Fayetteville is coming to life with lots of fun festivals and events as we kick off the spring season. Enjoy guided hikes and workshops with the National Park’s Spring Nature Fling. Vintage in the Ville is back on Earth Day along with the Great Gorge Gear and Yard Sale. Love Hope Center for the Arts will have multiple exhibits on display throughout the spring and the Ramp Festival is right around the corner!
New River Gorge National Park’s Spring Nature Fling
April – mid May
Discover natures wonders throughout southern West Virginia this spring! Join Park rangers and naturalists for free guides hikes, enjoy regional art exhibits, and take part in nature workshops this season.
Vintage in the Ville
Saturday, April 20
11am-8pm at the Fayetteville Memorial Building
Vintage in the Ville is back with another killer vintage event in downtown Fayetteville on April 20th!
This event will have 20+ vintage clothing, local art, jewelry, and antiques vendors all housed in the easy to locate Memorial Building in Fayetteville WV, heart of the New River Gorge National Park.
The event will kick off at 11 am and will be free to the public! Stop by with your friends and family and browse the vendors curations.
Any vendors looking to sign up for the event please message @veryrarevintagestore on either Facebook or instagram for details.
Great Gorge Gear and Yard Sale
9am-4pm Gaines Estate
The Great Gorge Gear & Yard Sale is a two-day community yard sale which will take place on April 20 9AM -4PM & April 21 from 11AM-4PM at The Gaines Estate.
To become a vendor, please call (304) 382-7509.
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Friends of New River Gorge.
New River Birding Festival
April 29-May 4
Since 2002, the annual New River Birding & Nature Festival takes place in and around the New River Gorge National River in the heart of the upland, hardwood forests that Cornell Lab of Ornithology identified as a crucial stopover habitat for the continued survival of species such as Golden-winged, Blue-winged, and Swainson’s Warbler, as well as the Scarlet Tanager. Our bird and nature watching festival highlights more than 100 bird species on a variety of daily birding tours.
Ramp it up Festival Ace
RAMP IT UP FESTIVAL
Saturday, May 4
The fifth Annual Ramp Festival in the Lost Paddle at ACE Adventure Resort celebrates a regional culinary delicacy and the coming of Spring in the West Virginia Mountains. Join us for a ramp focused dining experience including traditional ramp dishes and contemporary ramp explorations. Menu items to include Wood Fired Ramp & Potato Pizza, Ramp O’roni Rolls, Ramp Quiche, Ramp Meatloaf & more. Plus, live music featuring Alabaster Boxer and Andrew Adkins. Tickets include all you can eat ramp buffet dinner.
Spring Foraging Hike Lead by Mitchell Dech
Sunday, April 28
9am-12pm
UPDATE: SOLD OUT
Join us on a Foraging Hike as part of the National Park Services Spring Fling Nature Festival
West Virginia and the Appalachian Mountains are a forager’s paradise. Spring is the perfect time to learn about the skills involved in foraging for wild food. Discover the delicacies that can be found in the woods. Roots, tubers, and shoots, greens, buds, and flowers are among the various plant structures that are available for harvesting. Follow a local legend the “Berry Man” Mitchell Dech as he leads our educational foraging hike. This event will be hands-on exploring to discover, discuss, and learn about edible plants in their habitats. Come prepared with comfortable shoes for moderate hiking 2miles.
Spring Art Exhibits at the Love Hope Center for the Arts
“Akin” Opening Reception for the New River Gorge Creative Residents Exhibit
3/29-4/28 Love Hope Arts Studio Artist Kenney Isom Solo Exhibition
5/3-6/16 “New” A Cultural Look at the NRG, as part of the Daily Fayetteville
6/22-8/4 Base Camp Exhibition
Fayetteville’s First Friday May
Friday, May 3
Fayetteville’s First Fridays are back presented by the Fayetteville Merchants, First Fridays will be held on the first Friday of each month from May through November.
These festive evenings will transform downtown Fayetteville into a vibrant gathering place for our local community and visitors alike. Businesses will stay open late, offering extended shopping hours so you can explore all the unique shops, boutiques, and galleries our town has to offer.
But that’s not all! Court Street will be closed to traffic to host an artisan market, featuring talented local and regional vendors selling handmade goods, arts, and crafts. You’ll also find food trucks, live music, and other entertainment to keep you entertained as you stroll through downtown.
Races
Babcock Gristmill Grinder
Saturday, April 20
Kick of spring with a half-marathon trail run at Babcock State Park in West Virginia. Enjoy spectacular overlooks, rhododendron tunnels, waterfalls, cliffs, bridges and amazing scenery participating in this iconic race.
Falling Water 100k
Saturday, April 27
Like each Rim to River Endurance Co. race before it, the Falling Water 100K looks to bring something new & uniquely its own to ultra running in the New River Gorge. This course consists of 4 x 15.5 mile loops on the amazing trails at ACE Adventure Resort & dropping into New River Gorge National Park. The route incorporates the two main creeks in the area, Rush Run & Arbuckle. Run next to a multitude of waterfalls, along the banks of the New River, and test your rock-hopping skills at the picturesque Arbuckle Creek crossing. Views abound as each loop touts 2,400’ of elevation gain and loss. Run some of the same trails from the Rim to River 100 & Cabin Fever 50K while also getting on some brand new section.
New River Rim to Rim 10k with Active Southern WV
Saturday, May 4
The New River Gorge Rim to Rim Race is a 6 mile running road race from one side of the New River Gorge to the other. This bucket list event will provide runners with breathtaking views throughout the course in Fayetteville, the adventure sports capital of West Virginia. Hosted by Adventures on the Gorge, racers will have access to resort amenities and finish at the rim-side pool with a catered brunch.