West Virginia University - News and Information Services
Mountaineer Week features craft fair, quilt show, country vittles dinner, more
WVU tradition for 60 years
Mountaineer Week at West Virginia University is celebrating 60 years of Appalachian heritage Nov. 2-11.
Major activities will begin at noon Friday, Nov. 2, with an opening ceremony in the Mountainlair ballrooms on the Downtown Campus. Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, is the guest speaker, and there will be a special video welcome message by first lady Gayle Manchin.
The ceremony will usher in the historical craft fair and quilt show weekend, Nov. 2-4, on the second floor of the Mountainlair. The weekend will feature “everything Appalachian,” including art, music, a country vittles dinner and family entertainment.
Another highlight of Mountaineer Week is the WVU-Louisville football game at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8, at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Halftime activities include a reunion of Mountaineer mascots and the naming of Mr. and Ms. Mountaineer, Most Loyal Alumni Mountaineer, Most Loyal West Virginian, Most Loyal Faculty Mountaineer and Most Loyal Staff Mountaineer.
Other activities taking place throughout the week include the popular Mountaineer Week beard-growing competition, PRT Cram, storytelling, clogging, traditional music and all things edible, from an old-fashioned corn roast to homemade apple butter.
In addition, a fiddle contest, sponsored by Centra Bank, will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, in the ’Lair’s Gluck Theatre, and WVU Dining Services will be offering 60 feet of pepperoni rolls, one foot for each year of Mountaineer Week history, at noon Thursday, Nov. 8, in the ’Lair commons area.
Activities conclude Sunday, Nov. 11, with the final competition of Mountaineer Idol, WVU’s version of the hit TV show “American Idol.”
“Mountaineer Week is WVU’s way of paying tribute to West Virginia’s heritage and traditions,” said Sonja Wilson, Mountaineer Week coordinator. “Our No. 1 priority is to remind and educate our WVU students and community about the culture that has made West Virginia what it is today. We also hope to attract thousands of visitors from our campus, community, state and region as we preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources that bind people and cultures together.”
Mountaineer Week began in 1947 as a weekend event to build school spirit around the WVU-Kentucky football game. During its 60-year history, the event evolved to include unique aspects of Appalachian life, music, food, crafts and programs that are enjoyed by WVU faculty, staff and students, as well as visitors throughout the region.
For more information, call 304-293-2702 or e-mail mountainlair@mail.wvu.edu.
Highlights of the week’s activities (all take place at the ’Lair unless otherwise noted):
FRIDAY, NOV. 2
- Corn roast, homemade apple butter – outside the ’Lair
- Craft fair – noon-8 p.m., ballrooms and adjacent hallways
- Quilt show – noon-8 p.m., Mountaineer Room and ballrooms
- Country vittles dinner – 5-7 p.m., Hatfields
- Old School Band – 9:30 p.m., food court
SATURDAY, NOV. 3
- Corn roast, homemade apple butter – outside the ’Lair
- Craft fair, quilt show – 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Mountaineer Room, ballrooms, hallways
- Family Fun Day – noon-5 p.m., various ’Lair locations
- Fiddle contest – 7:30 p.m., Gluck Theatre, sponsored by Centra Bank
SUNDAY, NOV. 4
- Craft fair, quilt show – noon -5 p.m., Mountaineer Room, ballrooms, hallways
- ’Eer IQ West Virginia Trivia Contest – 3 p.m., food court
- “In the Heart of the Hills: A Novel and Stories” – 4 p.m., Monongahela Room
MONDAY, NOV. 5
- Sbarro dough toss contest – 12:30 p.m., commons
- Scavenger hunt – 3 p.m., Vandalia Lounge
- Ann Pancake reading – 7:30 p.m., Robinson Reading Room, Wise Library
TUESDAY, NOV. 6
- PRT Cram – 1-4 p.m., outside, front of ’Lair
- Mountaineer Week Challenge – 4 p.m. ’Lair plaza
- “An Evening of Cherokee Conversation and Dance” – 5 p.m., Gluck Theatre, presented by WVU Native American Studies Program and Joe Romeo’s I-79 Honda
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7
- Beard-growing finals – noon, ’Lair grand staircase
- “Mylan and Medicine: The Past, The Present and The Future” – 4 p.m., Health Sciences Auditorium, presented by WVU School of Pharmacy and Mylan Pharmaceuticals
THURSDAY, NOV. 8
- 60 feet of pepperoni rolls – noon, ’Lair first floor
- Mountaineer mascot reunion – 2 p.m., Mountaineer Room, sponsored in part by Mountain honorary and the WVU Alumni Association
- WVU-Louisville football game – 7:30 p.m., Milan Puskar Stadium
SUNDAY, NOV. 11
- Mountaineer Idol finals – 3 p.m., Metropolitan Theatre, High Street
A detailed schedule of events is available online. Go to http://mountaineerweek.wvu.edu/events.