News…

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History will host a Halloween Bash Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, Charleston. The Halloween Bash is free and open to all witches, werewolves, ghosts and ghoulies, vampires, matadors, cowboys and cowgirls, and other assorted famous and infamous personages from all walks of life.

The Great Hall will be decorated as a haunted forest with eerie trees, ghosts, goblins, mummies and spiderwebs. Text panels will tell West Virginia ghost stories, including Mothman, The Braxton County Monster and The Greenbrier Ghost. Children can enjoy playing such seasonal favorites as pumpkin bowling, witch hat ring toss and eyeball bounce with prizes awarded for the winners.

Bethany Cline, Charleston actress and executive assistant to Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, will portray her alter ego “Hecate,” Greek goddess of the three paths: guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft. She will regale visitors with ghost stories and other tales of the macabre.

Prizes will be awarded for best child’s costume. Although “costumes” are optional, shoes and other cloaking attire are required. All visitors will be treated to light refreshments and holiday music like “The Monster Mash.”

For more information, contact Charles Morris, director of museums for the Division, at (304) 558-0220.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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