We Shall Remain: After the Mayflower
See the “First Thanksgiving” through Native American eyes in this episode of American Experience produced by PBS.
West Virginia Culture Center 40th Anniversary
For 40 years, the Culture Center has been the premier welcome center for our state. Featuring the West Virginia State Museum and the West Virginia Archives, it is a special place to celebrate and discover more about our state’s heritage, culture and history. There will be special exhibits, presentations and music for the day.
Lost River State Park Summer Naturalist Events
Friday, May 27 8:00pm-9:00pm Walk In The Twilight Zone ***YPP*** Let’s take a night hike and look for bats, owls, and other night creatures! We’ll learn how these animals get around in the dark. Bring a flashlight and meet me at the pool bath House. Saturday, May 28 9:30am-10:30am Nature Center ***YPP*** Come visit the Nature Center where you will find all kinds of interesting displays and our creek aquariums of fish and other critters, plus our nature library loaded with guide books to identify everything from mushrooms to insects. 11:00am- Noon Creek Critter Crawl ***YPP*** Let’s go search Howard’s Lick for aquatic wildlife and learn about stream ecology! After collecting cool critters, we’ll identify them and what role they serve in the ecosystem and release them. Meet in front of the pool house and be ready to explore the creek and get your feet wet! 1:00pm-4:00pm Lee House Open***YPP*** Calling all history enthusiasts! Learn about the remarkable past of Lost River State Park, “Lighthorse” Harry Lee, the Lee Sulphur Springs Resort and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Follow the sign by Cabins 1&2 across from the pool. 7:00pm-8:00pm Campfire Time! Meet me at the Fire Pit across from the Rec Hall to enjoy a campfire & S’mores. Park supplies the fixings and roasting forks. If it rains, we will use the big stone fireplace in the Rec Hall. Sunday, May 29 11:00am-3:00pm Lee House Open***YPP*** Calling all history enthusiasts! Learn about the remarkable past of Lost River State Park, “Lighthorse” Harry Lee, the Lee Sulphur Springs Resort and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Follow the sign by Cabins 1&2 across from the pool.
Lost River Fiber Festival
Fiber is our featured craft during the month of May. This consists of many mediums, including spinning, weaving, knitting, sewing and hooking. As part of our Memorial Day weekend of activities we will have artists available demonstrating many crafts to enlighten you about the art of fiber. Other artisan demonstrations will also be presented along with live music during the course of the day. Come and spend some time with us. This Saturday the Lost River Artisans Co-op Fiber Fest will be held this Saturday from 10:00-4:00. Among other activities there will be spinning and artist demonstrations, a kiddy craft tent, sheep shearing and the world famous Walking of the Sheep (think running of the bulls, just slower, less dangerous and replace the bulls in the street with sheep meandering to the barn). The Artisans Co-op will be open Friday through Monday so stop on by!
West Virginia State FLAT PICK GUITAR CHAMPIONSHIP
Come play with the best of the best at the Robin Kessinger Music Festival!
MUSIC IN THE HILLS – Way Back Weekend
Join a celebration of folk music history with the Robin Kessinger Music Festival, featuring the West Virginia Flat Pick Guitar Championship and other live performances!
20th Anniversary Spring Festival at Heritage Farm Museum & Village
Celebrate 20 years of Heritage Farm Museum & Villages signature festival as Appalachian artisans preserve interactive crafts of yesteryear! New and exciting experiences await as we unveil the Six Simple Machines Discovery Zone, Generation's murals, and the new state-of-the-art MakerSpace!
Martinsburg Heritage Festival
Discover and celebrate the rich history of Martinsburg, WV during the annual Martinsburg Heritage Festival, with daily activities from May 13-15. You'll tour the homes of historic figures, learn about the city's Irish heritage, find the ghosts that call the city home and more. For more information about the festival, visit www.orgsites.com/wv/adam-stephen.
Antique Gas Engine Show
Antique Gas Engine Show; Historic Buildings and Displays; Church Services (9am) - Sunday; Gospel Sing (1:30pm) - Sunday; Country Kitchen and Store Open; Antique Tractor Pull - Saturday 1pm.
