WV Ramp Dinners & Festivals

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Hat tip, DCist

APR 6, 2:53 PM

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Nevin Martell

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Home > Recreation in West Virginia > Agritourism > WV Ramp Dinners & Festivals

WV Ramp Dinners & Festivals

Most ramp events have been canceled due to the coronavirus.
Others have shifted to a take-out format. Please call to confirm.

After a long winter, settlers in West Virginia hungrily welcomed the appearance of the wild leek or ramp, one of the first edible plants to ripen in spring. It became the focus for a tradition of community feasts—a tradition that has lingered long in rural Appalachia.

Scores of community ramp dinner, as well as full-scale festivals, are hosted throughout the state beginning in April and continuing through May. Most are small affairs that welcome fewer than a hundred guests, while others feed more than 1,000.

Most ramp feasts function as fundraisers for churches, libraries, and volunteer fire departments, and so the events are welcomed with even more than usual zeal, and travelers are always welcomed.

Ramp Dinner Menus

Traditional ramp dinners usually include ramps fried in bacon grease served alongside ham and fried potatoes, often with cornbread and beans, and eggs scrambled with ramps. Raw ramps are often served as a salad, and dessert selections are usually provided.

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