Oct. 1, 2014
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An archives lecture and a Halloween Bash at the Culture Center; the Marching Band Invitational at the University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field in Charleston; and an Archaeology Month celebration and archaeology lecture at Grave Creek Mound in Moundsville; are among the West Virginia Division of Culture and History’s lineup of special events in October.
Culture Center, Charleston
The Culture Center, located at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, will present an archives lecture and a Halloween party. The building is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The following programs at the Culture Center are free and open to the public.
“Thirty-five Years Studying–and Being Part of–the History of The Greenbrier” lecture: At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7, in the Archives and History Library, Dr. Robert Conte will discuss the history of The Greenbrier Resort. Conte has been the historian at The Greenbrier since 1978. He established and maintains the archives of the resort’s historical materials, and is the curator of the Presidents’ Cottage Museum. Under his tenure, the secret underground Cold War facility for the U.S. Congress was opened to the public. As historian at The Greenbrier, Conte is the only full-time professional historian employed by a hotel or resort in the United States.
A native of California, Conte received his bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University and his doctorate from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio. Before coming to The Greenbrier, he worked at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland and the National Archives.
Conte is the author of The History of the Greenbrier, America’s Resort, published in 1990. He has written numerous articles for local and regional publications and contributed to newspaper articles, books, and museum exhibits.
Conte serves on the West Virginia Archives and History Commission and is a member of the Board of Directors of Preservation Alliance of West Virginia and the Board of Directors of the Greenbrier Historical Society.
Halloween Bash: The Culture Center will host a Halloween Bash from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., on Tuesday, Oct. 28. The bash is a free, family fun-filled evening of seasonal games like zombie attack, mummy wrap and corn hole; spooky story-telling; costume parade and contest; and refreshments. All witches, werewolves, ghosts and ghoulies, vampires, matadors, cowboys and cowgirls are invited to attend.
University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field, Charleston
West Virginia Marching Band Invitational: On Saturday, Oct. 25, 32 marching bands from across the state will gather in Charleston for the 3rd annual West Virginia Marching Band Invitational. The West Virginia University Mountaineer Marching Band, “The Pride of West Virginia,” also will perform.
The West Virginia Marching Band Invitational is sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History in participation with the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, the Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Department of Education and The Arts. The Marching Band Invitational helps to promote, encourage and celebrate arts education throughout West Virginia.
Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, Moundsville
Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, located at 801 Jefferson Avenue in Moundsville, will celebrate Archaeology Month with a day of special activities and an archaeology lecture. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The following programs at the mound are free and open to the public.
Archaeology Day: Grave Creek Mound will celebrate the 22nd annual Archaeology Month from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4. The event will include behind-the-scenes tours of the Research and Collections Management, special exhibits, demonstrations and hands-on activities for the whole family.
“Picturing Grave Creek Mound” lecture and photograph presentation: At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, Grave Creek staff members Amanda Brooks, Heather Cline and Andrea Keller will present historic photographs and other illustrations of Moundsville’s famous mound. Visitors are invited to bring their own pictures of the mound and Delf Norona Museum. A scanner will be set up to record these images so that they can be preserved in the museum’s digital collection. For more information about Culture Center events, contact Caryn Gresham, deputy commissioner of the division, at (304) 558-0220. For information about Grave Creek Mound events, contact Andrea Keller, cultural program coordinator at the mound, at (304) 843-4128.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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