WVU FallFest to showcase Grammy-winning West Virginia native

Putting a focus on homegrown talent, West Virginia University will welcome students to campus with FallFest featuring headliner Sierra Ferrell — a Mountain State singer-songwriter and roots musician — Monday (Aug. 18) at the Rec Center Fields on the Evansdale area of campus.

Seneca, a popular band founded by University students, will also take the stage during the annual free concert to mark the start of the semester with additional music provided by DJ Max Clark from U92 The Moose, putting students directly on stage for the traditional celebration of the new academic year.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Performances begin at 7 p.m.

One of the brightest young luminaries in roots music today and a four-time Grammy winner, Sierra Ferrell brings a dose of beautifully strange magic to everything she touches.

Since the arrival of “Long Time Coming,” her acclaimed debut LP for Rounder Records, the West Virginia-born singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has earned the Emerging Act of the Year prize at the Americana Honors and Awards, collaborated with the likes of Post Malone, Margo Price and Old Crow Medicine Show, and enchanted audiences all over North America and Europe with her high-spirited and dazzling live performance.

Earlier this year, Ferrell won the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album for “Trail of Flowers,” her 2024 album, and also accepted Grammys for Best American Roots Song for “America Dreaming,” Best American Roots Performance for “Lighthouse” and Best Americana Performance for “American Dreaming.”

In keeping with a musical upbringing that included playing everywhere from truck stops to boxcars to street corners in New Orleans, “Trail of Flowers” journeys from freewheeling bluegrass to heartrending old-time music to fantastically gritty honky-tonk and beyond, endlessly changing shape to accommodate the immense scope of Ferrell’s eccentric musicality.

Mainly recorded at Sound Emporium Studios and featuring guest appearances from singer/songwriters Lukas Nelson and Nikki Lane, “Trail of Flowers” ultimately fulfills Ferrell’s longstanding mission of making music that transcends all barriers of time.

Rooted in the hills of West Virginia, blending storytelling soul with the energy of the modern Americana rock and country scene, Seneca was formed in 2023 by WVU students and includes vocalist Andrew Parsons, guitarist Dylan Hunt, drummer Chris Little, bassist Jared Longmore and pianist Graham Sterling.

The young band broke onto the Morgantown music scene with their electric performances that shut down streets and filled up venues. Building off the quickly growing crowds — and with the release of energetic, raw, original music — opportunities to play bigger shows and prove themselves on larger stages soon followed.

From small-town bars to Nashville lights, their journey has taken them across West Virginia and on to some truly esteemed stages. Seneca’s music moves like a drive down West Virginia’s mountain roads — rooted, dynamic and impossible to forget.

The show will start with music from DJ Max Clark with U92, the independent 24/7 student-run radio station that is part of WVU Student Media, located at 284 Prospect St. Zeus the Moose will make a special appearance during the set which will include a T-shirt toss and giveaway.

Since 1982, U92 The Moose, WWVU-FM, has been the source of new music and broadcaster development at the University at 91.7 on the FM dial. Find more information about broadcasting opportunities at U92.

For the show, three gates will open at 6:30 p.m. Gate A is located at the Rec Center Tennis Courts, Gate B is located at the Towers PRT station exit and Gate C is located on Kittie Blakemore Drive, formerly Rec Center Drive, between the Student Rec Center and the Student Health and Education Building.

WVU student IDs will be swiped at the gates. Students with valid WVU student IDs are permitted one guest age 17 and older. Students with guests may enter any gate. Guest tickets are not required, but guests should be prepared to show proof of age.

All attendees must pass through metal detectors before entering the event and the clear bag policy will be enforced. Only bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12” in size; small clutch bags — approximately the size of a hand, with or without a handle/strap and no larger than 4.5” x 6.5”; or plastic storage bags — one-gallon clear plastic freezer bag, Ziploc bag or similar — will be permitted.

Buses will run continuously between the Mountainlair and the Braxton Tower portico from 6 p.m. until one hour after the concert concludes. The PRT will also run until one hour after the concert ends.

If you are using Uber, Lyft or a taxi for transportation, drop-off and pickup will be at the intersection of Morrill Way and Kittie Blakemore Drive, formerly Rec Center Drive, near Short Term Lot ST-1. Free parking will be available beginning at 4 p.m. in Short Term Lot ST-9 across from the Art Museum and in Short Term Lot ST-1 off Patteson Drive.

This is an alcohol-free event. Concert-goers should note that no smoking will be permitted in accordance with the Tobacco and Smoke Free Campus policy. Weapons, glow sticks, selfie sticks, professional cameras, video and audio recording, coolers and hard containers are also prohibited.

Find a complete list of event guidelines and restrictions.

FallFest is a rain-or-shine event and is produced by WVU Arts and Entertainment. For additional event information, call 304-293-SHOW (7469) or visit events.wvu.edu.

Stay connected with the latest event updates on Facebook, X and Instagram by following @wvuevents.

Note: Media members planning to attend FallFest are required to request credentials by 5 p.m. today (Aug. 15). Requests should be sent to Kristie Stewart-Gale, marketing and advertising manager for WVU Arts and Entertainment, via email at Kristie.Stewart-Gale@mail.wvu.edu.

See the full Welcome Week schedule.

-WVU-

sj/8/15/25

MEDIA CONTACT: Shauna Johnson
Executive Director of Strategic Communications
WVU Strategic Communications and Marketing
304-293-8302; sjohns13@mail.wvu.edu

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