Culture of Virginia

[3] English was passed as the commonwealth's official language by statutes in 1981 and again in 1996, though the status is not mandated by the Constitution of Virginia.

Fried peaches, cut in half and simmered in butter with brown sugar melted in their hollows, and served with vanilla ice cream, is a more upscale dessert found in Virginia.

Sausage, both link and patties, and usually flavored with sage, constitutes an important aspect to a traditional Virginian breakfast.

Historically, Greengage plums were common in Virginian cuisine, but their cultivation has been in decline since the eighteenth century, although it can still be found in Virginia occasionally.

The traditional meat was the Appalachian flying squirrel, but this has since become endangered and chicken and rabbit are often used in current times.

Oyster and spinach soup is a traditional New Year's Eve dish in Virginia, although currently in decline.

The Virginia Foundation for the Humanities works to improve commonwealth's civic, cultural, and intellectual life.

Ralph Stanley, Patsy Cline, the Statler Brothers and the Carter Family are award winning bluegrass and country musicians from Virginia, and Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey were both from Newport News.

Hip hop and rhythm and blues acts like Missy Elliott, Timbaland, The Neptunes, Chris Brown, and Clipse hail from the commonwealth.

Notable performance venues include the Birchmere, Jiffy Lube Live, the Norva Theatre, the Patriot Center, and the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater.

The American Shakespeare Center is located in Staunton, and home to resident and touring theater troupes.

The company tours to elementary schools around the country while producing lavish main stage productions at the historic Empire Theatre.

Academy Award winners Warren Beatty, Sandra Bullock, Shirley MacLaine, and George C. Scott hail from the state, as does Wanda Sykes.

In August 2023, singer Oliver Anthony released to the internet a song called "Rich Men North of Richmond" which became an overnight viral success.

The works of Pulitzer Prize winner Ellen Glasgow often dealt with social inequalities and the role of women in her culture.

[24] Glasgow's peer and close friend James Branch Cabell wrote extensively about the changing position of gentry in the Reconstruction era, and challenged its moral code with Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice.

[25] William Styron approached history in works such as The Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie's Choice.

[28] Virginia also names a state Poet Laureate, currently Ron Smith, whose term began on July 1, 2014.

The September Neptune Festival in Virginia Beach celebrates the city, the waterfront, and regional artists.