West Virginia University celebrates its Appalachian roots annually with a week of events highlighting music, food, and arts and crafts from the region. Mountaineer Week, now in its 77th year, starts Monday, Nov. 11, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 17.
The week kicks off at noon on Nov. 11 when 17 students will compete for the “best beard on campus” during the Beard Growing Contest held in the Mountainlair Food Court. This contest, the oldest ongoing Mountaineer Week event, dates back to 1949. Participants, who received courtesy shaves from Classic Cutz, have been growing their beards for six weeks. The top three will win cash prizes and a shaving kit from University Apartments.
The Arts & Craft Fair, the signature event of Mountaineer Week, takes place Nov. 15-17 on the Mountainlair’s second floor. Featuring 70 Appalachian artisans selected by jury, the fair offers handcrafted items for sale, including wooden products, scarves, pottery, jewelry and glassware. The fair is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The Quilt Show, run by members of the Country Roads Quilt Guild, honors the region’s quilt and needlework heritage. Free and open to the public, it is held from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 15-16 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 17 at Elizabeth Moore Hall.
Academics including Gloria Goodwin Reheja from the University of Minnesota, Chris Haddox from the WVU School of Art and Design, and Lori Hostuttler from the West Virginia and Regional History Center will discuss West Virginia’s folk traditions on Nov. 14 in the Mountainlair Gluck Theatre. The event, titled “A Celebration of West Virginia Folk Music Traditions,” includes a musical performance by Haddox and Mary Linscheid. The West Virginia Humanities Council supports this event.
Visitors can also explore the WVRHC Folklife exhibit, featuring documents and artifacts from notable folklorists like Louise Watson Chappell, Patrick Gainer, and John Harrington Cox.
Appalachian music performances will be held on the Mountainlair Food Court stage throughout the week. Performers include Samuel James, Emma Birdz and Tommy Thompson III, Dalton Matheny and Jake Ujhelyi, Al Anderson, The Starlight Darlins, the WVU Bluegrass Band, and The Hillbilly Biscuits. Bob Shank, Pat Harper and Jeff Fedan will perform the hammered dulcimer during the Arts & Craft Fair and Quilt Show on Nov. 15-17. Additional student activities are planned during WVUp All Night, such as line dancing with Collegiate 4-H on Nov. 15-16, concerts by the Sweaty Hands String Band and Grace Campbell on Nov. 15, and Appalachian Trivia on Nov. 16.
Five seniors who embody the Mountaineer Values of Service, Curiosity, Respect, Accountability, and Appreciation will be recognized as Mountaineers of Distinction during the WVU vs. Baylor football game halftime on Nov. 16.
Throughout the week, additional events include Appalachian food sampling, an apple butter demonstration and sale, and an exhibit by the Avian Conservation Center of Appalachia. Food vendors will offer a variety of festival foods in front of the Mountainlair.
See a full schedule of Mountaineer Week events.
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