Mary Ellen Haney - Your on-site and virtual travel guide - WV News

Tired of hibernating due to COVID? Check out several local events planned for the coming months in Marion County. Remember, events may be postponed and/or canceled, depending on Marion County's COVID status. Please check the website or social media pages of individual events or contact the event organizers directly for the most up-to-date information.

Annual Firearms Show

The annual Prickett's Fort Firearms Show is back this year on Feb. 26-28. The event features numerous Appalachian vendors and craftsmen specializing in crafting 18th-century weaponry. Rifles, horns, knives, tomahawks, and more will be on display. A unique collection will also be available for purchase. Learn more about the show on the Fort's website, https://www.prickettsfort.org.

Rifle Building Workshop

Get ready for March workshops at Prickett's Fort! On March 13-14, join rifle builder Sam Thompson for a two-day wire inlay workshop. Learn the process of installing decorative wire and metal inlays to transform your rifle or knife handles into historical and decorative works of art. Then, on March 27-28, learn historical and contemporary horn engraving with Willy Frankfort. Registration is now open for all 2021 historical arts workshops and the School of the Longhunter. Visit https://www.prickettsfort.org/register to reserve your spot!

Prickett's Fort COVID Restrictions

Masks are required inside the Visitor Center, meeting house, and gun shop within the fort. Please refrain from touching artifacts or exhibits in the fort or Visitor Center. All hands-on activities and exhibits have been temporarily suspended.

Prickett's Fort Job Opportunities

The Prickett's Fort Memorial Foundation is seeking full-time and part-time historical interpreters and craftspeople to fill male roles. Interested persons may apply by sending a letter and resume to Prickett's Fort SEARCH, 88 State Park Road, Fairmont, WV 26554 by March 19. The Foundation also seeks to fill the position of part-time Visitor Service Associate. Applicants may send a resume and three professional references to PFMF, 88 State Park Road, Fairmont, WV 26554. Questions? Call the Foundation Office at 304-363-3030. Job descriptions are available on the Fort's Facebook page.

Fairmont Ice Bowl

The annual Fairmont Ice Bowl is coming up on Feb. 27 at Morris Park. The Ice Bowl is a national charity disc golf program that raises donations for local food banks, and proceeds from this tournament are going to the Fairmont Soup Opera. Entry for the Ice Bowl is $25 and a food donation for the Soup Opera. Awards will be given to the top three finishers in singles, doubles, and overall. Due to COVID, the chili cook-off will not be held in conjunction with the disc golf tournament this year. Register at http://www.wvdiscgolf.org.

Marion County History Guide

Get ready for summer adventures and travel through over 200 years of history with the Marion County History Guide. Learn about 18th-century pioneer life, our connection to coal and railroad history, and more. The guide is available at the Marion County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1000 Cole Street off the Connector. Or you can request a free copy at https://www.marioncvb.com.

Virtual Events and Tours

There's good news for those of us who are leery of venturing out and remain stuck at home due to the pandemic. Here are a few online events and virtual tours that may pique your interest:

"Manipulating the Masses" – Wed., Jan. 27, 8 p.m.

This event is sponsored by the National WWI Museum and Memorial and is free with RSVP to https://my.theworldwar.org/7703. World War I established the roots of the systemic production and dissemination of propaganda. To learn about the beginning of pervasive propaganda in the U.S., join Dr. John Maxwell Hamilton, Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a professor at Louisiana State University, in discussing his new book, "Manipulating the Masses." Explore how the Committee on Public Information (CPI) became the nation's first and only ministry of propaganda and how those attitudes and techniques have carried on.

Green Bank Observatory Tour – Sat., Jan. 30, 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Get your tour ticket at https://www.greenbankobservatory.org/events. Learn about the Green Bank Observatory's telescopes, projects, and history from their science center team. Registration is required for this free event to keep the group size small and allow for conversation and questions. You will be sent an invitation to a Zoom meeting for the time of your tour. We anticipate these will fill up quickly, so register today.

Barcelona's Picasso Museum and the Gaudi – Sat., Jan. 30, 6-9 p.m.

On Facebook's Virtual Tour – Live, travel to one of the most popular cities in Spain and virtually explore two of the most celebrated museums in the world! PICASSO MUSEUM: The live tour begins with a brief discussion on the life of Pablo Picasso before exploring some of the most celebrated and magnificent works of art inside the museum. The guide will discuss highlights of his most popular works, as well as some of his lesser-known early paintings. GAUDI MUSEUM: Once the home of famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi (until 1925), today it has become one of the most popular museums throughout all of Europe. Explore the unique art, furniture, and objects located throughout the museum.

Guided Tour of the Taj Mahal – Sun., Feb. 7, 6-7:30 p.m.

Virtually travel to Agra, India, and take a historic and modern tour of the Taj Mahal on Facebook's Virtual Tour – Live. Explore the history of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and his goal to build the Taj Mahal in honor of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Guides will virtually take us through the "Great Gate" to this Jewel of Muslim Art in India since 1648. We will head inside the Taj Mahal, its museum, mosque, gardens, the Jawab guest house, the Baby Taj, and more.

Get your popcorn and snacks ready, settle back in your easy chair, and get ready for online adventures. Happy traveling!