There’s something so charming about Fayetteville, West Virginia, the small town that sits on the rim of the New River Gorge National Park. Sure, the forest that surrounds Fayetteville is enchanting, but the small town itself has a lot to offer.
At its center is the historic Fayette County Courthouse, which is surrounded by great public art, shops, music venues, a yoga studio, pubs, breweries, restaurants, and of course, Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals.
In every one of these places, you’ll find the smiling faces of the people that are lucky enough to call this place home. And that is precisely why we love this town – its charm radiates from its people. The people of Fayetteville have created a fantastic place to live and a fun place for you to visit.
Fayetteville’s Shops & Boutiques
Scattered around town and within walking distance of each other, you will find several unique locally-owned shops and boutiques to browse during your time in Fayetteville.
ACE Adventure Gear
From kayaks to fishhooks, ACE Adventure Gear has what you need for your outdoor adventures.
Great Googly Moogly
You’ll find an impressive collection of gems, minerals, and crystals in this unusual shop. Occasionally, you will also find Elevate Elixirs Kombucha which is made right here in West Virginia.
New River Bikes
If you are into mountain biking, you are going to love this place! But even if you are not, it’s worth a look. The owner, Andy has cleverly repurposed many items to create displays and fixtures for his shop.
D and K Collectibles
The owners specialize in vintage West Virginia blown glass.
Enjoyed Again
A very cute “junktique” right next door to D and K Collectibles.
Lost Appalachia Trading Co.
This Fayetteville flagship shop is filled with quality goods that capture a bit of the spirit, natural beauty, and history of these mountains. Inside you’ll find locally designed shirts, gear, stickers, hats, and much more. You’ll even find Lost Appalachia designs on Fiestaware mugs, the wildly popular WV-made glazed ceramics. Lucky for us, this great shop is located just below Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals at 171 N. Court. St.
Twisty Gypsy’s
This eclectic boutique is tucked down Wiseman Ave. across from the back of Lost Appalachia. Inside you’ll find women’s apparel, jewelry, and home decor.
New River Antique Mall
25 booths of antique treasures for you to explore.
Water Stone Outdoors
This outdoor outfitting shop has high-quality merchandise and SUPER helpful and knowledgeable staff. Water Stone is a destination for climbers specifically, but everyone should stop in to check out their selection of clothes and the stairwell photo gallery (a tribute to the craziness of climbers). Inside you’ll find a coffee and beer bar with a great outdoor seating space, too.
The Hobbit Hole
This little hidden gem of a shop is in the basement of Thread but is accessed from Court St. It’s full of vintage goodies from dresses to trinkets.
Thread
An eclectic store and WIFI lounge with apparel, jewelry, and other goodies.
Rangefinder Coffee
This great little coffee shop also sells merch and high-quality coffee equipment like French presses, scales and pour-over coffee makers.
Very Rare Vintage
This small shop is chock-full of once-trendy shirts, hats, and accessories from the not-so-distant past. It’s also now a skate shop!
Ringing Rocks Mint
A couple of young jewelry makers opened a storefront in Fayetteville right across from the Fayetteville Visitors Center. Inside the shop you will also find Southern Pillar Jeweler, whose silversmith, Trey, makes custom jewelry in addition to his in stock selections.
The Adventure Station
This outpost of Adventures on the Gorge (the premiere New River Gorge outfitter located across the bridge in Lansing, WV) sells souvenirs and services, offering one-on-one help with booking activities such as whitewater rafting, ziplining and more.
Wisteria Gifts
A true gift shop with all the popular brands including Vera Bradley, Ginger Snap, and Brighton.
Love Hope Center for the Arts
Appalachian artists are featured in rotating gallery exhibitions within this beautifully renovated space. The old white church sits at 100 Rotan Street, right off South Court Street downtown.
Studio B
Conveniently located in the same building as Maggie’s Pub, this wine, beer, and art shop has a great selection of local jewelry, too. Visit 309 Keller Avenue to shop.
The Music Scene in Fayetteville, WV
Most of the establishments listed below offer live music on weekend nights from May – October. Checking their Facebook pages is the best way to see current hours of operations and performance schedules.
Southside Junction Taphouse
On the corner of S. Court St. and Maple Ave., you will find a lively tap house with a big selection of brews and yummy food. In addition to live music several nights a week, they almost always have something going on like Beer Bingo or trivia.
