A Weekend of Music and Good Vibes in New Martinsville: The Backhome Festival

 

As I stepped out of the car into the hot, muggy end-of-June air, I was able to hear the sound of a bass guitar playing in the distance. As my dad, stepmom and I walked along the streets of downtown New Martinsville to make our way toward the main stage, we were greeted by vendor after vendor of people selling various tie-dyed clothing, jewelry, and other hand-made crafts. This is a very lax and easygoing festival, where everyone is here to leave their worries behind for the weekend and have a good time.  The Backhome festival has had a special place in my heart since my first time attending last year. Nothing is better than sitting in the soft grass on a blanket basking in the sun, snow cone in my hand and hearing live music. 

This festival differs from the others that I have attended in that, rather than specifically focusing on West Virginia culture, it welcomes artists from all over the country to perform and share their music with locals. While the Grafton Monster Festival focused specifically on the West Virginia cryptid, and had vendors curated as such, the Backhome festival is a celebration of hippie culture as a whole rather than zeroing in on West Virginia.

This festival is reminiscent of the Back to the Land Movement in West Virginia that started in the 1970s. During this time period, people began buying land and moving to West Virginia in an attempt to re-connect with nature and live a simple life. Many of the musicians and handicrafters who live in West Virginia today have roots in this movement. It really makes you wonder if the Backhome festival has roots in this movement, at least in terms of the artisans who attend.

We were there on Saturday, so we were able to see performances from several different bands. Ezra Hamilton was the first performance we saw that day. We set up our blanket in the grass and relaxed as he performed some jazzy tunes for the crowd. The next group to play was Tray Dahl and the Jugtime Ragband, a band from New Orleans whose set was a blend of ragtime jazz and country music. The final band we saw, Bucket of Puppies, is a jam band whose high-energy rock set had the crowd up and dancing in a matter of minutes.  
                The Backhome Festival brings visitors from all over the country to New Martinsville in a celebration of all kinds of traditional music. In the short time that we were there, we were able to hear a wide variety of music genres. It is easy to see how it has earned its’ title as Best Festival in West Virginia. This festival is one of my favorites in the state and I look forward to attending in the years to come. 

 

The West Virginia Folk Festival: A Celebration of Local Traditions

 

The West Virginia Folk Festival is held each summer in Glenville, West Virginia, and is a celebration of local art, music, and culture. I attended this festival on Saturday and was surprised to see how sprawling the festival was across the town of Glenville. There were vendors set up all over the town selling their handmade goods and crafts. The usually quiet streets of this small West Virginia town were lined with people talking, laughing, and enjoying the various activities the festival had to offer.

Deanna Lyon, who is from Orma, West Virginia, was at the festival selling her handmade crafts, such as keychains with various designs on them. She heard about the festival from a Facebook group about West Virginia events. She said that the festival brings the community together and boosts local business. I agree with her that events like this help to bring people together, as they encourage people to get out into their communities and connect with other people. It definitely helps to boost local businesses as well. I heard that the local campground at Cedar Creek State Park was completely sold out this weekend with people visiting for the festival.

Heather Coleman, the director of the Gilmer County Library, had a booth set up at the festival giving away free books and plants. She said that it also brings people back to Glenville who may have moved away, but still come back each year for the festival. It helps them to remain connected to their local community and to want to keep coming back to visit, which I think is wonderful. 

I can absolutely see how this festival is helpful to the community by preserving folk traditions. We saw some folk musicians playing music at the festival during the day, and a square dance was hosted in the evening. I listened to a group of men playing a fiddle, a banjo, and a guitar as I sat at a picnic table and ate my deep-fried calzone. There was also a booth set up where people could watch someone do traditional woodworking, and another where they could learn to make their own butter. This festival preserves these folk traditions while allowing visitors to discover and learn more about them.

 

 

 

The Grafton Monster Festival

Last weekend I went to the Grafton Monster Festival in Grafton, West Virginia. The streets were lined with vendors and bustling with visitors from all around the state. We talked to lots of friendly people while we were there, and I was able to gather a better understanding of this event’s origins, and how specifically it benefits the community from the perspectives of community members.

