WVU Mountaineer Week to rejoice all things Appalachian with arts and crafts, tunes, storytelling and much more | WVU Now

Mountaineer Week, the annual West Virginia University celebration of its Appalachian roots, starts Monday (Oct. 30) and continues via Sunday, Nov. 5.
(WVU Photograph/Sean Hines)

Mountaineer Week, the yearly West Virginia College celebration of its Appalachian roots, commences Monday (Oct. 30) and proceeds as a result of Sunday, Nov. 5.

Mountaineer Week started out in 1947 as a way to make school spirit around the WVU vs. Kentucky soccer video game. A team of pupils, a lot of of whom were being Environment War II veterans, prepared a weekend of pursuits that included a thuse, a costume contest and a dance. That to start with celebration progressed into a weeklong celebration now in its 76th year.

The 7 days attributes a assortment of occasions, including storytelling, live shows, demonstrations and meals tastings.

The festivities open at noon Monday (Oct. 30) with the judging of the once-a-year Beard Growing Contest in the Mountainlair Food stuff Courtroom. More than 20 college students will vie for the bragging legal rights to the ideal beard on campus as nicely as money prizes provided by University Apartments. The Beard Expanding Contest started in 1949 and is the oldest continuous occasion of the celebration.

The Arts & Craft Reasonable offered by Par Mar Shops, Mountaineer Week’s signature function, will be held Nov. 3-5. The honest will showcase the get the job done of far more than 60 Appalachian artisans selected by jury. All merchandise for sale are hand-crafted. Shoppers will find unique pottery, jewelry, handblown glass, art prints, images, tub and human body things, and much more. The reasonable is held in the Mountainlair Ballrooms. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Quilt Exhibit, organized and staffed by customers of the Nation Streets Quilt Guild, pays homage to the region’s wealthy quilt and needlework heritage. The display is no cost and open to the community between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday (Nov. 3) and Saturday (Nov. 4), and 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday (Nov. 5), in Elizabeth Moore Corridor.

Quilt fanatics will also want to go to the “Lifecycle of the Rainbow Trout” exhibit in the Mountainlair Greenbrier Room Friday (Nov. 3) and Saturday (Nov. 4). Very first-quality college students from Mountainview Elementary Faculty developed 5 quilts to depict what they discovered whilst participating in Trout Unlimited’s nationally recognized, science-based mostly Trout in the Classroom system which engages pupils in their mission to shield and restore the nation’s h2o methods whilst fostering a regard and like for the natural environment. WVU pupils in Jennifer Ripley Stueckle’s standard biology courses assisted the elementary college students in elevating their own rainbow trout which they released in May.

The WVU Humanities Centre will present the Appalachian Writer of Color Collection Monday (Oct. 30) at 7:30 p.m. in the Downtown Campus Library Milano Room. This year’s highlighted author is Lisa Kwong, writer of “Becoming AppalAsian” and a member of the Affrilachian Poets. Kwong, a first-generation school college student from Radford, Virginia, identifies as AppalAsian — an Asian from Appalachia. Her poem “Searching for Wonton Soup” was Sundress Publications’ 2019 Poetry Broadside Contest winner, and her do the job has been nominated for the Weatherford Award in Poetry.

Customers of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild will existing Haunted Hollows: Spooky Stories from Appalachia in the Mountainlair Mountaineer Area at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1. Illene Evans, Jo Ann Dadisman and Judy Tarowsky will accomplish.

Lunchtime guests to the Mountainlair Foods Court will be taken care of to Appalachian new music all over the week. Samuel James, Lexi Mank, Grace Campbell and Dalton Matheny, and The WVU Bluegrass Band and Aged-Time Band are scheduled to complete. Bob Shank, Pat Harper and Jeff Fedan will address Arts & Craft and Quilt Clearly show website visitors to the appears of the dulcimer Nov. 3-5. Further concert events are scheduled for the duration of WVUp All Night and include Kaylee Boyce at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 3, Tommy Thompson at midnight Nov. 4, and WVU alum Emily Lehr and Ryan Brandenburg at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 4.

Trivia fans will want to show off their understanding at Appalachian Trivia at 6 p.m. Nov. 2, in the Mountainlair Meals Court docket. There will be four rounds of standard expertise Appalachian and West Virginia trivia with prizes furnished by Par Mar Shops, Uptown Cheapskate, Hoot and Howl and the WVU Bookstore. This function is hosted by the WVU Appalachian Advocacy Network. This student firm is effective to teach, encourage and get ready youthful folks to interact in political motion and construct a additional sustainable upcoming for Appalachia. Region and bluegrass band Seventy9 will accomplish at 8 p.m. in the Foodstuff Court subsequent this function.

5 seniors who exemplify the Mountaineer Values of Service, Curiosity, Respect, Accountability and Appreciation will be named Mountaineers of Distinction all through halftime ceremonies of the WVU vs. BYU football game Saturday, Nov. 4.

More situations taking location throughout the week consist of: the West Virginia Quilt Documentation Task an apple butter demonstration and sale and an exhibit by the Avian Conservation Heart of Appalachia. Foodstuff vendors supplying kettle corn, pork rinds, roasted nuts, southern hickory-smoked barbecue and jambalaya will be established up in entrance of the Mountainlair.

See the full routine of occasions.

Remain related with WVU Arts & Amusement for the hottest occasion updates by way of Fb, X, previously regarded as Twitter, and Instagram.

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ksg/10/24/23

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