Thank you for helping make the inaugural year of Taste of Appalachia such a success. In 2025, the program sold more than 1,200 gift sets, representing more than 8,000 individual locally made products and creating new sales opportunities for small businesses throughout the Advantage Valley region.

Building on that momentum, Taste of Appalachia returns in 2026 with six curated gift sets featuring products made by businesses across the region. Online sales will open on September 15 at 8:00 a.m., giving customers the opportunity to shop local while discovering some of the unique foods and products being made right here in Appalachia.

Taste of Appalachia is part of Advantage Valley’s FASTER WV initiative — Fostering Advantages for Start-Ups & Entrepreneurial Resurgence in West Virginia. Through FASTER WV, Advantage Valley works directly with entrepreneurs and small businesses to identify promising locally made products, provide business coaching and technical assistance, and connect those businesses with new customers and market opportunities. Taste of Appalachia puts that work into action by showcasing regional makers and creating a new avenue for them to grow their businesses.