Mountain State Art and Craft Fair

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Mountain State Art and Craft Fair

As our nation celebrates the 4th of July so does the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair in Ripley, WV at the beautiful Cedar Lakes Conference Center, to be held July 4-7, 2024 in one of West Virginia's largest outdoor juried art & craft events.

Often referred to as the "Granddaddy" of West Virginia heritage events, the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair is the original and first juried event in the State held since the Centennial in 1963. The Fair originated with West Virginia State Agencies joining forces to provide a location that would showcase what culture and history is and was in the State. Mountain State folks depended on their skill of using their hands to provide them with whatever was needed in times past.

Basket making, spinning, quilting, weaving, blacksmithing from days gone by to the evolution of modern forms of art, music, dance, antique tractors, cornmeal grinding, woodturning, rustic cooking over an open fire and so much more. The Fair each year provides historical skills and talents of prior generations with many of these products a necessary item for life in years gone by.

A visit to the Fair will provide you with an appreciation for the history and culture of West Virginia and its traditional life while providing you with the opportunity to shop and/or make a piece of art you can take home and show off your talents as an artisan. A patchwork of mountain heritage artists, agriculture education exhibits , savory scents of an array of foods, stories of old and the beautiful sounds of genuine Appalachian folk music and dance will greet you upon your arrival.

Get up close and visit with some of the most talented craftsman and women from across the Appalachia's. Their creativity, ingenuity and handed down works of ”art” will bring a smile to your face as you admire their stamina and love for the old ways. The breathtaking beauty of Cedar Lakes will give you the feeling of another time when life was harder but living was joyful, sustainable and fulfilling. Kettle cooked apple butter, homemade breads and pastries, the sounds of fiddles, banjos, guitars along with the beautiful, soothing lakes provide a backdrop of comfort and relaxation.