Mountain State Art & Craft Fair
A tradition since West Virginia's Centennial of 1963, this event is known as "The Granddaddy of Art & Craft Fairs." The 4-day Fair features more than 100 artisans, music, food and culture in five villages that made early Appalachia special: Celtic, Italian, German, Swiss, and The Americas.
Augusta Folk Arts for Kids “Augusta Explorers”
Augusta Folk Arts for Kids “Augusta Explorers” will take place from 9 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. July 31-Aug. 4 on the Davis & Elkins College campus. Artist Emily Prentice will instruct the class focusing on Appalachian culture and the great outdoors. Class activities will include nature walks, plant identification, weaving, party games, ghost stories, square dancing, printmaking, singing and much more. Augusta Explorers will earn merit badges as they take in all that Augusta has to offer. Registration is open at www.augustaheritagecenter.org. For additional information, call the Augusta Heritage Center at 304-637-1209.
West Virginia State Folk Festival
Since 1950, the West Virginia State Folk Festival has focused on old-time music, traditional square dancing, and Appalachian arts and crafts. Join us each year -- beginning the third Thursday in June -- as the city of Glenville, West Virginia, takes on a marvelous change reminiscent of the old days. See antique cars and the Folk Festival Belles. Your ears will be treated to the sweet sounds of banjo and fiddle contests, jam sessions in the streets, old-time gospel singing, and oral traditions.
Appalachian String Band Music Festival
Traditional and neo-traditional musicians from around the world head to Clifftop every year for great music and dance competitions! This family-friendly event offers onsite camping for those who want to be right in the action. Youth programs and craft workshops take place during the event. Artists and craftspeople present their handicrafts and food trucks offer eclectic dining options. Prices for daily entrance, pre-camping and overnight camping during the festival available at wvculture.org.
Peterstown Heritage Festival
This community event celebrates our Appalachian heritage. Vendors, music, food, quilt show, photography contest, Civil War reenactors, educators, and much more.
The Music and the Mountains Old Time Festival
The Music and the Mountains Old Time Festival will showcase and celebrate Appalachian culture and craft. This community based, family friendly event will bring together local artisans and musicians to provide an opportunity for our local community and visitors to experience Appalachian craft demonstrations, old time music and dance traditions along with regional food. Friday night's concert will feature old time, traditional Appalachian music. Saturday afternoon events will include: local craft demonstrations, a display of regional archival photographs, old time children's games and activities, an open old time community jam, a cornbread contest and a soup bean dinner. Saturday night will offer beginner square dance lessons and a square dance bard and caller.
Back Home Appalachian Arts & Music Festival
The second annual FREE Back Home Appalachian Arts & Music Festival will feature entertainment by the Del McCoury Band, David Grisman, The Travelin' McCourys, The SteelDrivers, Billy Strings, The Last Waltz Live, The Grass Is Dead, David Gans, and many others. The festival will also feature West Virginia artisans and crafters. The Back Home Festival is sponsored by Visit Wetzel County.
2017 Legacy of Mary Ingles Encampment and Living History Event
Each September since 1989, the Mary Ingles Trail Associates have presented a historical encampment based on research of the life of Mary Draper Ingles. This year marks the 262nd anniversary of Mary Ingles' odyssey. In 1755, the Virginia frontier was embroiled in the turmoil of the French and Indian War, and it was also in 1755 that Mary was captured by, and escaped from, Shawnee Indians. Accompanied by a German woman captive taken only a few weeks earlier than Mary, the two women followed the rivers and traveled nearly 500 miles on foot through the wilderness to reach home. That journey took her through western Virginia. School Day - Friday We focus on education and hands-on activities on the school days. Each group of children will see at least five different demonstrations (approximately 15 minutes each, but may vary). Please allow at least three hours in your day to tour the camp and watch the demonstrators. Our reservations are filled on a first come-first served basis. We only take 400 people per school day! (200 at 9:30 a.m.; 200 at 11:00 a.m.) Homeschool, Public School, and Private School are all welcome Public Days - Saturday & Sunday Dramatic presentations and explorations into the lives of some of the people who influenced Mary’s life will be ongoing throughout the day. Visitors to the camp may also be able to interact with interpreters who have researched: Tommy Ingles and his Indian father, a Shawnee warrior who is upset with the English, a Cherokee liaison between Will Ingles & Johnny Draper and their wives' Shawnee captors, a Virginia farm-wife, a salt maker, a trader, and others. On Public Days, the living history encampment is open: Saturday 9:00 - 3:00 Sunday 12:00 - 3:00 (Our church services is at 10:00 and all are welcome to join us, but the camps will be closed until 12:00). There is no charge to attend programs. MITA accepts donations to continue the annual production of this interpretative event.