 
Alicia Lyons told me that they had been wanting to put on a Grafton Monster festival for a very long time, and finally decided that it was time to make it happen. They have also opened the Grafton Monster Museum in downtown Grafton. Alicia said that the Grafton Monster Festival is beneficial to the local community by bringing in tourism and boosting the local economy. Events like this can help to boost small town economies by attracting visitors who may not travel to these places otherwise. She also said that by visiting the town during the festival, people may also be introduced to all the cool things that Grafton has to offer, boosting tourism as a whole. 

The folks with Taylor County Prevention Resources told me about the annual Monster Hunt event. The Taylor County Monster Hunt event was started during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage kids and their families to get outside and into their community, while also learning about local lore. Community members loved it, so they decided to continue doing it even after COVID! Events like this can encourage people to go explore the community they call home and connect with each other. They had a table set up and were selling merch, so of course I had to snag a T-shirt. Here’s a link to a news article if you’d like to learn more: https://www.wvnews.com/mountainstatesman/registration-opens-for-taylor-county-west-virginia-monster-hunt/article_fc114492-84eb-11ef-ba79-7b8dd4435aa7.html 

Next, we headed to Gallery 62 West where we met Mothboy Mike, who was there selling cryptid-themed children’s books that he writes. 

 He said that his interest in local cryptids “goes back a long time ago to my Mother and her love for Bigfoot. That’s where it all started for me as a kid. It was when I saw the movie ‘The Mothman Prophecies’ when I got into West Virginia Cryptids and folklore specifically.” He had heard about the Grafton Monster Festival online, and knew that he had to find a way to get involved, so he reached out to the festival promoter and introduced himself. Now he’s been coming to the festival for two years and selling his books and promoting his cryptid themed comedy podcast. He says that it has been a great experience so far. 

“I think cryptid-themed events are wonderful for local communities,” he said. “These events bring people into these often small towns who truly need the tourism and support. They also showcase how wonderful the state of West Virginia is and how storytelling is the backbone of this great state.” Storytelling and oral traditions are a quintessential part of West Virginia culture, and cryptid tales such as the Grafton Monster are a prime example of how these stories are passed down and loved by communities for generations.

 I feel that cryptid festivals, and folklore events as a whole, are great for local communities in West Virginia. As someone who passes through Grafton often, I thought it was wonderful to see so many people walking down the streets and enjoying the festival on a beautiful sunny day, and visiting the local businesses. I can certainly say that I would like to go back to Grafton, even when there is no festival, just to explore. Most notably, I want to return to Gallery 62 West and the Grafton Monster Museum. I thought the Grafton Monster Festival was such a cool experience and I am so excited to see how it grows and develops in years to come.

The Mid-Ohio Valley Hidden Gems Trail

The WV Department of Tourism has created all kinds of tourism trails to draw in visitors to the various attractions around the state. A recent example include the Waterfall Trail, which covers waterfalls all around the state. The Pepperoni Roll Trail, created by the Marion County CVB, includes local bakeries and restaurants in Harrison and Marion counties. I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring these trails for myself. I thought it would be a fun idea to create my own tourism trail based around my favorite West Virginia attractions that I’ve visited.

