Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University presented two awards at the Midwinter Gathering for the Friends of the Folklife Center on Friday, Feb. 24.

A series of events will honor Fairmont native and “Forgotten Hero” James Show Maddox.

“This is a really inspirational story of leadership and survival and is an account of a World War II incident involving a young U.S. Navy ensign who grew up on Pittsburgh Avenue in Fairmont,” said local historian M. Raymond Alvarez, who became fascinated by Maddox’s story and has written a 50-page local history publication titled “Forgotten Hero.”

Kestrel: A Journal of Literature and Art, the Fairmont State University Department of Language and Literature and the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center will host a two-day Celebration of Issue 35.

Ten Kestrel contributors will be on campus to participate in a panel discussion, as well as give readings from their own work.

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University will officially open a new exhibition, “From Mountain Roots….” in its Ruth Ann Musick Gallery from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9.

Admission to the opening reception and the exhibit is free and open to the public. The exhibition will be on view through mid-February 2017. For more information, call (304) 367-4403.

The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University will host “Film & Fiction Italian Family Style: An Afternoon of Italian Heritage” from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18.

Two of West Virginia’s Biggest Liars join forces for a night of larger than life tales at the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University. Jacob Hall of Ripley (Biggest Liar 2016) and James Froemel of Morgantown (Biggest Liar 2015) will take the floor at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, to share stories of renegade possums, disastrous bowling trips and more. The program is family friendly and admission is $5.