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FeedSnowbound?!
Beat cabin fever all across this great state with feasts, festivals, shopping, and more.
Shepherdstown 250
This artistic town in the lower Shenandoah Valley is the oldest in West Virginia. In November 2011, the beautiful town of Shepherdstown will be 250 years old. Beginning this November, a year-long celebration invites residents and visitors alike to “Remember, Celebrate, and Imagine.” Mark your calendar for parades, bazaars, and festivals this winter as part of the festivities.
The fun begins with the Christmas in Shepherdstown program, opening Friday, November 25, with shopping and events for children and adults. The holiday celebrations will continue every weekend up until the week of Christmas. Christmas in Shepherdstown will involve more than 230 local organizations and businesses, and thousands of residents and visitors.
Visit Shepherdstown 250 online for a full calendar of events all winter long.
207 South Princess Street, Shepherdstown, WV 25443; 304.876.2398; info@shepherdstown250.com
Warm up in the Capitol Market, Charleston
Have you been to the Capitol Market lately? It isn’t just a farmer’s market—it’s a great place to beat the winter doldrums!
“The market in the winter is a warm and cozy place to kick cabin fever,” says Executive Director Tammy Borstnar. “All of the fabulous merchants continue to serve up incredible ingredients for winter warmth. Use the market as a home office connecting to our complimentary Wi-Fi, or invite your book club to meet here, or bring the kids for a lunch getaway. Our market has lots of opportunities.”
Have lunch at The Fresh Seafood Company, where fish are flown in three times a week from Boston and Florida, and the seafood on your plate is endless. Choose from more than a dozen seafood sandwiches, including swordfish, grouper, catfish, and seafood delight tuna salad.
Or, get full with a feast of Italian food at Soho’s, and have delicious dessert at Cafe Cupcakes. Stop in The Wine and Cheese Shop for a bottle 
of wine to take home and enjoy by the fire.
Other must-stop shops and eateries at the market include Capitol Roasters, Holl’s Swiss Chocolates, and The Purple Onion. The Capitol Market also offers gift certificates.
The Capitol Market is open daily year-round except on major holidays. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.
Capitol Market, 800 Smith Street, Charleston, WV 25301; 304.344.1905
Maple Syrup Festival, Pickens
Every year, as we all grow tired of winter, the people in and around Pickens begin to look forward to the Maple Syrup Festival and the sweet taste of homemade pancakes.
This year, the annual festival takes place March 17 to 18, with more jugs of maple syrup than you can count! Visitors travel from all over the state 
to the small town, about an hour south of Buckhannon, for food, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and more. The Pickens Depot and Roberts-Cunningham Museum will also be open throughout the weekend.
Bake, Laugh, Dance, Helvetia
Check out the annual Feast of St. Nicholas in Helvetia this holiday season and you can help make baked goodies for baskets to be distributed to the needy this year.
The community celebration starts on December 3 at 4 p.m. at Helvetia Community Hall. All are welcome to come and bake their favorite holiday sweets.
Children can get in on the fun by baking and decorating a Swiss “Grittibanz,” or the Swiss version of the gingerbread man.
Guest Peter Schaefer, from Zurich, Switzerland, will bake several varieties of Swiss Christmas cookies, while his wife will read the traditional story of St. Nick in Swiss-German and translate it into English.
Guests are asked to bring a covered dish for dinner at 6 p.m. After the feast, the celebration will end with the Helvetia Star Band’s First Saturday Square Dance!
