BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — It’s the time of year for hot cocoa, ice skating and twinkling lights, as The City of Beckley’s Appalachian Coal Town Christmas returns the weekend after Thanksgiving.

The annual display at the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine gives visitors a look at a historic coal camp. It’s complete with a church, superintendent’s home and company store decorated for Christmas.

“We have so many families tell us that it begins their Christmas season,” said Beckley Parks and Recreation Director Leslie Gray Baker on Tuesday, November 14, 2023. “They used to come as children, then they came with their children, and now they’re coming with grandchildren. I think we see a lot of people over and over, but we’re beginning to see more visitors as they come to see the National Park.”