daily304 - Episode 03.09.2024

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.  

Today is Saturday, March 9

It’s a retro party! Celebrate the space age at Blenko’s annual Festival of Glass. Break out your best Hamlet impersonation at High Ground Brewing’s ShakesBEER festival. And find out why West Virginia is a great place to retire. (Hint: It’s Almost Heaven!) … on today’s daily304.

#1 – From BLENKO – Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a glassblower? Now’s your chance! Blenko Glass Company celebrates the Year of New Space Age Design at its annual Festival of Glass, set for April 5-6 at its factory in Milton.

The weekend will include classes and experiences with glass, demonstrations from Blenko’s Guest Artists and Designers, a vintage sale, food trucks, and a Saturday night concert from Huntington’s Grown Ass Folks.  

The centerpiece of the Festival’s wares is the Lift Off Decanter. Invoking classic mid century motifs, the crystal decanter with a straight optic calls to mind the lift off cloud from the cheekily nostalgic Rocket stopper, available in two colorways, Ruby or Cobalt. The rocket decanter stopper is modeled on the V2 rocket and mid century space age designs as much as by the toys that inspired a generation to dream of going into space. 

Workshops include hands-on experiences like Blow-Your-Own 384 Water Bottles. A class schedule and registration will be available at noon Eastern, Monday, March 11 on the company website.

Read more:

https://blenko.com/pages/events

#2 – From WBOY-TV – Cheers to you! A unique and boozy festival is making its return to West Virginia later this month.

On March 15, High Ground Brewing will partner with The Vintage Theatre Company’s Rustic Mechanicals for the ShakesBEER Festival, a celebration of alcohol and famous English playwright William Shakespeare, at High Ground Brewing in Terra Alta, Preston County.

This year’s event is based on Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” which the Rustic Mechanicals are currently touring.

The festival will feature live music, games and giveaways, as well as a few Rustic Mechanical specialties, including open mic Shakespeareoke and its own beer, Mash Ado About Nothing, which is described in a press release as a “clever, English Mild beer that is sure to keep the festivities going all night long!”

Read more:

https://www.wboy.com/news/preston/shakesbeer-festival-returning-to-west-virginia/

#3 – From WORLD ATLAS –  With its beautiful mountains and pastoral scenery, West Virginia easily lives up to its nickname, “Almost Heaven.”

It’s also home to many of the top-ranked towns for retirees, thanks to its small-town charm and low cost of living.

World Atlas presents some of the Mountain State’s top-ranked towns for retirees. 

Whether retirees seek a riverside view in West Virginia’s old capital of Wheeling or settle in the New River gateway town of Oak Hill, there is something for everyone in this mountainous state.

Read more:

https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/7-top-ranked-towns-in-west-virginia-for-retirees.html

Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304.

The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo. 

That’s all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.