Looking for something to do in southern West Virginia this coming week? Here are some ideas.
August 22 through August 26: Appalachian Festival
The 24th annual Appalachian Festival, organized by the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce, will continue its activities and event all week long.
The week-long festival includes a collaborative partnership of events such as:
- Appalachian Makers Market
- Restaurant Week Showcase
- Daniel Vineyard Wine Festival Appalachian Street Fair
- Fridays in the Park
- Honey Bee Festival
- Youth Museum Thomas the Train Exhibit
- Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine Tours
- Tamarack Courtyard Concerts
- Full Moon Bike & Walk
- Farmers Markets
- Youth Library Events
- Beckley Art Center Exhibits
- National Park Ranger Programs
- Appalachian Jamboree Concert
- Haunted Beckley Ghost Tours
- Support Local Business Show
Throughout the week, these events will work to celebrate Appalachian culture.
This year, the chamber is highlighting Appalachian cuisine and local businesses by incorporating Restaurant Week into the festival’s activities.
Learn more here.
August 22 and August 29: Music on Main
From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday, August 22, and Sunday, August 29, Harmony for Hope will host Music on Main. This event will take place every Sunday until September 12, 2021.
Join Harmony for Hope each Sunday morning on Main Street for inspirational music, coffee and community. Get updated on what’s going on in the area, share stories about what you’re doing and enjoy the company of neighbors on your way to your Sunday morning place of worship.
This event will take place outdoors.
Learn more about Music on Main here.
August 22: Tamarack Courtyard Concerts
The Tamarack Marketplace Courtyard Concert series is scheduled to welcome the Untrained Professionals and Matt Mullins to the stage from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 22.
The event will offer free live music in Tamarack’s outdoor courtyard. Guests will be able to browse through the center’s retail space and Fine Art Gallery following the show.
August 22: Beckley Full Moon Bike/ Walk
Join Active Southern West Virginia’s Community Captains on the McManus Trail in Beckley for a Full Moon Bike/ Walk.
The event will begin at 8 p.m. Participants are required to sign this waiver and will be screened for COVID-19 prior to the event.
Learn more about the event here.
August 23, August 25 and August 27: Beckley Farmers Market
The Uptown Farmer’s Market will be open at the Beckley Intermodal Gateway Plaza on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The market will be open from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Market vendors will accept senior coupons.
August 25: Pub n’ Play
Join those at the Gaines Estate on Wednesday, August 25, for Pub n’ Play- a night filled with fun, laughter and delicious drinks. The house bar will be open to the public from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
According to event organizers, there will be yard games, live music and food trucks.
The Gaines Estate is located at 225 W. Maple Street in Fayetteville.
Click here for more information on the event.
August 26: Hatfield McCoy Presentation
From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, Chris Zeto with the Hatfield-McCoy Trail Association will be hosting a presentation and workshop highlighting tourism-based businesses.
The Hatfield-McCoy Trails have spurred community-based economic growth in the southern Coalfields region by encouraging local businesses around a huge tourism asset.
The Upper Kanawha Valley is poised to be the gateway to year-round outdoor recreation in the Mountain State and leaving event organizers wanting community members to be aware of the incredible small business opportunities out there.
The event is open to the public at will be held at the Gateway Center Gymnasium at 2 Greyhound Lane in Smithers.
August 26: Ivy Terrance Concert presents Steel Pterodactyl
Steel Pterodactyl is set to perform at Lewisburg’s Carnegie Hall on Thursday, August 26, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Formed in 1992, Steel Pterodactyl has performed at venues and festivals across West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland with groups such as JGB, Ekoostic Hooka, Rasta Rafiki, The Recipe and more. Recently, the band has added a horn section, changed bass players and added many new songs to its set.
Attendees can watch the concert from the lawn in front of the New River Community and Technical College. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket and pack a picnic to enjoy the live, outdoor concert.
Learn more about Steel Pterodactyl here.
August 26: Beckley Concert Association
Mike Mitchell will perform at the Woodrow Wilson High School Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on August 26.
Mitchell- a singer, songwriter and fiddler-lives and works in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where he is fortunate to perform and record with some of the country’s best players and educators. Classically trained, Mitchell is at home on the Americana/folk music stage and the singer/songwriter venues. His fiddle’s been in the Mitchell family since at least 1890 when his great grandfather carved his name into the one-piece back.
With his effortless vocals, distinctive songwriting, and instrumental prowess, Mitchell continues to capture audiences and carve out his own place in bluegrass.
His single, “Calling Me”, has been streaming since September 2020 while his latest album, “Small Town”, debuted at #2 on the Billboard bluegrass chart.
Enjoy his return to Beckley with an evening of entertainment to kick off the 2021 Appalachian Maker’s Market- formerly Appalachian Arts and Crafts Fair.
August 26 through August 28: Shout! The Mod Musical
Shout! The Mod Musical, a swinging 60s sensation, continues this week at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre in Lewisburg. Catch the two-hour-long performance at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 26, Friday, August 27, and Saturday, August 28.
