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Lovers and scholars of Appalachian culture will convene at Marshall University this weekend.
From March 19-21, Marshall University will welcome hundreds of participants as it hosts the 49th Annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference.
“This conference brings together scholars, teachers, students, community members, and regional activists who believe that shared community continues to be important to those writing, researching, and teaching about Appalachia,” Cicero M. Fain III, conference chair and assistant provost of access and opportunity at Marshall said in a press release.
Conference events will take place at multiple venues on Marshall’s campus and throughout Huntington.
Programming will include presentations, panel discussions and community-focused events on topics like West Virginia’s rural education heritage and the Underground Railroad in the Tri-State area.
Despite the Appalachian Studies Association being headquartered at Marshall University, the conference has not been held in Huntington for a decade, and organizers expect record attendance. Recent conferences were held at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee in 2025 and Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina in 2024.