The Mid-Ohio Valley Hidden Gem Trail outlines some of my personal favorite places around the Mid-Ohio Valley tourism region. I have roots in this area, so I have spent a lot of time here throughout my life. I hope that after you read this article, you will want to visit some of my favorite places as well! The first stop on this trail will be Carolyn’s Sandwich Shop in Harrisville, which is my favorite place to have breakfast. The workers here are so friendly and will make you some delicious home-cooked meals! My personal favorites are the Western omelet and the biscuits and sausage gravy. Or, if you’re not wanting breakfast food, their cheeseburgers are great too. After having a tasty meal at Carolyn’s, head just down the street to Berdine’s Five and Dime, an old-fashioned general store that has all kinds of cool tchotchkes, toys, and old-fashioned items. This is such a fun store that people of all ages are sure to enjoy. I have so many childhood memories here of exploring the numerous shelves and playing with all the toys. Make sure you don’t leave without sampling some candy from the candy counter! Next, head to Creston in Wirt County, which is about an hour away, and stop by Burning Springs Park, the site of the country’s first oil and gas field. Here, you can wander and explore the various historical structures, such as the old Rathbone Well, and learn about the local industry and how it is connected with the Civil War and West Virginia’s journey to statehood. If you’re someone who likes to learn about local history, you’re sure to enjoy your visit here. Next, head about thirty minutes down the road to the Calhoun County Park. Here you can visit the Heritage Village, courtesy of the Calhoun County Historical Society. The Heritage Village is made up of various buildings from around the community that were built in the 1800s thru the early 1900s that have been preserved. By visiting this village, you are getting a firsthand look at a vital part of Calhoun County’s local history. You can even schedule a tour to learn more in-depth about these buildings and the functions they once served in the community! Finally, I’d like to encourage you to end your trip at Pizzas and Cream in Nebo. As the name suggests, you can stop here for some delicious fresh-baked pizza and ice cream. Sit outside at a picnic table and enjoy your meal. Pizzas and cream is only about 10 minutes away from I-79, so it’s easy to jump on the highway here and head home. I hope you decide to explore this trail and discover these hidden gems for yourself!

The Ramps and Rails Festival

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Ramps and Rails festival in Elkins with my family. It was a cold and rainy day, but that didn’t stop us from enjoying many, many different ramp-based dishes. I made it a goal to sample as many of the different food options as I could, and I think I managed to try almost everything. The foods we ate at the festival are as follows: ramp empanadas with ramp chimichurri sauce, ramp burgers, ramp cheese fries, ramp rangoons, ramp potato cakes, ramp dumplings, ramp croissants, and ramp focaccia bread.

Everything was good, but my personal favorite was the focaccia bread! It was so light and fluffy, and the garlicky flavor from the ramps was a nice touch. It was served with a fresh and creamy ramp butter. Focaccia has always been one of my favorites, but adding ramps to it really “ramped” it up a bit, and made it perfect. The only thing we didn’t get to try that day was the ramp-eroni rolls, since they sold out within the first hour of the festival. However, the woman in charge of the stand was so kind, and offered to meet my dad in Clarksburg the following weekend with a fresh batch of them! So, we ended up getting some anyway, and of course, they were delicious. They had the perfect pepperoni-to-ramp ratio, so they were just the right amount of garlicky and spicy. I could tell these were fresh-baked, as the bread was fluffy and fresh. These are absolutely worth the hype, and you should try one if you get the chance!

Other than food vendors, this festival also features live music, crafts, and train rides. While waiting in the very long line to get our ramp burgers, we listened to a live music performance from Crandall Creek, a local folk band. Live music is one of my favorite things when attending any festival, so this was something that I really enjoyed!

Fasnacht 2025: My Experience, and the Fluidity of Folk Culture

There’s something so exquisite and magical about wandering around a small, cozy village surrounded by people wearing various masks of animals and characters, with a warm cup of coffee in my hand, as snow gently falls to the ground. Earlier this month, I made the trek to Helvetia, West Virginia for Fasnacht, which is a traditional Swiss end-of-winter celebration. This was my first time ever visiting this town, let alone for this festival, so I was not fully sure what to expect. I could not have predicted how much I would enjoy my time here. To quote the West Virginia folklife site, “Fasnacht is a pre-Lenten tradition that dates back to 1520 in Switzerland and celebrates the changing of the seasons”. The Fasnacht celebration in Helvetia is a prime example of the fluidity and ever-changing nature of folk traditions. “Tradition encompasses change”. This is a quote from Susan Auerbach, a former folk arts coordinator for the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, as quoted in the book “Destination Culture: Tourism, Museums, and Heritage” by Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett. In other words, as society and individuals grow and change, so do our traditions and culture. I was able to observe firsthand how Fasnacht has simultaneously retained its’ core values and traditions, while synthesizing with relatively new traditions that are brought in as more people discover the event. One example of this is fans of the video game Fallout 76 who come to the festival each year dressed as characters from the game. I thought it was so cool to see how fans of this game have become a regular part of this tradition, even having their own area with Fallout merch set up. Not only has Fallout 76 introduced an entirely new audience to Fasnacht, but I think that it could work the other way around too. I can definitely say that seeing the Fallout costumes made me want to check the game out!

