Blog

Oglebay Institute Offers Unique Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Romantic Evening or “Hot” Date?

Whether you are looking for a romantic evening in an elegant setting or searching for a “hot” date, Oglebay Institute offers unique ways to spend Valentine’s Day.

Programs include glassmaking workshops, a jazz concert, a dinner and wine tasting in elegant Stifel Mansion and a private tour of the historic Mansion Museum, complete with champagne, chocolates and a rose.

Programs are taking place at three Oglebay Institute venues- the Stifel Fine Arts Center, the Mansion Museum and the Glass Museum– during the week of Valentine’s Day.  Each program gives couples and friends opportunities to celebrate in creative ways.

Champagne Tour of the Oglebay Mansion

A Valentine’s Champagne Tour of the Mansion Museum takes place from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 14 and appeals to history buffs as well as those who are intrigued by stories of love and romance.

Mansion Museum tour

Learn about the lives and loves of three generations of the Oglebay Family- secret engagements, tragedy, young love, second chances and more.  Also enjoy the rare opportunity to go inside the Mansion’s period rooms. You’ll have champagne and chocolates, too.  Take home a single rose as well as a glass “kiss” made in the Glass Museum studio.

The cost is $75 per couple. Members of Oglebay Institute receive a discount. Register online.

Romance of Glass Workshops

For those interested in a “hot” date, Romance of Glass Workshops allow couples to work side-by-side with skilled glass artisans to create beautiful pieces of art glass at the Glass Museum Studio, located in the Carriage House Glass Center in Oglebay Resort.

Couples will create at least two pieces of one-of-a-kind art glass. Participants can choose from hearts, candy kiss charms for a necklace, paperweights and more.

Simply observing the process of glassmaking is quite magical, as a shapeless glob is transformed into a work of art, and vibrant colors and designs emerge from the molten glass. Trying it yourself, making glass with your own hands, taking home your very own creation, well, that is priceless. It’s a wonderful experience to share with a loved one, too.

glassmaking workshop

Romance of Glass Workshops are available from 10:30 a.m -4 p.m. on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday, February 12. Cost is $140 per couple. Members of Oglebay Institute receive a discount. Register online.

Wine and Dine in the Historic Stifel Mansion

The Stifel Fine Arts Center will host two special programs. The Art of Wine Valentine’s Dinner takes place at 6:30 p.m. Friday, February 10, and Jazz at the Stifel is at 8 p.m. Saturday, February 11.

Taste five wines while enjoying a five-course dinner and live music in the elegant Stifel Mansion that was once home to one of Wheeling’s most prominent families. Cost is $55 per person. Members of Oglebay Institute receive a discount. Register online.

Oglebay Institute

Wine and food pairings are as follows:

•    Kung Fu Girl Riesling with Ahi Tuna Sashimi
•    Eve Chardonnay with Sweet Corn Bisque soup
•    The Velvet Devil Merlot with roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic, onion and pork belly
•    Chateau Smith Cabernet with bacon-wrapped tenderloin with bone marrow butter, potato and leek gratin
•    Boom! Boom! Syrah with chocolate covered cherries, strawberries, raspberries, popcorn and bacon

Jazz It Up!

Internationally recognized jazz singer Lisa Yvonne Ferraro performs Saturday, February 11 at the Stifel Center. Wine and desserts will be available for purchase. All tickets are $20. Register online.

Dining and seeing concerts in the unique atmosphere of one of Wheeling’s most historic homes is a very special experience. You can also browse the art gallery, admire the stunning architecture and enjoy the intimate and elegant setting.

Get Tickets

Space is limited in all programs. Advance reservations are required. Call 304-242-7700 or visit www.oionline.com.

Country Band “Zane Run” at Stifel Mansion Feb. 4

Zane Run Performs at Historic Stifel Mansion

Country band Zane Run performs February 4 at Oglebay Institute’s Stifel Fine Arts Center.  The show is part of the popular bluegrass and Americana music series Mountain Moon Coffeehouse.

Born out of the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains,  Zane Run is an up-and-coming country band with an edge.  The band is stripping down its sound to perform two intimate sets in the historic Stifel Mansion in Wheeling, which is a favorite venue of performers and audiences alike.

Taking its name from Revolutionary War heroine Betty Zane, the band created a hard-hitting sound that reflects the tenacity, wherewithal and hardheadedness of the Upper Ohio Valley.

Band members Zeke Blake, Justin Rector, Dean Connors, Brad Wilson, and Jacob Moore throw down everything from Jason Aldean to AC/DC and everything in between.

What does Wheeling sound like?

In 2014, founding member Dean Connors sought the answer to the question,
“What does Wheeling, West Virginia sound like?”

This search led to other prominent musicians from the region. One by one, the nucleus came together. Bridging different generations, gathering different influences and collecting upon past experiences evolved into the experience that is Zane Run.

Zane Run creates music under the silhouettes of rusting steel mills, in the haunting echoes of a long defunct railroad system and near shuttered coal mines of a generation or two ago.  The band describes its sound as “the echo of a distant rifle on the first Monday after Thanksgiving; the party at the lake that lasts all weekend long and friends from college that will be friends forever.”

Zane Run has released three singles that can be heard on local radio as well as Pandora and I Heart Radio. Released in 2014, “The Devil in Me” continues to sell steadily in the region as well as worldwide.  The infectious, guitar-driven “Bonnie and Clyde” is a crowd favorite at live shows. “How’s the Fishin’” tells a somber story of an American soldier getting deployed, his memories and his yearning for simpler days out on the lake.

Mountain Moon Coffeehouse continues through May. “Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers” perform March 4; “Herb and Hanson” perform April 1 and “Two Bridges” takes the stage May 6.

Get Tickets

Doors for all shows open at 7:00pm. Music begins at 7:30. Admission is $15/$12.50 (OI Members) and includes non-alcoholic beverages and light snacks. You can purchase beer and wine at all shows.

For tickets, call (304) 242-7700 or visit www.oionline.com.