This is one of those weekends that comes along every so often where IT’S COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE TO EVEN ATTEMPT TO ATTEND EVERY COOL EVENT HAPPENING IN THE AREA! Seriously, there is so much STUFF TO DO that my brain hurts even thinking about it.

As always, you should remember that THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS.  It’s just a starting point, so don’t expect anything comprehensive, and if you feel strongly about me leaving anything out, feel free to mention it in the comments. Also, if you have a show that you’d like to plug in the future, contact me via Social Media at Facebook, BlueSky , Spoutible, Instagram or possibly Elon’s beast, if it should ever choose to forgive me.  I dont charge for this, so you might as well send me something if you have an event to promote. Note that some links look like they shouldn’t work because they have lines through them, but that’s just a WordPress glitch, so click on them anyway. They should still work.

As featured on Radio Free Charleston this week, SettleFest 2025 is coming to the Mountaintop Pavilion at ACE Adventure Resort on October 10 and 11. It’s shaping up to be an unforgettable weekend of incredible music, scenic views, and good vibes! Hosted by none other than one of the most popular bands on RFC, The Settlement, this two-day festival will bring together fans for an epic celebration of live music and outdoor adventure.

And it is, indeed, a two-day festival. That was a detail I sorta stumbled over while recording RFC this week. That makes two weeks in a row that I forgot to mention a two-day event actually lasts two days. Sorry about that.

The Settlement will headline the weekend, delivering their signature high-energy blend of funk, rock, and soul. Plus you can enjoy amazing performances from a stacked lineup including Yarn, Into The Fog, John Inghram Band, Jeremy Short, and more regional favorites.

Its a Breathtaking Venue where you can experience incredible live music surrounded by the vibrant colors of West Virginia’s fall foliage at the Mountaintop Pavilion, overlooking the stunning New River Gorge.

With onsite camping available, you can make it a full weekend escape. Explore ACE’s trails, tackle the outdoor adventure playground, or simply relax and soak in the views. For more details, check out the Facebook Event Page and for ticket info, go HERE.

Also, this weekend (actually beginning last night), Charleston becomes a work of art again as it’s time for FestiFall. Thursday’s ArtWalk is included this year, and you can find graphics for an event or two below, but for the full schedule, go HERE.

As if that weren’t enough, TsubasaCon happens this weekend, October 10,11, and 12 at The Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. This is the big show for fans of Anime, Gaming, and Cosplay, and this year the theme is Yokai…I’m more of a Kaiju guy myself, but whatever floats your boat, more power to you. For full details and ticket information, go HERE.

This Saturday, October 11, WVU professor/author Sarah Morris will host a reading and discussion about her new book titled “Take Me Home, Country Roads.” The book begins with a discussion of the most well known song about The Mountain State – and continues to explore the music of West Virginia through the stories and anecdotes of WV musicians.

Sarah Rudy, Ron Sowell, and The Carpenter Ants will perform songs about West Virginia – as well as versions of “Country Roads” It begins at 2 PM at The WV Museum of Music located in The Charleston Town Center.

And now is the part of our program where we boilerplate…

Those are the two big shows, but there’s always more than just two things going on around here.

We are very happy to remind you that Cristen Michael has created an interactive calendar that is way more comprehensive than this list of STUFF TO DO, and you can find it HERE. Just click on the day and the event and you’ll be whisked away to a page with more details about loads of area events.

You can find live music in and around town every night of the week. You just have to know where to look.

Most weekends you can find live music at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 PM. This weekend they have Zach Elmore on Friday, and Steve Himes on Saturday. Sunday afternoon at 2 PM, stop by for Ray + Jon.

You can find live music every night at The World Famous Empty Glass Cafe. Mondays feature open mic night. The first Tuesday of every month sees the legendary Spurgie Hankins Band perform. There’s both Happy Hour music and local or touring bands on Thursday and Friday, and live bands Saturday nights.  On Sundays when there’s a new Mountain Stage, musicians from the legendary WV Public Radio show migrate to The Glass for the Post-Mountain Stage jam.

Live at The Shop in Dunbar hosts local and touring bands on most weekends, and is a nice break away from the downtown bar scene.

Louie’s, at Mardi Gras Casino & Resort, regularly brings in local bands on weekends.

In Huntington, local institution, The Loud (formerly The V Club), brings in great touring and local acts three or four nights a week.

The Wandering Wind Meadery holds several events each week, from live piano karaoke to bands to comedy to burlesque.

The multitude of breweries and distilleries that have popped up in Charleston of late bring in live musical acts as well. I tend to miss a lot of these because, being a non-drinker, they fly under my radar.

Roger Rablais hosts Songwriter’s stage at different venues around the area, often at 813 Penn, next door to Fret ‘n’ Fiddle in Saint Albans, or at The Cavern on Charleston’s West Side, and also at The Empty Glass many Tuesday evenings or Sunday afternoons.

You might also find cool musical events at Route 60 Music in Barboursville and Folklore Music Exchange in Charleston.

To hear music in an alcohol-free enviroment, see what’s happening at Pumzi’s, on Charleston’s West Side. Pumzi’s looks to be beefing up their offerings in the coming weeks and months, so be sure to check that link in case we miss something.

You can also visit Coal River Coffee in Saint Albans for live music in an alcohol-free environment.  I am looking to expand this list, so please contact me through the social media sites above if you know about more alcohol-free performance venues. The Huntington Music Collective has recently started hosting all ages shows at Event Horizon and those look to be incredible.

For cutting-edge independent art films, downstairs from Taylor Books you’ll find the Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema by WVIFF. Each week they program several amazing movies in their intimate viewing room that you aren’t likely to see anywhere else.

Please remember that viral illnesses are still a going concern and many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding  while you’re out. And if you’re at an outdoor event, please remember that it’s awfully inconsiderate to smoke or vape around people who become ill when exposed to that stuff. If somebody asks you to refrain, please respect their weishes and don’t be a jerk about it.

Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Here we go, roughly in order, it’s graphics for local events happening over the next several days that I was able to scrounge up online…