Charlie’s Pub
Located at 190 S. Court St., just below The 304 restaurant, Charlie’s Pub has been a favorite bar destination for locals and tourists for many years. They have a great live music schedule you can find on their website or Facebook page.
Our House Grill & Pub
Located inside the Cantrell Rafting complex out Gatewood Road, Our House Grill & Pub offers food, cocktails, and live music with outdoor seating.
The Freefolk Brewery
This brewery is a treat for the eyes, ears, and taste buds. The owners have filled their space with art, they offer live music on the weekends and they serve up some yummy food too. You can even call ahead to schedule a tour of the brewery.
The following live music venues aren’t in Fayetteville, but they are only 5 minutes away across the New River Gorge Bridge in Lansing.
Chetty’s Pub at Adventures on the Gorge
We love sitting on Chetty’s big deck that overlooks the New River. On the weekends you can enjoy solid pub fare in a super fun environment. This is where all the AOTG rafters come when they get off the river to see their trip video projected on all the televisions.
Rendezvous River Lounge at Adventures on the Gorge
Live music on Fridays and Saturdays at this lively open-air lounge.
Burrito Bar at Breeze Hill
Outdoor seating with beautiful sunsets, tacos, burritos, beer, and live music. What more could you ask for? It can be a little hard to find but follow our directions and you’ll be fine: head north on Rt. 19 and take the second right after crossing the New River Gorge Bridge. Take the second left onto Oscar White Rd. Just look for the sign by the old white house.
More Local Fayetteville Flavor
The population of Fayetteville is only 3,000 but you’d never know it! These folks like to keep busy. Here are a few of the other local establishments that make Fayetteville so cool.
The Historic Fayette Theater on S. Court St. is widely used by the community for plays and performances. The theater also hosts many of the town’s annual events including the Big Fun Family Talent Show, Appalachian Outdoor Film Festival, and the Video Boaters Challenge (the wildly popular event that showcases the talents of local videographers working in the whitewater industry).
Of course, there’s a yoga studio in Fayetteville. New River Yoga offers regular classes and special workshops in their S. Court St. studio. They also offer yoga on the rim of the New River Gorge at the Adventures on the Gorge pool patio every Sunday morning from May to October.
Right next door to Lafayette Flats is Escape-A-Torium which offers three different escape room games. You must find clues, solve puzzles and escape in less than one hour.
Arrowhead Bike Farm is located just a few miles from downtown on Gatewood Road and offers campsites, trails, mountain bike rentals and equipment, but our favorite thing about Arrowhead is their Biergarten where they serve up fresh craft beer and a delicious variety of brats.
The guys of Bridge Brew Works recently added a beautiful outdoor patio and tasting room to their brewery which is on Nick Rahall Greenway inside the industrial park just a few minutes from downtown. Their award-winning beers are worth tasting, and we suspect you’ll want to fill up your growler while you visit.
Feasting in Fayetteville
Need to refuel? There are three great places for coffee in Fayetteville: Cathedral Cafe, Wood Iron Eatery, and Rangefinder Coffee. Enjoy sweet treats with your coffee inside the beautiful old stained glass-filled church that now houses Cathedral Cafe. Expand to espresso, latte and cappuccino at Wood Iron Eatery. Or get really serious about your coffee at Rangefinder Coffee – the newest coffeehouse in Fayetteville.
Hungry? Get our Fayetteville Food Guide to help decide which restaurant is the perfect pick for your palate. We’ve compiled all the restaurants’ info into one helpful flier: location, contact info and hours, special diet offerings, alcohol availability, and special insider information.
Art in the Heart of Fayetteville, WV
While you explore the quaint and compact downtown you will find these gems all within walking distance of the Fayette County Courthouse and Lafayette Flats.
Lafayette Flats, 171 N. Court St., Window Mural (Rear)
The trompe l’oeil mural in an old window well on the back of the historic building that houses both Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals and Lost Appalachia represents the Italian immigrants that constructed so many of the beautiful buildings and walls throughout the town. We asked mural artist, Jesse Corlis to depict an Italian stonemason from the late 1800s/ early 1900s. Together we entitled the mural “Cinto” after Cinto Peraldo, the builder of record on the National Historic Registry for our old cut-stone building.
