WVU Today
It may look a little different this year, but Mountaineer Week, West Virginia University’s annual celebration of Appalachian culture will take place today through Saturday.
The 73rd celebration will offer a variety of activities, mainly geared toward WVU students, on the Morgantown campus and online.
The week’s signature event, the Arts & Craft Fair kicks off at noon today with an online shop featuring the work of 26 Appalachian artisans.
Acclaimed storyteller Ilene Evans will present Appalachian stories handed down over the years at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Evans performs, teaches and lectures throughout the United States and overseas. The event will be held online via Zoom and is open to the public. The link will be posted on the Mountaineer Week website prior to the start of the performance.
WVU students can participate in a number of activities and competitions. The annual Beard Growing competition is underway and the winner will be selected Saturday, after a judging in the Mountainlair. Contestant photos and information are available on the Mountaineer Week website. The annual photo contest will be Tuesday through Friday. The entries will be posted on the Mountaineer Week website and winners will be determined by online vote.
Video demonstrations of the Appalachian traditions of blacksmithing and broom making will be featured on the Mountaineer Week website, as well as demonstrations provided by the artisans participating in the online Arts & Craft Fair.
Jeff Fedan will be playing dulcimer music in the Mountainlair from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday for students dining in the student union.
WVUp All Night will feature two live performances in honor of Mountaineer Week. Emily Lehr, a songwriter and instrumentalist from Martinsburg, and the lead singer of the WVU Bluegrass Band, will perform at 10:30 Friday in the Mountainlair Food Court The Honeysuckle Vines, a bluegrass and folk trio comprised of multi-instrumentalists and vocalists Mary Linscheid, Anna Dunham and Lehr, will play musical selections with three-part harmonies and eclectic vocal blends at 10:30 Saturday in Food Court.
Mountaineer Week is produced by WVU Arts & Entertainment. Additional information is available at mountaineerweek.wvu.edu.
