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Ghost stories with improvised music and a Halloween square dance are coming to Fairmont State University’s Frank and Jane Gabor Folklife Center this October.
Both events are free and welcome all ages, according to an October 8 release from Fairmont State University. The Spooky Stories Concert is Friday, October 16, and the Halloween Square Dance is Thursday, October 29. Each runs from 7 to 9 p.m.
For the concert, the West Virginia Storytelling Guild will pair its stories with improvised music from Pittsburgh Sound Preserve for the first time.
“Freely improvised music and ghost stories may seem far apart, but it is a pleasure bringing together these vernacular traditions that both thrive along the Monongahela River,” Pittsburgh-based composer, performer and educator Jay Rauch said in the release.
Joining Rauch will be musicians Patrick Breiner, Eli Namay and Annick Odom. The storytelling lineup features JoAnn Dadisman, Fran Kirk, Karen Vuranch, June Riffle and Judi Tarowsky. Refreshments will be served.
At the square dance, the Kennedy Barn String Band will play while Odom, Taylor Runner and 95-year-old Lou Maiuri call the dances. Newcomers can take part without a partner, and attendees are encouraged to wear costumes.
“Folks are invited to watch, listen, try out square dancing, or for our advanced folks, dance all night!” Folklife Center Director Dr. Lydia Warren said in the release.
My Buckhannon reported on plans for the center’s 2025 Halloween square dance, which was announced as the kickoff for Fairmont State’s 2025–26 Artist-in-Residence program.
Visitors can park around the center on Squibb Wilson Boulevard on Fairmont State’s campus in Fairmont. An elevator serves the second floor. Call 304-367-4403 or visit the Folklife Center’s website for details.
