Drawing people of all ages and cultures, Morgantown is a city of ideas. FEED YOUR MIND
Live music in town spans everything from garage bands to Appalachian master fiddlers and symphony orchestra performances. The beloved nightclub 123 Pleasant Street hosts everything from local string bands to national acts to precocious students from the PopShop school of rock. The WVU Creative Arts Center presents college ensembles, touring musical theater productions, and occasional recordings of Mountain Stage. Local musicians perform in city parks and at Chestnut Ridge Park through the summer. And, with recent upgrades to the Hazel Ruby McQuain amphitheater on the Mon River, the city is planning a busy calendar of outdoor shows starting in 2021. The global character of life in Morgantown makes everything more interesting. Most obvious is the diversity of our dining scene—we can eat authentic Egyptian, Jamaican, Vietnamese, or any of a dozen other ethnicities. But more interestingly, it’s the people. Students enroll at WVU from more than 100 countries, and international professionals move here, too: Families of students at North Elementary school speak more than two dozen languages. Language conversation tables, opportunities to host visitors from other countries, and an annual international cultural festival are just a few of the ways seniors can take advantage of retiring in such a diverse community.
Nothing challenges the mind like art, and Morgantown’s art scene has blossomed in recent years. In the warm seasons, downtown turns to a popular open-air gallery for monthly Arts Walks, and handcrafted markets draw makers from across the region. All through the year, exhibits rotate often at the Monongalia Arts Center and Arts Monongahela galleries. Enjoy thought-provoking exhibits at the Art Museum of WVU, or drop in there for the occasional Lunchtime Looks talks. Public art has a growing presence in town, too—look for murals across downtown and sculptures on the grounds of WVU’s Art Museum and Creative Arts Center. Morgantown loves live theater . For community productions in an intimate setting, catch a show at M.T. Pockets Theatre—or enjoy the talents of future stars in Morgantown Theatre Company productions at the restored 1924 Metropolitan Theatre. West Virginia Public Theatre puts on three Broadway- quality productions a year at WVU’s Creative Arts Center, featuring talent from all across North America. And other programming at the CAC—which offers venues ranging from small black box and thrust theaters to the 1,440-seat Lyell B. Clay Theatre—includes touring international and Broadway productions.
10 MORGANTOWN DECEMBER/JANUARY 2021
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