There were two sisters who were braiding tinsel into people’s hair at the Cheese Haus for three dollars a piece, so my friend and I decided to each get a tinsel. I want to give a shout-out to them and highly recommend that you find them and get your own tinsel, if you decide to attend Fasnacht. I want to recommend them not only because the tinsel was beautiful, but because they are so funny and personable and made it a memorable and fun experience.

As a first timer at Fasnacht, I can say that I immediately felt so welcomed and at home by everyone there. Everyone I encountered there was so friendly and kind. There was just such a sense of collective joy that made this celebration so special. I feel like I experienced this collective joy most of all during the parade in which everyone walked to the community hall, and the burning of Old Man Winter. Walking over to the community hall in a large group with everyone, and then standing in a big circle around the bonfire, cheering as Old Man Winter burned, was an experience like no other. There is no way to fully put this festival into words, so I highly recommend that you attend this festival next year and experience it for yourself.

The Gardner Winter Music Festival: An Interactive Folk Music Experience

 

Worley Gardner's picture on the 
auditorium stage

On Saturday, February 22, I had the opportunity to visit the Gardner Winter Music Festival in my hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia, at South Middle School. This festival offers a variety of unique and fun experiences, such as workshops in a variety of different types of traditional Appalachian music, jam sessions, a square dance, and live performances by local West Virginia musicians. This was my first time attending this festival, so I was not sure what to expect from it. I am so grateful that I was able to attend for the first time this year, because the experiences that I had are like no other. Worley Gardner is unique to other music festivals I have been to in that, rather than only watching others perform, visitors to the festival are given the opportunity to fully participate in and create music as well. This is such a fun, magical, and whimsical event that anyone of any musical skill or knowledge level can enjoy. 

We first arrived to the festival in the early afternoon. Upon walking into the festival, I was met with the sound of a happy fiddle tune coming from somewhere in the building, and everyone seemed so carefree and happy. There was an Appalachian foot dancing class being taught in the middle of the floor where visitors first walk in. People of all ages were standing in a circle to learn a dance, and occasionally someone would jump into the middle of the circle. I did not participate in this workshop, but it was so fun to watch!

The live performances from local musicians were held in the school’s auditorium, where people were free to duck in and out of throughout the day. After the Appalachian foot dancing concluded, we decided to head inside and check it out. We watched performances by Walter Hojka, Lackawanna Longnecks and the Kennedy Barn String Band. As the name suggests, the Kennedy Barn String Band was made up of several fiddle players who played various folk tunes.

Walter Hojka playing in the auditorium

  

After watching a few of the performances held in the auditorium, we decided to head to one of the classrooms to participate in one of the workshops for ourselves. We joined in on a singing workshop with local musician Mary Linscheid, who led us in singing Amazing Grace, Farther Along by Dolly Parton, among other songs from a variety of different genres. Similar to the Appalachian foot dancing workshop, the singing workshop included people from all different age groups and generations. I feel that I shared a beautiful experience with all of these strangers by singing these songs together. This is just another example of how this festival has a unique talent for bringing people together, in a way that other events may not be able to. Aristotle Jones also led a singing workshop in soul music. 

To conclude our time at the Worley Gardner Music Festival, we made our way back to the auditorium to catch performances by Turkey Hollow Barn Jam, Bill Schilling, and Aristotle Jones. Turkey Hollow Barn Jam is a group of several musicians who played happy folksy tunes. Bill Schilling is a folk musician who plays a variety of different instruments, such as the mountain dulcimer, banjo, and the guitar. Aristotle Jones, also known as the "Appalachian Soul Man", is a local musician from Osage, which is just outside of Morgantown. 

We had a great time at the Gardner Winter Music Festival! It was an immersive and fun experience that people of all ages can enjoy. It was my first time ever attending this festival, and I can say that I had a wonderful time, and plan to come back next year. I hope to see you all there too!