
UNION, W.Va. — While slavery had only a minor impact in most of what’s now West Virginia before the Civil War, slaves represented about 10 percent of the people residing in Monroe County at the beginning of the conflict. The importance of slave labor to the local economy certainly influenced the political opinions of that … Read more
SAULSVILLE, W.Va. — Perhaps no other form of architecture is more strongly associated with West Virginia than the old-fashioned log cabin or what might more appropriately be called the hewn-timber house.New England has saltboxes, and the South has Greek Revivals, but the Virginian frontier, including what’s now West Virginia, produced a habitation that had never … Read more
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — While parts of the mountainous interior of West Virginia weren’t settled until the early 1900s, two of its present incorporated communities were established before the American Revolution, and 10 were bustling before the 1800s.Particularly along the Ohio and Potomac rivers, settlement began early, often before indigenous residents had wholly retreated from … Read more
