Grandma’s House is located in beautiful, historic downtown Hinton, West Virginia. The city, established in 1873, is the government seat of Summers County and an important part of rail history. Much of the commercial architecture of the town, built primarily from 1895 to 1929, remains and contributes to the. town’s National Historic Register listing. In addition to museums and items of historic interest, the downtown boasts several spots for shopping, dining, and services.
The historic Hinton Passenger Depot welcomes passengers of Amtrak traveling between New York City, Washington DC, Cincinnati, Chicago and communities in between.
Hinton is not only known for its downtown charm, but the spectacular outdoor opportunities close by. Hinton is near the confluence of three rivers: the New River, the Greenbrier river and the Bluestone River, as well as the Bluestone Dam lake. These waterways provide great access to kayaking and boating. Its close proximity to the New River Gorge, Pipestem State Park, the Great Eastern Trail, Bluestone Wildlife Management area make Hinton a dream for outdoor enthusiasts.
Annual events in Summers County
Irish Road Bowling
A unique sport with a history tracing back to the 1600’s. Qualifier tournament at Pipestem in April. Irish Road Bowling is primarily played in County Armagh in Northern Ireland and in County Cork in Southern Ireland. It consists of a ball made of iron and steel that is heavy enough to pick up speed, yet small enough for any person to handle. Besides the basic rules and terms, all you do is hurl this 28 oz. sized “bowl” with an underhand motion over a 1 to 2 mile country road and see how far it goes! Scored like golf, the fewest number of shots from the start to the finish line wins. Right now, you can find three (3) organized leagues in the United States, Boston, New York and West Virginia, but this sport is gaining rapid popularity throughout the country.
Color The River
Hundreds of people gather on the Greenbrier River in late June to enjoy a day of floating family fun! Second Saturdays will host its 2nd annual Color the River Float for Cancer Awareness on Saturday, June 9th, 2018, on the Greenbrier River. Registration will begin at 9:00 am at Camp Summers in Forest Hill, WV. Put-in for the float will start at 11:00 am, with the float ending at the Willowwood Public Access Fishing Site, State Rt. 3, seven miles north of Hinton. Join us on Saturday, June 10th, 2017, in coloring the river with paddle boards, canoes, kayaks, duckies and inner tubes. We will put in at Summers County 4-H Camp and float The Greenbrier River to Willowwood. Later that same day, The Kind Thieves will take the stage on the Courthouse lawn for our second evening of outdoor concerts in downtown Hinton.
2nd Saturdays
Hinton Second Saturdays is a series of musical events in downtown Hinton that includes food, fun, and promotion of our local businesses. Free concerts the second Saturday of each month between May and October. The past events include June 9th Common Ground In Concert Sat 7 pm at Courthouse Lawn, Hinton, WV. June 9th Color the River 2018 Sat 9 Am Camp Summers, Forest Hill, WV. May 12th Parachute Brigade In Concert Sat 7 pm, Summers County Courthouse, Hinton, WV. May 12th Veterans Benefit Ride Saturday 1:30 pm Dairy Queen, Hinton, WV. May 12th Spring Arts & Craft Bazaar Sat 10 am, the Historic Mccreery Hotel, Hinton, WV. Mar 10 Spring Flea Market, Saturday 10:00 am, The Hub Clothing Store Building. October 14th Kenney Mountain Boys and Long point String Band Saturday 5 pm, Summers County Courthouse, Hinton, WV. September 9th Red Line in Concert Saturday 8 pm, Courthouse Lawn, Hinton, WV. August 12th Bicycle in Concert Saturday 8 pm, Summers County Courthouse, Hinton, WV. July 8th Brews, Blues, and Barbeque, Saturday 6:30 pm Downtown, Hinton WV. Jun 10th Greenbrier River “Color The River”, Saturday 10 am, Summers County, WV.
John Henry Days
West Virginia Water Festival
The WV Water Festival takes place in Hinton, WV every year beginning the end of July and running through the first weekend in August celebrating the waters surrounding the Hinton area. There are many events that can take place at the WV Water Festival like a couple of fishing tournaments, a car truck and motorcycle show, beauty pageants to crown “Little Miss Mermaid”, a dog show, a glow walk to support Hospice, a quilt show, an art show, a pretty baby contest, lights on the lake parade, a pancake breakfast, vendor events, a karaoke contest, a fireman’s parade, music after the parade, a magic show, DJ, dance performance, and a rubber ducky race.
Festival of the Rivers
Held on Labor Day Weekend, Festival of the Rivers is a music festival featuring Grassroots Appalachian music in celebration of our rivers and railroad culture. Blues, Roots and Traditional musicians showcase the influence Appalachian music has had on the world. This free festival is located in Hinton, Summers County, West Virginia at the confluence of the Greenbrier, Bluestone, and New rivers. As the “Gateway Community” for the New River Gorge National River, the community and festival are near both the National Park Service’s New River Gorge Visitors Center on Interstate 64 and the breathtaking beauty of Sandstone Falls. Running from 10am-9pm, the one-day event is held at the newly restored Freight Depot, located at 509 Commercial Street.
Culturefest
Railroad Days
Each year for two weekends in October the streets are filled with vendors selling many different and unusual crafts; such as rings made from coins, coal scrip and old coins; handmade wooden banks with old post office doors; flag boxes; wooden furniture; hand-painted items; quilts; jewelry; driftwood creations; wooden oil lamps; Patio Foundations and many more interesting items. Food vendors offer hot dogs, hamburgers, barbeques, kielbasa sandwiches, chicken and dumplings, beans and cornbread, kettle corn, funnel cakes and baked potatoes. Each year is different. Come on out and see what this year will bring! The New River Train arrives each afternoon of Railroad Days.