Lost Appalachia, 171 N. Court St., Mural (Inside)
The mural by Nicole Westfall on the interior back wall of Lost Appalachia reminds us of spring hikes and splashing in creeks. The owner of Lost Appalachia commissioned this bright and beautiful mural in early 2022.
United Bank, 145 W. Maple Ave., Stained Glass (Inside)
Elizabeth Grafton, an influential stained-glass artist who made her home in Fayetteville, died several years ago at the age of 99, but she left a legacy of influence far and wide; seemingly more well-known elsewhere than in her hometown. You can find a beautiful piece of Grafton’s work in the lobby of United Bank. Her tree of life is so beautiful that we would gladly sign up for a checking account just to see it… but don’t worry, you don’t have to.
Intersection of Wiseman Ave. & Court St., Wrought Iron Sculpture
World-renowned metalsmith, Jeff Fetty created the sculpture entitled, “New Directions: A Sculpture for our Community.” The directional sign points to other locations known for whitewater rafting (Zambezi), rock climbing (Yosemite), and mountain biking (Moab). In 2012, when asked about the meaning of his sculpture, Fetty told the Register-Herald that it was meant to communicate that, “you have arrived at a world-class destination. You live in a world-class destination.”
Physical Therapy Building, 233 N. Court St., Mural
Rob Cleland painted Fayetteville’s first outdoor mural on the Fayetteville Physical Therapy building in 2012. Cleland included many of the components of the New River Gorge that make it so special and Fayetteville’s namesake, the Marquis de Lafayette.
Fayetteville Post Office, 120 W. Maple Ave., Mural (Inside)
“The Miners” is an oil on canvas in Fayetteville Post Office painted by Nixford Baldwin. It was commissioned in 1939 by the U.S. Treasury Section of Fine Arts and is a great example of New Deal artwork. Coal mining brought thousands of people to this isolated area from the 1870s to the 1960s, and this mural depicts their daily life in and out of the mines.
Rt. 16 Old Overpass, Intersection of US Rt. 19 & WV Rt. 16, Murals
Both murals were painted by Jeff Pierson, an artist known throughout the state for his caricature-esque style. The first mural celebrates traditional Appalachian music and instruments and the second mural showcases the many types of outdoor adventure available in the New River Gorge. The murals, which cover the abutments of the old Second Street bridge crossing Rt. 16, were commissioned to brighten the area after the deck of the bridge was removed; an upsetting change for so many in town. To safely view these murals, cross Rt. 19 using the pedestrian walkway accessible from Daniels St. near Tudor’s Biscuit World.
The Freefolk Brewery, 1690 Court St., Murals (Inside & Out)
Brewery owner, Jamie Lester is best known for his bronze sculptures and for designing the West Virginia quarter for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. But it’s his mural painting skills that are on display at The Freefolk Brewery. The entire space is covered with his depictions of folk music and Appalachian life.
Fayette County Courthouse, 100 N. Court St., Marquis De Lafayette Statue
In 2004 the Fayette County Historic Landmark Commission presented the citizens of Fayette County the bronze statue, Marquis De Lafayette by sculptor, Joel A. Randell. Marquis De Lafayette, a French Statesman, is known as George Washington’s close confidant and a true friend of the American Revolution. He is the namesake of Fayette County, Fayetteville, and Lafayette Flats.
Love Hope Center for the Arts, 100 Rotan St., Kinetic Sculpture
Right outside the Love Hope Center for the Arts stands Fayetteville’s first kinetic sculpture. This revolving ball of love and hope was created by Jamie Lester, a fine artist who specializes in bronze monument sculpture.
Love Hope Center for the Arts, Building Mural
On the side of the old church, there is a large colorful mural by Nichole Westfall and ND Tank. The whimsical painting was installed as part of Love Hope’s second anniversary.
Cathedral Cafe, 134 S. Court St., Mural
Artist Gaia painted a mural on the wooden fence outside Cathedral Cafe. The project was sponsored by Love Hope Center for the Arts.
Craving more data for your New River Gorge getaway? Learn more about enjoying nature and adventure activities in the New River Gorge National Park.
Who are we? Amy & Shawn, New River Gorge hikers, WV Master Naturalists, and owners of Lafayette Flats Boutique Vacation Rentals.
