Listen Now: Morning News

70th Mountaineer Week, officially underway, celebrates West Virginia for ten days

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The 70th Mountaineer Week officially launched at 11:30 Friday morning, signifying the start of ten days worth of education, food, and Appalachian culture on WVU’s campus.

Mountaineer Week Student Co-Chair Jennifer Skinner, a senior at WVU, said she couldn’t have picked a better year to participate in Mountaineer Week.

“I’m from out of state, and so I’m not very familiar with all of these kinds of events,” Skinner said. “I have never seen a fiddle contest before or an apple butter stirring or anything like that. So this is all very new to me, but I’m loving it. It’s so full of spirit.”

Hailing from near Ellicott City, Maryland, Skinner said she was initially taken aback by the intense cultural pride in West Virginia.

“My freshman year, I had no idea what it was,” Skinner said. “And all of a sudden, I walked outside of the Mountainlair one day and there was apple butter, kettle corn, and funnel cakes and all these things; crafts everywhere in the Mountainlair, quilts hung up all throughout the building. I had no idea what any of that meant.”

She understands now though — enough that she was able to co-chair the 70th iteration of Mountaineer Week.

“Every year I feel like it’s become more special to me knowing that I go to school in a state that really treasures its culture and heritage,” Skinner said.

In addition to the food, Mountaineer Week features a Family Fun Day this Saturday, a Pepperoni Roll Day, a 70-foot pepperoni roll, and the first ever Giant Pumpkin Regatta on Sunday. Dustin Trychta, a horticulture student at WVU, will be providing pumpkins that weigh in the range of 1,000 pounds for the race Sunday, which is free and open to the public.

“He found that there weren’t any pumpkin races here in this area and so he decided to do it,” she said. “And he grows these huge pumpkins and has nothing to do with them every year besides display them. So this was a pretty good use for it.”

Four teams — the WVU Horticulture Club, the WVU Men’s Rowing Club, the WVU Veteran’s Club, and teachers from North Elementary School — will compete in the regatta.

Mountaineer Week began in 1947, originally as just one night of school spirit surrounding the WVU-Kentucky football game.





More News

News
Dunlow Volunteer Fire Department closes
The Dunlow VFD did not have a valid workers compensation insurance policy.
March 29, 2024 - 1:23 am
News
As Yeager Airport's Wildlife Patrol Dog turns 7, a new dog comes in to learn from him
The new Border Collie is getting acclimated and receiving training for his soon-to-be role.
March 28, 2024 - 6:30 pm
News
PEIA examines financial effects of new law meant to ensure local pharmacies get fair reimbursements
Gov. Jim Justice signed Senate Bill 453 into law this week.
March 28, 2024 - 4:11 pm
News
Barbour County woman sentenced after death case sent back to circuit court by Supreme Court
Carli Reed sentenced on voluntary manslaughter conviction.
March 28, 2024 - 4:11 pm