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Vandalia Time!

By Laiken Blankenship, Photos by Steve Brightwell

As the festival heads for 50 years of celebrating West Virginia’s Heritage in 2027, we take a look back at last year’s  48th Annual Vandalia Gathering! In 2025 folks took to the Capitol grounds once more to celebrate West Virginia’s rich heritage. With a large variety of West Virginia Artisans, a niceavariety of food vendors, and of course–music! There are competitions in fiddle, old-time and bluegrass banjo, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, and flat-pick guitar; evening concerts featuring the best of West Virginia’s traditional musicians; and of course we can’t forget the Liar’s Contest!  Please enjoy this selection of photos from the 2025 Vandalia Gathering– ed.

2020 Vandalia Award Winner Bill Hairston
The Appalachian Lassies demonstrate in the Great Hall
West Virginia’s First Lady of Soul—Lady D!
Ginny Hawker, the 2024 Vandalia Award Winner & Sallie Sublette perform on the evening concert.
Angie Richardson moving the audience with her music during the evening concert.
Mike Miller & Gerry Milnes, the 2013 Vandalia Award Winner at the evening concert. Milnes was named a National Heritage Fellow in 2026 by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the nation’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts.
Pete Kosky and Tony Minney share a few tunes on the Capitol Grounds
Our Youngin’s Craft Area
Jimmy Gabehart & Family at the Circle Stage
Dance Caller, Musician, and 2003 Vandalia Award Winner Mack Samples rehearses backstage before the evening concert.
From left to right: Jimmy Martin, David O’Dell, Tessa McCoy, and Andrew Dunlap
Bobby Taylor & Kanawha Tradition, from left to right: Kim Johnson, Joanna Burt-Kinderman, Bobby Taylor, Cody Jordan, and Johnny Staats.
Thelma & Mack Samples with Steven Holsclaw, the graphic designer who created the 2025 Vandalia Shirts featuring Mack.
Square dancing takes place in the great all all weekend!
Luke & the Cool Hands, from left to right: Jake Stoeffer, George Ward, Luke Shamblin, Joey Vance, and Ray Cossin.
From left to right: Linda Scutt, Jenny Allinder, & Jenny Stoltzfus
Ezekiel Green (Beckley) brought home not one, but TWO blue ribbons, as the 2025 first place winner of the mandolin contest and the youth flatpick contest,
John Morris, a 2025 Vandalia Award Recipient
Culture Center maintenance worker George Mung smiles as he enjoys the Festival.
Kim Johnson, a 2025 Vandalia Award Recipient pauses for a photo with her family during the Vandalia Gathering.
An unidentified dobro player finds a shady spot to pick on the Capitol grounds.

2025 Vandalia Gathering Contest Winners

Senior Fiddle

1st Place – Gerry Milnes (Elkins)

2nd Place – Dan Kessinger (St Marys)

3rd Place – Joe Herrmann (Paw Paw)

4th Place – Jenny Allinder (Pt Pleasant)

5th Place – Linwood Clark (Walker)

Adult Fiddle

1st Place – Edwin McCoy (Greenville)

2nd Place – Emily Miller (Elkins)

3rd Place – DJ Kessinger (Charles Town)

4th Place – Joe Burdock (Hinton)

5th Place – Brian Conaway (Fairmont)

Youth Fiddle

1st Place – Liam Farley (Chapmanville)

2nd Place – Vernon Casseday (Elkins)

3rd Place – Jo Butterworth (Hurricane)

Bluegrass Banjo

1st Place – Brandon Green (Beckley)

2nd Place – Carter Eddy (Parkersburg)

3rd Place – Emmett Carper (West Union)

4th Place – Joshua Jimmerson (Charleston)

5th Place – Silas Powell (West Union)

Mandolin

1st Place – Ezekiel Green (Beckley)

2nd Place – Silas Powell (West Union)

3rd Place – Tristan Dennis (Morgantown)

4th Place – DJ Kessinger (Charles Town)

5th Place – Chase Arbogast (Weston)

Senior Old Time Banjo

1st Place – Gerry Milnes (Elkins)

2nd Place – Paul Gartner (Yawkey)

3rd Place – Jim Mullins (St Albans)

Adult Old Time Banjo

1st Place – Hunter Walker (Beckley)

2nd Place – Edwin McCoy (Greenville)

3rd Place – David O’Dell (Glenville)

4th Place – Pete Kosky (Charleston)

5th Place – Chad Ashworth (St Albans)

Lap Dulcimer

1st Place – Hunter Walker (Beckley)

2nd Place – David O’Dell (Glenville)

3rd Place – Janie Miles (Pliny)

4th Place – Tish Westman (Beckley)

5th Place – Helena Lee (Cross Lanes) 

Flat Pick Guitar

1st Place – Jakob Thomas (South Charleston)

2nd Place – Brandon Green (Beckley)

3rd Place – Sawyer Chapman (Charleston)

4th Place – Josh Thomas (Clendenin) 

5th Place – Isaac Butcher (Ripley)

Youth Flat Pick Guitar

1st Place – Ezekiel Green (Beckley)

2nd Place – Carson Shock (Eleanor)

Liar’s Contest

1st Place -Megan Gall (Charleston)

2nd Place – Kally Hall (Hurricane)

3rd Place – John Mullins (Dunbar)

2025 Old-Time Banjo contest winners from left to right: Chad Ashworth, David O’Dell, Pete Kosky, Edwin McCoy, and Hunter Walker.
2025 Bluegrass Banjo contest winners from left to right: Silas Powell, Joshua Jimmerson, Brandon Green, Carter Eddy, and Emmett Carper
The 2025 Liar’s Contest Winners from left to right: John Mullins, Kally Hall, and Megan Gall.

Andy Fitzgibbon and Rory Mullennex perform for an outdoor concert during Vandalia.
The State Birds during an Evening concert at Vandalia from left to right: Jesse Milnes, Chance McCoy, Tessa McCoy, Cody Jordan, and Joanna Burt-Kinderman.
Tish Westman & Hunter Walker during an evening concert
Robin & Dan Kessinger during an evening concert.
Emily Miller & Jesse Milnes sing an unaccompanied song at an evening concert during Vandalia.
The MacAbre Brothers (David O’Dell & Pete Kosky perform at an evening concert for Vandalia.
Jimmy Costa, a 2025 Vandalia Award Recipient.
Slow Train, left to right: Will Carter, Rob McNurlin, and Robert Shafer.
Youth Fiddle contest winners from left to right: Jo Butterworth, Liam Farley, and
Vernon Casseday.
Senior Fiddle Contest winners from left to right: Joe Herrmann, Gerry Milnes, Jenny Allinder, and Linwood Clark.
The Vandalia Gathering also marks the opening of the West Virginia Juried Quilt and Wall Hanging Exhibition, on display through Labor Day weekend.

Laiken Blankenship

is the Editor of GOLDENSEAL Magazine.
    Citation:
    Blankenship, Laiken. “Vandalia Time!.” Goldenseal West Virginia Traditional Life, Spring 2026. https://goldenseal.wvculture.org/vandalia-time-2/
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