This coming Memorial Day Weekend, head out to the Cultural Center and State Capitol grounds for three-days of arts, music, dance, stories, crafts and food of West Virginia at the 33rd annual Vandalia Gathering.

The annual event celebrates the ethnic heritage of the Mountain State with traditions that were passed from generation to generation. Crafts and music are among the highlights of the festival, with craft demonstrations, concerts and impromptu musical jam sessions. You can also indulge in the sampling of traditional and ethnic foods, available at the numerous food stalls during the gathering.

The gathering will kick off on May 22 at the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theater of the Cultural Center with the Vandalia Sampler concert featuring some of the festival’s favorite performers. Throughout the weekend, you can expect competitions and workshops of every kind, including the ever popular Liars Contest.

The Vandalia Gathering is a program of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. For more information or a complete schedule of Vandalia Gathering events, call (304) 558-0220 or visit www.wvculture.org.