Inside Appalachia

Series produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Series image

Inside Appalachia is our weekly radio and podcast, hosted by Mason Adams. The show highlights West Virginia’s cultural heritage and brings those stories to a broader audience.

Inside Appalachia is currently heard on 33 stations in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
The show highlights West Virginia’s cultural heritage and brings those stories to a broader audience. We strive to tell real stories about what it’s like to live here, and feature Appalachians who are finding unique solutions.
The program gives voice to and provides a platform for the underserved, overlooked, and often dismissed residents of Appalachia.
We’ve recently expanded the show to tell more stories about our region’s diverse arts and culture, through our grant-funded Folkways Project.


207 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
Piece image
One of America’s greatest contributions to world culture … is hip hop. A new compilation documents what it sounds like across Appalachia. Also, pe...

  • Added: Sep 10, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
Schoolyard games come and go, but for kids in one community, marbles still rule. This year marks the anniversary of some country music milestones....

  • Added: Sep 05, 2024
  • Length: 53:31
Piece image
In 2016, a wildfire escaped the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It killed 14 people, injured dozens more and destroyed parts of Gatlinburg and...

  • Added: Sep 05, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
During the Great Depression, Osage, West Virginia was a raucous, little river town. It’s sleepier now, but music is keeping the magic alive. Also, ...

  • Added: Aug 21, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
In the 1930s, hundreds of mostly African American workers died digging the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel. A photographer brings their stories to life. Also, ...

  • Added: Aug 13, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
A few people still farm the way folks did before tractors — with horses. We visit with farmers in Virginia who still plow fields the old way. Also,...

  • Added: Aug 07, 2024
  • Length: 53:31
Piece image
Flooding is a recurring problem across Appalachia. This week, we’re taking stock, and looking back on floods that have devastated parts of West Vir...

  • Added: Jul 31, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
A good blanket will keep you warm — but a handmade temperature blanket can convey a message to a loved one. Also, since 2018, there’s been an explo...

  • Added: Jul 24, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, members of a Ukrainian Catholic church in Wheeling, West Virginia, make pierogies every week. They’re popular with the community. What m...

  • Added: Jul 17, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, one person’s roadside weed is another’s “golden” treasure. So says a North Carolina fiber artist. A school system in Virginia suspend...

  • Added: Jul 09, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, we visit with a West Virginia man who shows his love for fishing by building exquisite, handmade fly rods. It’s a long process, but he s...

  • Added: Jul 02, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, dinos fight Civil War soldiers at a theme park throwback — Dinosaur Kingdom II in Natural Bridge, Virginia. If you’re hungry for a pepp...

  • Added: Jun 25, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
Old time music jams aren’t just fun. They’re good for your mental health. Also, the opioid epidemic has changed how we talk about addiction in Appa...

  • Added: Jun 24, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, hip hop started in New York… and took root in places like West Virginia. We explore some of that history. Also, food deserts are places ...

  • Added: Jun 12, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, we visit with West Virginia trappers to learn about the fur trade in the 21st Century. We also meet a county fair champion who keeps rac...

  • Added: Jun 04, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, a West Virginia artist who designs stickers, t-shirts/patches and pins draws on classic Appalachian phrases her family has used for year...

  • Added: May 28, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, the woman behind the popular tik tok account “Appalachian Forager” makes jam from wild pawpaws … and jewelry from coyote teeth. Also, A...

  • Added: May 21, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
For nearly a century, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival has staged a formal dance. Organizers rely on a manual that’s been passed down for gen...

  • Added: May 14, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, rock climbers with disabilities have found a home in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, which offers some pumpy crags... Climbers have also bee...

  • Added: May 07, 2024
  • Length: 53:30
Piece image
This week, a chef has created a hidden culinary hotspot in Asheville, North Carolina that’s attracting national attention for its eclectic menu and...

  • Added: Apr 30, 2024
  • Length: 53:30