Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Looking Forward to Vandalia Gathering

Camping at Vandalia, view of the DMV

On Memorial Day weekend, May 25-27, the Cultural Center and State Capitol grounds will be the site of the 31st Vandalia Gathering--the state's annual celebration of the traditional arts, music, dance, stories, crafts and food of West Virginia. The free festival's unique blend of ethnic and cultural heritage combines an atmosphere as comfortable as a family reunion with the excitement of a state fair....

For those who love the sounds of traditional music or would like to be introduced to it, Vandalia Gathering can fit the bill. Concerts and contests fill the weekend, and impromptu musical jam sessions spring up all over the grounds. At any moment, a shade tree becomes the site of a lively performance as strolling musicians stop to join in on a favorite tune....

Vandalia Camping: Railroad tracks and interstate

Every Memorial Day weekend, we pack up our little camper and leave beautiful Pocahontas County to camp out in a parking lot next to an interstate highway, some railroad tracks, and the West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles in Charleston. A surprising number of people agree that Old-Time's a Good Time at the Vandalia Gathering, and I'd have to say that it's a lot more fun than West Virginia's State Fair, which is located in Lewisburg, much closer to our home than Charleston. West Virginia's Department of Culture and History has the 2007 Schedule on its Website.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We vacation every year in Pocahontas County. You truly have a gift of expression. I applaud you for "painting," Pocahontas County in such lovely "light."

WV Native / Louisville transplant