House and Garden Tours
Be sure to visit "Homes on Tour" for a look at the beautiful historic homes open for viewing during the 62nd Annual House and Garden Tour. Docents from garden clubs throughout the region guide guests through these homes and gardens, describing the architecture, furnishings and plantings, as well as genealogical information or historical events that may have taken place on the grounds or within the walls. Club members also volunteer their time and talents by providing beautiful flower arrangements to decorate the homes. Tours are scheduled at the end of April in order to capture spring's beauty at its peak. Complete Tour Advanced: $20.00 Adults, $10.00 Children (12 & under) Day of Tour will be $25.00 Adults, $10.00 Children (12 & under) Day of Tour Single will be $10.00 Adults, $8.00 Children (12 & under)
SPRING BREAK HERITAGE CAMP
Spring Break Heritage Camp is a 2 day experiential learning, mini-camp experience for Kindergarten-5th Graders, throughout West Virginia's only Smithsonian Affiliate, Heritage Farm Museum & Village. From 9am-4pm campers will be encouraged to dream and create in the new MakerSpace. They will learn how the coal and train industry impacted daily life in our region and meet Simon Kenton, a frontiersman known for exploring, Kentucky and West Virginia. Children will tinker with pioneer inventions and toys, while gaining an introduction to the simple machines that still influence today. Other experiences will include photo hunts in award winning museums, wagon rides, outdoor play, and a campfire lunch!
SPRING BREAK HERITAGE CAMP
Spring Break Heritage Camp is a 2 day experiential learning, mini-camp for Kindergarten-5th Graders throughout West Virginia's only Smithsonian Affiliate, Heritage Farm Museum & Village. From 9am-4pm campers will be encouraged to dream and create in the new MakerSpace. They will learn how the coal and train industry impacted daily life in our region and meet Simon Kenton, a frontiersman known for exploring, Kentucky and West Virginia. Children will tinker with pioneer inventions and toys, while gaining an introduction to the simple machines that still influence today. Other experiences will include photo hunts in award winning museums, wagon rides, outdoor play, and a campfire lunch!
Opening Weekend Party: Live Music, Fling Golf, May Day Dance
Join us Friday, April 29 – Sunday, May 1 for a weekend loaded with special events, favorite meals and a great rate package! Weekend Highlights Include: A Friday night front porch concert (Robbie Limon), fling golf, a Saturday BBQ chicken cook out on the Hill and more! Be the first to try a new way to enjoy Capon’s prep course! We will be introducing the latest and greatest recreational activity at Capon: Fling Golf! Come up to the prep course Saturday morning for an introduction and demonstration of this “lacrosse meets golf” game. Then play in our first best “fling golf” tourney! *BONUS: If you really want to be the first official guests of our 2016 season, add on Thursday night, April 28th, and feast on our first steak dinner on the Hill and enjoy a special Bingo Bash under the stars.
Blennerhassett Island State Park – 2/7 – WINTER LECTURE SERIES
Winter Lecture Series: "Grave Creek Mound". The 2016 Winter Lecture series is every Sunday in February. Andrea Keller and Heater Cline are February 7th guest speakers. These history presentations are educational programs featuring speakers and first-person interpreters on a variety of Ohio Valley / W.Va. topics. The four-week series consists of Sunday afternoon programs beginning at 2:00 p.m. the Blennerhassett Museum. Parking is free. Seating is limited and reservations are required for the lecture series. There is a small cost to the attend the lectures: the cost to attend the lecture series is $5.00 per lecture for non-Friends of Blennerhassett Members and $4.00 per lecture for Friends of Blennerhassett members. Please make reservations for the individual lectures you would like to attend or you can sign up for all four. To reserve your seat for history, call 304-420-4800. Find Lecture Series events and more special programs at Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park on the weblink below.
Veterans Day Celebration, Nov. 8-11, at Capon Springs!
Join us for a $99/person/night three night celebration of all our veterans. Special Bingo, live patriotic music and historical movie along with a special ceremony on 11/11.
HAY EWE! WAY BACK WEEKEND
FUN, FIBER, and FARM...Make wool into clothing in a "Seed to Shawl" experience, Enjoy the "Stitches in Time" Quilt Show, Children's Adventure Hay Maze, Hay Rides, Artisans, Award Winning Exhibits, Unique Food, Petting Zoo, and More at West Virginia's Only Smithsonian Affiliate!
Helvetia Community Fair
THE HELVETIA COMMUNITY FAIR celebrates the rich culture and history of Helvetia, WV, a small Swiss community located in Randolph County. One of the oldest agricultural fairs in West Virginia, the Helvetia Community Fair encourages local families, friends, and visitors to celebrate our harvest and our heritage. Farmers, artisans, and children display their work at the Helvetia Community Hall the second full weekend in September. Canned green beans, yellow squash, pfeffernüsse cookies, tatting, wildflower arrangements, 4-H projects, watercolor paintings, and much more line the hall to honor the past year and to uphold our history. Just beyond the blue ribbon exhibits, the kitchen bustles with volunteers who prepare food for a day full of celebration. Festivities include a parade, Swiss folk dancing, Fahnenschwingen (Swiss flag swinging), Alphorn playing, yodeling, field games, relays, and a square dance. Helvetia’s original settlers proved they could withstand harsh winters and rugged terrain while retaining the traditions of their mother country, Switzerland. Our hope is that the Helvetia Community Fair reflects that character, celebrates our ancestry, and encourages our children and visitors to embrace our traditions.