Mountaineer Country
Marion County is two hours north of Charleston and a half-hour south of Morgantown, according to MarionCVB.com, and is home to approximately 56,000 people in 11 communities, including Fairmont, the county seat. According to the website, the county is “always getting together for a shindig, and we’ve built up a full portfolio of courtyard grounds, grand banquet halls, and high-tech meeting rooms.”
Robert H. Mollohan Research Center, a 21-acre facility in the I-79 Technology Park, includes a 150-seat auditorium, an 8,500-square-foot exhibition hall that can seat 500 people theater style, and additional meeting rooms. Other event venues include the 23,000-square-foot Falcon Conference Center and 650-seat Colebank Hall, both located on the campus of Fairmont State University; Pickens Fort State Park Conference Center, which seats 70; Crystalline Events, with a banquet hall seating 200; White Hall Event and Conference Center, which can accommodate 800 for receptions or 500 for banquets; and Fairmont Field Club, with indoor seating for 120 and tented outdoor space for 250. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Fairmont and Hampton Inn Fairmont both have small meeting rooms.
Every December, the county celebrates its heritage with the Feast of the Seven Fishes festival. More of the region’s history can be explored at the West Virginia Folklife Center, located on the campus of Fairmont State University; the Marion County Historical Society and Museum; and the Hamilton Round Barn, which features exhibits on farm life and a small event space.