The musical features songs loved by many, including “These Boots are Made For Walking,” “To Sir With Love,” “Windy,” and of course “Shout!”
Learn more about the muscle, get updates on the theatre’s social distancing guidelines and purchase tickets here.
August 27: Support Local Business Show
This year the Business Show is teaming up with the Appalachian Makers Market!
Enjoy unique activities from up-cycled craft projects to goat yoga!
The show will take place in the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn more on Facebook or by calling 877-987-3847.
August 27: Fridays in the Park
Fridays in the Park has returned to Beckley, meaning live music and food trucks will decorate Word Park in Uptown Beckley from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, August 27, 2021.
The event’s organizers invite those far and wide to finish their workweek with lunch as they support the community, relax, and listen to local entertainment.
Social distancing guidelines will be followed.
August 27: Oak Hill Pilates at Lively Amphitheater
Join Active Southern West Virginia Community Captains for “Thank Goodness It’s Friday Pilates.”
The event will take place at the Lively Amphitheater from noon to 1 p.m. on Friday, August 27, and will repeat weekly through September.
According to event organizers, pilates is a posture-based movement practice designed to improve physical strength, flexibility, posture, and enhance mental awareness. This class is appropriate for all fitness levels. Modifications and up-leveling will be offered to provide an engaging movement experience for all.
Participants are asked to bring their own mat and a small towel. No other equipment is needed.
Click here for more information on the event and here to learn more about Active SWV.
August 27 and August 28: Annual Appalachian Festival Makers Market
The 24th Annual Appalachian Festival, organized by the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce, will culminate on Friday and Saturday will the 56th Annual Makers Market.
Each year, the Makers Market serves as the focal point of the week-long, city-wide festival. Over the weekend, marketgoers will have the opportunity to browse through handcrafted goods from across the region, including jewelry, intricate quilts, metalworking and culinary arts.
The market will be held at Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Visit the Makers Market tab on the Appalachian Festival’s website at appalchianfestival.net for more information.
August 28: Tamarack Courtyard Concerts
The Tamarack Marketplace Courtyard Concert series is scheduled to welcome the Acoustic Fusion to the stage from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 22.
Acoustic Fusion’s music reflects a combination of various genres. Joy Koltenuk provides lead vocals, harmonica and percussion, and Steve Koltenuk provides guitar and vocals.
The event will offer free live music in Tamarack’s outdoor courtyard. Guests will be able to browse through the center’s retail space and Fine Art Gallery following the show.
Learn more about Acoustic Fusion here.
August 28 and August 29: West Virginia Spartan Trifecta Weekend
The West Virginia Spartan Trifecta Weekend will be held on August 28 and August 29 at the Summit Bechtel Reserve.
The Spartan Race is a global leader in obstacle course racing, challenging racers to push beyond their limits.
The weekend will offer the following races:
21K • 30 OBSTACLE BEAST
Spartan Beast is a half marathon, 30 obstacle race engineered to push you out of your comfort zone and right up to your limits. Competitors race through rugged, unpredictable terrain around the world as they tackle each of our signature obstacles. The Beast is a Spartan Trifecta eligible event.
10K • 25 OBSTACLE SUPER
Spartan Super is a 10 km, 25 obstacle race that blends speed, endurance, and technical skill. Supers are built to always keep you guessing, testing your athleticism and mental fortitude over rugged terrain. This race separates athletes from Spartans. The Super is a Spartan Trifecta eligible event.
5K • 20 OBSTACLE SPRINT
Spartan Sprint is a 5 km, 20 obstacle race that will change your life. This is our signature race type, a fast-paced adventure through rugged terrain built for new and returning racers alike. It’s the perfect gateway into the world of the Spartan. The Sprint is a Spartan Trifecta eligible event.
KIDS RACE
Spartan Kids is a series of obstacle course races — ranging from 800m to 3.2km — specifically designed to get your kids (ages 4-14) outside, feeling accomplished, and having fun. They’ll run, jump and crush their way through obstacles, just like the adults.
Learn more about a race and sign up here.
August 28: Music in the Mountains
In the 1920s and 1930s, thousands of people would come to Princeton’s Glenwood Recreation Park for fiddler’s conventions and music festivals.
With the use of a portable stage, Music in the Mountains: A Celebration of Hope, a one-day event, will offer music to the community from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 28.
Event organizers, and the city of Princeton, believe this event will be a “great opportunity” to see how many attendance events the amphitheater can generate.
August 28: Living History Event
On Saturday, August 28, the town of Union will host a living history encampment and demonstration recognizing the 120th year of the Confederate monument.
The event, which is sponsored and hosted by Camp Bernie Chapman, will begin at noon.
Learn more by emailing wvaca@hughes.net.
August 29: Tamarack Courtyard Concerts
The Tamarack Marketplace Courtyard Concert series is scheduled to welcome the Jonah Carden to the stage from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 22.
The event will offer free live music in Tamarack’s outdoor courtyard. Guests will be able to browse through the center’s retail space and Fine Art Gallery following the show.
Learn more about Carden and his music here.