CHARLESTON, W.VA. – West Virginia has a long history of agricultural bounty. Settlers willing to tame the mountains and move boulders found the state ideal for farming everything from cattle to corn. Today, many cottage industries are thriving as residents find ready markets for specialty food items ranging from the traditional apple butters and maple syrups to the contemporary salsas, mustards and wines.
The Department of Agriculture reaches out to provide special help to the cottage industry through its West Virginia Grown program. This designation on a West Virginia food product shows that businesses have met criteria that designate them as official state-produced or in-state value-added producers that are headquartered in the state and contribute to the state’s economy through employment, manufacturing, packaging, purchasing and marketing.
And what would a springtime visit to West Virginia be without a trip to a ramp festival? While West Virginians celebrate their bountiful food harvests from spring to fall with plenty of other festivals, these festivals in late April and early May, devoted to the pungent and flavorful ramp are uniquely Appalachian and fun for everyone. Enjoy a home cooked dinner of ham, potatoes, beans and bread along with chili cook-offs, music and plenty of local characters.
Specialty food products
There are plenty of stops to shop for West Virginia specialty food products. Tamarack in Beckley offers a cafeteria run by The Greenbrier cooking staff and a West Virginia foods shop. Perdue’s Market in Charleston’s Capitol Market offers a fine selection of West Virginia food products and The Wine Market has West Virginia wines and specialty cheeses along with its international offerings. In Lewisburg, stop at the Stonehouse General Store and Wine Shop for a varied selection of local food products.
You can buy honey products at ThistleDew Farms in Proctor, fabulous Swiss chocolates at Holl’s in Vienna and Charleston, traditional and eclectic jams and jellies at West Virginia Fruit and Berry Farm outside of Fairmont, and Italian peppers at Oliverio’s in Clarksburg. Romney boasts the prolific Gourmet Central, where Chef Harv devotes many hours to devising great jams, jellies, barbeque sauces and condiments with the best West Virginia produce. In Ansted, you can find crafts and foods at Blue Smoke Salsa where you won’t only find salsa, but sauces, spreads and more. Any extra driving in southern West Virginia is worth the effort to get locally produced Mennonite cheeses from Cheese and More in Gap Mills. The bakery across the street is a must-visit stop as well.
Celebrations!
Water, water everywhere! And there’s more than enough to drink! Each year from January through March, Berkeley Springs in the Eastern Panhandle makes winter weekends fun with its annual internationally recognized “Taste of the Waters”. Learn which metropolitan tap water has the clearest taste or which bottled water tastes the best or what makes a sparkling water a favorite. Along the way, enjoy the spas at Berkeley Springs, try the cuisine at specialty restaurants and visit art and antique shops for take-home souvenirs.
Celebrate the earth’s bounty! West Virginia’s agricultural heritage can be the base for a great family weekend. Consider a late spring trip to the West Virginia Strawberry Festival in Buckhannon. Three parades, street parties and entertainment will keep you moving while food tastings give you a chance to savor the strawberry at its ruby ripest! Later in the year, make time for the Pumpkin Festival in Milton. You’ll have some hands-on fun decorating your own pumpkins.
Country fair, city festival! The historic town of Lewisburg offers families weekend fun that can be as down-home or as sophisticated as you choose. The West Virginia State Fair at nearby Fairlea is everything you’d look for in this traditional family fun. Carnival rides and evening shows share the fairgrounds with agricultural and educational programs – including taste tests for the best food products. Or, select a weekend when the town celebrates its cultural side. The annual fall Taste of our Town (TOOT) brings local restaurants into the streets for food samplings that you can enjoy as you watch musical and arts performances – all to help raise funds for the town’s very own Carnegie Hall. Plenty of outdoor recreation and lodging options can round out great getaways for either event.
It’s chili during the summer in West Virginia
While it might not be as traditional as the brown-beans-and-cornbread fare of yesteryear, chili is definitely a hit in the Mountain State. And chili cook-offs are some of the most popular summertime food festivals around these hills.
Charleston and Snowshoe Mountain Resort both host chili cook-offs that are sanctioned for the International Chili Cook-off. Charleston’s Farmer’s Market gets its chili challenges started in March with a St. Patrick’s Day challenge that features green chilis along with the traditional red stuff.
Snowshoe Mountain starts its weekend long “Fire on the Mountain” event in early June with a Friday night concert. On Saturday, the chili judges and summer visitors get more than a mouthful of chili. They also get an eyeful of imagination as each contestant chooses a theme and decorates booth, chefs and chili!
Throughout the state, other chili cook-offs host chefs from in state and surrounding states who want to show off their stuff and win the blue ribbon for the best chili recipes around.
West Virginia Wineries
West Virginia’s wineries are just as likely to be perched on a hillside as they are to be on a former golf course. Some have been around for several years, others just a few years old. Each has its own unique blend of vineyards, wines and style.
The Forks of Cheat winery will wow you with its hillside vistas and bright colors and gardens just outside Morgantown. Daniel Vineyards in southern West Virginia has an expansive vineyard and delightful outdoor settings for events like weddings, parties and wine tastings. Kirkland Wineries has a grape stomping festival that’s a favorite with locals and visitors. And the Robert F. Pliska Winery, Purgittsville, supports a home for the mentally handicapped called “The Vineyard” and the residents of the home help with the grapes.
Popular Events
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February
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International Water Tasting Competition, Berkeley Springs Festival of the Waters, Berkeley Springs WV |
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March
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Potomac Highlands Regional Maple Fest, New Creek WV
West Virginia Maple Syrup Festival, Pickens WV
Chocolate Lovers’ Festival, Morgantown WV
Capitol Market Green Chili Shoot Out, Charleston WV
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April
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Ramp Dinner and Community Dance, Helvetia WV
Ramp Feast of the Ramson, Richwood WV
Annual Ramp Cook-off and Festival, Elkins WV
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May
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West Virginia Strawberry Festival, Buckhannon WV
Good Gauley Regional Chili Festival, Summersville WV
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June
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Wine and Jazz Festival, Charleston WV
Smoke on the Water Chili Cook-off, Charleston WV
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July
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Wine and Jazz Festival, Snowshoe WV
Fire on the Mountain Chili Cook-off, Snowshoe Mountain WV
Annual Poultry Convention and Festival, Moorefield WV
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August
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Mahrajan: Lebanese Heritage Festival, Wheeling WV
West Virginia State Fair, Fairlea (near Lewisburg) WV
Apple Butter Weekend, Parkersburg WV
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September
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Wine and Jazz Festival, Morgantown WV
Octoberfest, Shepherdstown WV
West Virginia Honey Festival, Parkersburg WV
Preston County Buckwheat Festival, Kingwood WV
Cornstalk’s Revenge Cook-off, Point Pleasant WV
West Virginia State Chili Fest, Huntington WV
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October
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Salem Apple Butter Festival, Salem WV
Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival, Martinsburg WV
Taste of our Town, Lewisburg WV
Pumpkin Festival, Milton WV
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More information is available by calling Division of Tourism’s toll-free hotline, 1-800-CALL WVA. Callers also can request a free travel guide, calendar of events and other information through the number or the Division’s web site, www.callwva.com.
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