The Culture Center, at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, will host a West Virginia Day celebration for the Mountain State’s 162nd birthday on Friday, June 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will include birthday cake, West Virginia-style hot dogs and refreshments, new exhibits, and youth activities that are enjoyable for the whole family. The celebration is free and open to the public.

The West Virginia State Museum will feature a special birthday scavenger hunt, with craft activities in the museum education room, including jewelry making, paper weaving, and corn husk doll making. A presentation on unique historic toys from the state museum collection will be available to guests, along with a short film titled “West Virginia – The Road to Statehood,” featured in the Museum’s media room.

At noon, birthday cake, along with West Virginia-style hot dogs and refreshments, will be served to all visitors who want to take part in honoring the state’s birthday and enjoying a “taste of West Virginia.” A state birthday card will also be on display for all to sign.

“We look forward to welcoming West Virginia lovers of all ages to the Culture Center to celebrate the state’s 162nd birthday,” said West Virginia Tourism Secretary, Chelsea Ruby. “From the State Museum’s engaging exhibits, educational activities, and food traditions like the West Virginia hot dog, we’re celebrating it all this Friday.”

New exhibits have also been added to the Culture Center’s display. The complete collection of the Blenko Glass Company’s West Virginia Birthday Series is currently featured in the Great Hall. One of the most popular exhibits each year, The Quilt and Wall Hanging Exhibit, adorns the walls of the Great Hall for guests to enjoy, and the fourth and last installment of the Inspired Series exhibits, entitled “West Virginia Historic Figures” and showcasing portraits of inspiring West Virginians, is on display in the state museum’s Commissioner’s Gallery.

For information about the West Virginia Day celebration, go to https://wvculture.org/culture-center-to-host-free-west-virginia-day-celebration/.