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This Saturday is the last Winter Farmers market of 2019! This is one of our biggest winter markets and the best time to stock up on fresh local goodies and holiday gifts. We invite you to dust off your favorite over the top holiday sweater and come out and visit with our local farmers and makers.
Here is a sneak peek of what you might find Saturday.
Tis the season to shop small in downtown Fayetteville, and it all starts with Small Business Saturday. We are going BIG for Small Business Saturday in Fayetteville this year. We will be celebrating the last day of Gnomevember, hosting an art show and a shop small welcome center to help guide you on your adventures around town.
The idea behind Small Business Saturday is to promote and encourage us all to shop at our locally-owned small businesses. These businesses are the mom-and-pop, brick-and-mortar stores that are locally owned and locally staffed. Money spent at our small businesses gets reinvested in the community and draws attention to local merchants. By taking the small step of shopping locally this holiday season, we can make a big impact on our communities.
Part of Fayetteville’s unique and vibrant culture is contributed to by a myriad of locally owned independent businesses which support our community. There is something for everyone from our boutiques and antique stores to our adventure shops and more. Many of the shops are walk-to locations in historic downtown making this the perfect town to spend your Small Business Saturday.
Stop by the Fayetteville Visitor Center to grab a map and free shop small swag to get you started.
This year we want you to join us for a Shop Small Art Show. We will transform the visitor center into a holiday gift boutique showing the wonderful work of some of the smallest members of our community. The art show will serve as a fundraiser for the New River Gorge Learning Co-op. Our talented student’s artwork will be on display and available for purchase. All sales will be donated to the school. Several local artists have also donated pieces for the sale. Stop in and check out all the beautiful creations.
We have been celebrating Gnomevember all month long with gnomes roaming all around town. We are celebrating big with the grand prize Gnomevember giveaway Gnomevember 30th sponsored by Wild Art & Wonderful Things. Gnomevember 30th is the last day to participate in the town-wide gnome scavenger hunt. Grab a gnome checklist from the visitor center, find 12 gnomes and turn in your sheet for a small prize. Join the fun of the hunt while you shop for treasures around town. We have hidden one very special gnome with instructions attached to claim the grand prize for whoever finds this special gnome. Take a moment to stop by Wild Art & Wonderful Things to grab a selfie with Walter he is Fayetteville’s biggest resident gnome.
Our friends at Lafayette Flats have created an awesome Fayetteville gift guide to help you find the perfect gift for the holidays.
Make it a full day getaway! After shopping, you deserve to treat yourself to lunch or dinner at one of our local restaurants including Secret Sandwich Society, Pies & Pints, The Wood Iron Eatery, Southside Junction Taphouse, The Station, Firecreek Grill & BBQ, The New River Curry House, Big Damn Pizza, and The 304. We hope to see you this November 30th!
Stay with us!
We are excited to congratulate and welcome this year’s creative residents to Fayetteville!
Since 2015 the New River Gorge Creative Residency has afforded writers and artists the unique opportunity to live and work at Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals in Fayetteville, WV. In past years a singular resident has been chosen but this winter, THREE creatives have been awarded the residency.
By tripling the number of residency recipients, and by selecting all West Virginia based creatives, Lafayette Flats co-owners Amy McLaughlin and Shawn Means aim to highlight and celebrate the diverse artistic talent thriving throughout the Mountain State.
“We are excited to expand the New River Gorge Creative Residency,” says Lafayette Flats Managing Partner, Amy McLaughlin. “As our vacation rental business grows, our support for the creative class grows with it, and slowly but surely we are helping to create a fresh narrative for West Virginia.”
The New River Gorge Creative Residency is designed to provide creatives with a beautiful space to develop their skills while devoting uninterrupted time to a particular project. The winners of this year’s New River Gorge Creative Residency are Matt Browning, Carly Thaw and Kimberly Trathen.
Matt Browning of South Charleston, WV | December 2019 Residency | bookstoreexplorer.com
Browning is a writer whose first book, “Bookstore Explorer: West Virginia,” a celebration of the Mountain State’s independent bookstores, will be released in January. Next spring, he will also release a children’s picture book about urban farming entitled “Chicks and the City.” For the residency, Browning will develop a new work of fiction about a jaded young gay man who visits his estranged mother’s Appalachian mountain village and becomes enamored by the town’s unusual charm.
Carly Thaw of Charleston, WV | January 2020 Residency | carlythaw.com
Thaw is an illustrator and writer drawn to our earth’s natural landscapes. She enjoys learning the stories of the people who call those places home: learning how identity is influenced by landscape. For the residency, Thaw will create illustrated essays about growing up in the outdoor community of West Virginia. Themes of independence, personal strength/agency, and grit will flow through the essays which will be accompanied by watercolor and pen illustrations on paper.
Kimberly Trathen of Thomas, WV | February 2020 Residency | backstitched.bigcartel.com
Trathen is a contemporary textile artist, as well as the sole operator and designer of Backstitched Design, a small design studio creating vintage-inspired functional and modern bags and accessories from recycled leather coats and second-hand materials. For the residency, Trathen will explore new themes in her work and expand into other textile-based mediums. She is particularly interested in the concept of Mending and the artform of Wrapping in the style of textile artist, Judith Scott.
A reception for the New River Gorge Creative Residency recipients will take place Thursday, January 16, 2020 at 6:30 pm at The Grove in Fayetteville, WV. All three creatives will be in attendance to discuss and show their work. The reception is open to the public.
Get into the holiday spirit by participating in a sugar-filled baking competition. Fayetteville is hosting a Gingerbread Festival on December 6th-8th. Bakers are invited to get creative and bring their gingerbread masterpieces to the Fayetteville Town Hall to go on display for the contest. You can use any sweet ingredients to help you create your pieces. This contest is open to all ages from beginners to experts. Cash Prizes will be awarded to the winner by age categories. Visitors can vote on the displays during the festival. To sign up for the festival email:
info@visitfayettevillewv.com
Gingerbread creations must be dropped off at Fayetteville Town Hall.
