Last summer, a new music festival landed in Harpers Ferry, bringing a relevant and approachable experience of classical music. The Appalachian Chamber Music Festival is now back for its second season with a two-week schedule of performances celebrating the history, nature, and culture of Jefferson County and the surrounding region. Read the Full Story >>
Events & Entertainment
Fear & Injustice
When I picked up The Lioness, the latest from author Chris Bohjalian, I thought it would be a well-written beach-read-style page-turner. The combination of 1960s Hollywood and the hot Serengeti settings made me think this novel would be a thriller above all, more fun perhaps than Bohjalian’s past works. But while this book makes for compulsive reading, be forewarned that it does not shy away from extraordinary acts of violence, brutal mistakes, and their rippling consequences. Read the Full Story >>
Celebrate Independence Day 2022
The American Flag carried by members of the Shepherdstown Volunteer Fire Department (above) is a staple of the Shepherdstown’s Independence Day parade in Jefferson County every year. For fireworks and festivals, there are many events in nearby cities and counties during this July 4th weekend. JUL 2 (Sat) — Independence Day Festival in Brunswick · Read the Full Story >>
The 2022 Contemporary American Theater Festival – A Quick Guide
This year’s Contemporary American Theater Festival festival kicks off on July 3 with four days of previews (pay-what-you-can) followed by a packed schedule of opening weekend plays and events on July 8, 9 & 10. Six plays will be presented on a changing schedule Tuesday through Sunday during the following three weeks through July 31. Read the Full Story >>
Both New & Familiar At The 2022 Contemporary American Theater Festival
The Observer put Peggy McKowen, Producing Artistic Director of the Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF), in the spotlight to answer some questions about this year’s festival, presented this July in Shepherdstown. Read the Full Story >>
Anger & Conspiracy
Alma Katsu’s newest historical horror novel, The Fervor, feels unsettlingly familiar despite its World War II setting. Although the story begins with the outbreak of a mysterious illness in a Japanese-American internment camp, it eventually merges in surprising and satisfying ways with two parallel story lines: one about a female reporter trying to uncover a government conspiracy, and the other focused on a grieving widow who gets sucked into a homegrown white nationalist movement. A touch of magical realism, mostly based on Japanese folklore and fairy tales, ties the book together. Read the Full Story >>
Air Quality Forum – June 2
The Rockwool Ranson facility is required to file an application for its air permit with the WV Department of Environmental Protection in June. The non-profit Jefferson County Foundation will summarize the permitting process as it applies to the Rockwool facility, followed by a discussion about how residents can engage in this review process. Read the Full Story >>
Enjoy A Local Vacation To Shepherdstown
Shepherdstown, at the northern end of the county, is enough off the beaten path to retain the sleepy charm of a small village that makes it easy to quickly relax with a weekend or midweek get-away. Read the Full Story >>
A Journey of Discovery in Italy
One Italian Summer is a love letter to mothers, written through the lens of a grieving daughter. As the novel begins, thirty year-old Katy has just lost her mother, Carol, to cancer. Read the Full Story >>
Visit Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Everybody needs a little time away, goes the song — even from the people, places, and things we love. Fortunately, here in Jefferson County we have an abundance of nearby travel options in the surrounding region that both local residents and visitors can experience. Read the Full Story >>
An Ordinary Person in a World Turned to War
and that Ukraine’s heritage is not distinct from Russia’s. Highlighting Ukraine’s rich literature is a clear way to counter this false narrative, and Serhiy Zhadan is one of the best writers in translation with whom to start. Read the Full Story >>
Isolated & Together, Tales of Strength
While Queen of the Sea unfolds like a page-turning mystery, filled with scandalous secrets, court intrigues, and forbidden loves, both the text and the illustrations have a restrained, subtle beauty to them. Read the Full Story >>
Lecture: Warriors In Peace
Dr. Stephen Goldman will speak on the topic of “Warriors in Peace: White and Black Union Veterans and the Fight for Equality in Post-Civil War America” presented by the Shepherd University President’s Lecture Series on March 22 (Tue) at 6:30 pm in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education Auditorium (213 N King St, on the Shepherd University Campus). Read the Full Story >>
Guided Walk in the Marsh
Krista Hawley, Adult Program Coordinator at the Potomac Valley Audubon Society (PVAS), offers monthly wellness walks at PVAS nature preserves. Everyone is welcome on these easy-level walks. Participants advised to wear warm, comfortable walking shoes. Trails may be wet and muddy in spots. Read the Full Story >>
Folk Music at Shepherd University
The School of Music will host the LUA Project at the Frank Center (University Drive / Parking Lot G) for an afternoon of discussions on March 3 (Thu) followed by a performance on March 4 (Fri). The music of the LUA Project is inspired by Son Mexicano, Appalachian song forms, Jewish and Eastern European tonalities, baroque melodic ideas, and Scotch-Irish narrative storytelling approaches. Read the Full Story >>