Hatfield McCoy Country Museum Grand Opening
Announcing the opening of the brand new Hatfield McCoy Country Museum! This museum features one of a kind artifacts from the regions history, informational displays about the Hatfield and McCoy feud, our coal heritage and more. Other attractions include the interior of a 1920's coal camp house, the Underground Theater that looks like the inside of a coal mine, the Bee Ward Coleman collection--one of the largest collections of coal mining artifacts in the country. The museum is located in the former Williamson High School building. Come enjoy the grand opening of one of the best museums in the state of WV!
Hot Fuel, Way Back Weekend presented by State Electric Supply Co.
The heat is on! Learn all about the fire that fueled 19th-century Appalachian progress. Get up close with glass making and pottery firing, and engage your senses in a live blacksmith shop! Tickets are $15 adult and $10 child (2 and under, free) or purchase an Annual Saturday pass, which will give you entry into every Saturday, including Way Back Weekends, valid for one year after purchase date. Individual passes are $30 each, and family passes, which cover two adults and any child under 18 in the home, are $75. Visit bit.ly/2cKYIEC to purchase!
West Virginia Open Fiddle, Old-Time Banjo and Bluegrass Banjo Contest
The Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College welcomes musicians and spectators from across the region to the College’s Outdoor Amphitheatre for the West Virginia Open Fiddle, Old-Time Banjo and Bluegrass Banjo Contest on Saturday, October 1, 2016. Registration for the contest begins at noon. The contest will start at 2 p.m. and run until all contestants have competed. There is no registration fee to compete. participants from any state or region are welcome to enter. Five cash prizes will be awarded in Fiddle, Old-time Banjo and Bluegrass Banjo categories, as well as a Best Senior Musician prize for those age 60 and older, and a Best Youth Musician prize for those age 15 and younger. Awards are $400 for first place, $200 for second place, $100 for third place, $50 for fourth place and $25 for fifth place. The event is sponsored by Smakula Fretted Instruments, Valley Supply and McNeer, Highland, McMunn & Varner LC, Elkins-Randolph County YMCA and several anonymous donors. The contest is part of the Mountain State Forest Festival Celebrating Appalachia – Banjos, Burgers and Beer Festival. For more information, visit www.augustaheritagecenter.org, email augusta@AugustaHeritageCenter.org or call the Augusta Heritage Center office at 304-637-1209.
Stories of Appalachia, Way Back Weekend
Join us Saturday, August 6, from 10 a.m. to 3 .pm. for an August Way Back Weekend, Stories of Appalachia! Meet famous storytellers Bil Lepp and Darci Tucker, relive a Hatfield & McCoy feud reenactment, and enjoy an old fashioned book arts demonstration by 8 different artisans! Explore Heritage Farm's award-winning museums and interactive exhibits, including the Six Simple Machines Discovery Zone and state-of-the art MakerSpace. Tickets are $15/adult and $10/child (2 and under, free), or purchase a 2016 Way Back Weekend season pass, which will give you entry into every Saturday, including Way Back Weekends, through December 2016. Individual passes are $30 each, and family passes, which cover two adults and any child under 18 in the home, are $75. Visit bit.ly/1r5VMJf to purchase or call 304-522-1244 for details.
