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Monday 10am - 3pm Tuesday 10am - 3pm Wednesday 10am - 3pm Thursday 10am - 3pm

The Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center

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The Frank & Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center

We're dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of our region's rich cultural heritage.

05/28/2026

Interested in superstitions and folk traditions about/from the Appalachian/West Virginia region?

The Folklife Center has a array of printed material that we've begun weeding (removing from our archives) out of our Ruth Ann Musick collection, with most ranging around the mid-1900's. So far, it's just zines and journals.

These materials are first-come first-serve and are entirely free! Feel free to swing by the Folklife Center during our open hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and a staff member will bring you to our library where you can look through the items and take what you'd like.

What isn't donated or given away will eventually be thrown away, so if you're interested, there's no harm in taking a look!

05/24/2026

Interested in the Folklife Center’s events for this week? Let me tell you!

On Wednesday, May 27th, the Center is hosting a Craft Club from 12: 30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Bring your own or use some of our crafting supplies, and enjoy a community gathering of creativity and conversation!

Next!

On Friday, May 29th, come down to the Center from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and enjoy an Old Time Music Jam with the Kennedy Barn String Band. Bring an instrument if you have one, use some cardboard dulcimer courtesy of the Center, or just come to listen and have a good time!

See links to the events here:
Craft Club-https://www.facebook.com/share/1JHUMrcgju/
Music Jam-https://www.facebook.com/share/14Z8VBdDnrM/

05/22/2026

We will be closed Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day. We'll be back to our regular schedule the next day, which is 10am to 3pm!

05/21/2026

Is there a child in your life that is interested in storytelling and performance?

Look no further because Fairmont State University and the West Virginia Storytelling Guild is putting together Come Weave A Tale: Youth Day-Camp from June 15th-18th here at the Folklife Center! For registration information and more, shoot us a question here or see Francene Kirk at [email protected] for answers. Questions, comments, and concerns are welcome!

In preparation of the day-camp, let’s meet one of the instructors! Bil Lepp is an award-winning storyteller, author, and recording artist that will be a special guest at Come Weave A Tale Youth Storytelling Day-Camp. He is regularly featured at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, and has been crowned the champion of the WV Liar's Contest five times. Additionally, Bil hosted the History Channel's Man Versus History series. Known for his wit and hilarious tall tales, he brings stories to life in unforgettable ways.

The camp is open to students in grades 6–12, and scholarships are available for qualified participants. The links for the applications are in the first few comments below!

05/20/2026

Hello everyone! We’re back for another Archive Finds post! Today’s find is two more typed notecard from box 15. They are categorized as a “Household Hints,” typically about life hacks women, traditionally, created or knew about to make their lives, full of day in and out physical and social labor, easier.

One Household Hint, collected from Mrs. Mary Griffin of Harrison County, WV, by Margaret Griffin on August 12th, 1964, states, “Her mother used to put a tablespoon of pure lard in homemade flower-starch. This made the ironing smoother!”

The other, collected and told by the same women above, states, “Borrow a starter known as “Mother” from the neighbors. Put sweetened water on this. The bacteria continues to form until you have vinegar!”

Who among us knows what that “starter” is? And what are some Household Hints-esque short cuts that you learned of from your family and friends? Tell us in the comments below!”

05/19/2026

Hello and welcome to another Archive Finds! Today we have from the Ruth Ann Musick collection another newspaper clipping from the Times-West Virginia on this day, May 19th, fifty-eight years ago in 1968. The title is “Writer found Hills of Magic material here!”

This article is a series of Q&A, with queries into Ruth Ann Musick’s personal life, inspirations, writing processes, and her human interactions when pursuing and attaining information about cultures and communities, stories that immigrated with people coming to the Appalachian region, and more.

Notably, she was asked, “Did you get the tales directly from the old-country people, mostly, or from their descendent?” She replied with, “I got most of mine from many of the older people who brought them here from the old country. However, I also got quite a few from my students, who heard them from their parents and grandparents.”

It’s very important to remember that word of mouth tales, both positive and negative, were a means to translate tradition, protection, and life experiences to subsequent generations. In the comments below, what are some of your traditions, familial or social, that were brought to the Appalachian region with your families and cultures

05/18/2026

Is there a child in your life that is interested in storytelling and performance?

Look no further because Fairmont State University and the West Virginia Storytelling Guild is putting together Come Weave A Tale: Youth Day-Camp from June 15th-18th here at the Folklife Center! For registration information and more, shoot us a question here or see Francene Kirk at [email protected] for answers. Questions, comments, and concerns are welcome!

In preparation of the day-camp, let’s meet one of the children from camps past! Celia Douglas the youngest member of the WV Storytelling Guild, has sharpened her skills at youth storytelling camp.

This day-camp is open to youth in grades 6 through 12. Nationally-know storyteller Bil Lepp will be joined by members of the WVSG in assisting campers in the performance of folktales, fairy tales, and personal narratives. Scholarships are available for qualified participants!

05/16/2026

Today, from 10: a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Folklife Center is the Wartz n’ All Dulcimer Festival! Come on down and learn to play the dulcimer, swap tunes, and play in tandem with other acoustic instruments!

See event link here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1G7kyZ7mt9/

05/14/2026

On Friday, May 29th, come down to the Center from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and enjoy an Old Time Music Jam with the Kennedy Barn String Band. Bring an instrument if you have one, use some cardboard dulcimer courtesy of the Center, or just come to listen and have a good time!

See link to event here: https://www.facebook.com/share/14Z8VBdDnrM/

05/13/2026

Is there a child in your life that is interested in storytelling and performance?

Look no further because Fairmont State University and the West Virginia Storytelling Guild is putting together Come Weave A Tale: Youth Day-Camp from June 15th-18th here at the Folklife Center! For registration information and more, shoot us a question here or see Francene Kirk at [email protected] for answers. Questions, comments, and concerns are welcome!

In preparation of the day-camp, let’s meet one of the instructors! Francene Kirk is retired from Fairmont State University where she was the Abelina Suarez Professor of Communication and Theatre. Kirk directed many Fairmont State Masquers and Town Gown theatre productions including A Christmas Carol, The Wizard of Oz, Seussical, Schoolhouse Rock, and Little Women. She is a recipient of the Boram Award for Teaching Excellent and the WV Storytelling Guild McWhorter Clock Award.

The camp is open to students in grades 6–12, and scholarships are available for qualified participants. The links for the applications are in the first few comments below!

Address

Squibb Wilson Boulevard
Fairmont, WV
26554

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 3pm
Tuesday	10am - 3pm
Wednesday	10am - 3pm
Thursday	10am - 3pm

Website

http://www.fairmontstate.edu/folklife/

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