Events & What’s Happening
West Virginia's premier folk festival celebrating traditional Appalachian music, crafts, storytelling, and clogging held at the State Capitol Complex over Memorial Day weekend.
💡The storytelling and clogging competitions are great for kids; the event is free and spread across the capitol grounds with plenty of open space to roam.
Free outdoor concerts held at Magic Island Park on the Kanawha River featuring a variety of musical acts throughout the summer months.
💡Bring a blanket and picnic dinner; the park setting right on the river is beautiful and kids have room to play while enjoying the music.
One of the largest inland waterway festivals in the country, featuring sternwheel boat races, live music, fireworks, food vendors, and family activities along the Kanawha River.
💡Stake out a spot on the levee early for the sternwheel parade and plan to stay for the evening fireworks display over the river.
Annual celebration hosted by St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church featuring authentic Greek food, dancing performances, music, and cultural exhibits.
💡Kids love the baklava and watching the traditional Greek folk dancing; the festival typically runs over a long weekend and is very family-friendly.
Annual literary festival held at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center featuring author signings, readings, children's programming, and book vendors.
💡The children's author sessions and interactive storytelling areas make this a wonderful outing for school-age kids and young readers.
Annual holiday kickoff event in downtown Charleston featuring the lighting of the city Christmas tree, carolers, vendor booths, visits with Santa, and festive entertainment.
💡Arrive early to get a good spot near the tree for the lighting countdown and bring the kids to see Santa; dress warmly as the event is held outdoors in late November.
Growing annual event in downtown Charleston celebrating the Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition with local restaurants and vendors offering seafood dishes.
💡A fun holiday outing for families who enjoy food exploration; older kids tend to enjoy the variety of dishes and festive downtown atmosphere.
Weekly Saturday farmers market in the Capitol Street area featuring local produce, honey, baked goods, plants, and artisan crafts from West Virginia vendors.
💡Go early for the best selection of fresh produce and baked goods; kids enjoy sampling local honey and seasonal fruit.
Free weekly story time sessions at the Kanawha County Public Library main branch and regional branches featuring books, songs, and crafts for toddlers and preschoolers.
💡Check the library's online calendar as different branches hold sessions on different days; the main branch also offers a separate toddler lap-sit session for infants.
Magic Island is a riverside park peninsula popular with families for walking, jogging, picnicking, and enjoying views of the Kanawha River and bridges year-round.
💡Sunday mornings are particularly pleasant and less crowded; the flat paved path around the island is great for strollers and young bike riders.
Public ice skating sessions at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center arena during the winter season, with skate rentals available on site.
💡Arrive a few minutes early to get skate rentals sorted; the rink offers beginner aids for young skaters and the sessions are a great winter family activity.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡The Avampato Discovery Museum inside the Clay Center offers a combined ticket with the Oleanna Planetarium that saves about $4 per person compared to buying separately — ask for the combo at the box office on 300 Leon Sullivan Way.
- 💡Kanawha State Forest's swimming pool on Connell Road is open to the public in summer for just a few dollars per person and is far less crowded than municipal pools — locals know about it but it rarely appears on travel sites.
- 💡Capitol Market on Smith Street is best visited between 9am and 11am on Saturday mornings before the parking lot fills and the best local produce and baked goods from vendors like the Greenbrier Valley-sourced stands sell out.
- 💡Tudor's Biscuit World, a West Virginia-only chain with a location on MacCorkle Avenue, is a genuinely local institution — the pepperoni roll biscuit is specific to WV food culture and costs under $3, making it the most authentically local breakfast a visiting family can have.
- 💡The West Virginia State Capitol building offers free public tours on weekdays that include the governor's reception room and the 293-foot dome interior — arrive by 9:30am to join the first tour before school groups take over mid-morning.
- 💡For families who want to hike with young children, the Spotted Salamander Trail at Kanawha State Forest is the most manageable — it's a 1.2-mile loop with minimal elevation change that even toddlers can complete, unlike the steeper Big Ugly or Polly Hollow trails.
- 💡Coonskin Park's miniature golf course on Coonskin Drive charges under $6 per person and the course is well-maintained with shaded sections — it's one of the better value family activities in the city and rarely has more than a 10-minute wait.
- 💡The Kanawha Boulevard riverside path between the Clay Center and Slack Plaza is paved and flat for about a mile — perfect for strollers or bikes rented from the occasional summer pop-up near Slack Plaza, and the view of the Capitol dome from the river is the best photo angle in the city.