West Virginia Chestnut Festival
Enjoy an Appalachian Chestnut Festival in Rowlesburg, WV, “the little town on the scenic Cheat River!” Honoring the heritage of our Great American Chestnut Tree & the research scientists dedicated to restoring them back to their natural forest habitat. Start your day with a Continental Breakfast – 10:30 to noon – In the River City Café. Meet friends and Distinguished Guests, including Lisa Thomson, President and CEO, The American Chestnut Foundation. Szilagyi Creative Arts Center (10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) West Virginia Chapter Meeting, Chestnut Scientific Program, and Permanent Exhibits! Gala Chestnut Dinner Banquet with chestnut-flavored dishes ! 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m Vendors Welcome: Contact Ellie at ellienesser@yahoo.com. To reserve banquet dinner tickets: Contact Shirley at, shirley.hartley@yahoo.com, or (304) 329-1240. For information contact: Shirley at shirley.hartley@yahoo.com
Augusta Festival and Craft Fair
The Augusta Festival celebrates Appalachian heritage arts and folk life with a juried craft fair, live music, dancing, workshops, craft demonstrations and children’s activities. This year’s juried Craft Fair includes more than 50 of the region’s finest artisans selling their unique creations. Concessions will be available.
Augusta Concert, Cajun/Creole and Classic Country Music
The concert will feature performances by master musicians, vocalists, and dancers who are instructors at Augusta for the summer sessions. Tickets can be purchased online at www.augustaheritagecenter.org or at the Davis & Elkins Box Office on the night of the show.
Annual Aurora Barn Dance
Join the Aurora Project for the Annual Aurora Barn Dance! Enjoy an afternoon of music and dancing, featuring Born Old and Aurora Celtic. There will be a silent auction, and refreshments will be provided. Admission is free for children under 10. Contact the Aurora Project by phone at 304-735-3620 or email info@auroraproject.org for more information.
Music on Cranberry Mountain
Set against the majestic Cranberry Mountain at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center, hear the summer sounds of mountain heritage music with the Young and Restless Pickers. Bring a picnic lunch, a lawn chair and sit under a shade tree!
Appalachian Storytelling with Adam Booth
As a part of the Appalachian Studies Association Conference at Shepherd University, all are welcome to join in many of their FREE events. Enjoy your midday even more by spending it with famed Appalachian storyteller Adam Booth. Adam Booth's storytelling blends traditional folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia. His original voice, both humorous and touching, is influenced by generations of diverse storytellers from West Virginia. His telling appearances include Teller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center, New Voice at the National Storytelling Festival, resident at the Banff Centre (Alberta) Spoken Word program, and multiple events in fifteen states. Equally at home as a teller and educator, his research and educational presentations have included the Berea Appalachian Sound Archives Fellowship, Ghost Ranch, the National Storytelling Conference, and the Appalachian Studies Association Conference. - See more at: http://www.adam-booth.com/bio/#sthash.GHeh2fM8.dpuf
Appalachian Showcase Concert
Shepherd University will be hosting the 39th annual Appalachian Studies Association conference from March 18-20. Nearby 1,000 scholars, educators, students, activists, and learners will come together in Shepherdstown to celebrate our region. As part of the conference, we will present a special showcase concert for the community and visitors featuring John Lilly and Blue Yonder, Appalachian dance, storytelling and much more.
Hops & Heat
Join us at the inaugural Hops & Heat craft beer fest and chili cook-off for some art, chili, & cheers. Over 30 craft beers from 11 Appalachian breweries will be on hand with 14 chili cooks and Bazaar artisans and food vendors!
Jackson’s Mill Jubilee
A celebration of Appalachian Heritage, Educational Demonstrations, featuring Indigenous and Bluegrass music concerts, Native American Style Dancing, Chainsaw Carvings, Gristmill demos, Homestead Activities, Photography, Needle Arts and Quilt Show, Antique Tractors and Engines, Carriage Rides, Civil War Encampment, Top quality Artisans, a Zip Line for the active ones, and Kid’s Land for the younger festival participants. Foods – BBQ (Chicken, Beef, & Pork), Homemade Donuts and Ice Cream, Deep Fried Pickles, and more. Fun for the entire family. Hours: Fri. Noon-9 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.