West Virginia Strawberry Festival continues into this weekend
BUCKHANNON, W.Va. (WBOY) — 2025 marks the 83rd year of the annual West Virginia Strawberry Festival (WVSF), which is looking to bring things to a close this weekend.
First Vice President Tammy Samples told 12 News that the planning committee for the festival spends an entire year planning everything out by doing things like reaching out to businesses in the community for sponsorships.
'We could not do this without them or the work that our city does to help us prepare,' Samples said. 'They help with parade routes and safety, and all of those things.'
The annual festival lasts a total of eight days, which Samples feels sets it apart from some of the other festivals across the state. 'The board of directors who plan and work so hard are just really invested in bringing and building experiences for families and visitors to the town,' she added.
According to Samples, the WVSF has 24 members on its board, meeting monthly throughout the year for the planning of this large festival. 'We start planning as soon as the festival ends,' she stated.
West Virginia Strawberry Festival 2025: Full schedule
Samples told 12 News that the WVSF partners with the City of Buckhannon to put on this event, with Mayor Robbie Skinner actually sitting on the board. She added that the board has a group of associate members who don't necessarily vote on matters, but that they 'take a lot of the weight' regarding planning and operations.
The theme for this year's festival is 'Once Upon a Strawberry,' so many businesses in downtown Buckhannon have adorned their windows with decorations that combine fairytale and strawberry elements. Festival attendees are able to vote on their favorite window until 4:00 p.m. Saturday by scanning a QR code that can be found along some windows in the downtown area.
'It's like a contest with the communities, so a community member generally is who comes up with the theme,' said Samples. 'It brings upwards of 60,000 people across the week to this town, which assists with our economy and it gets people here to see how much Buckhannon has to offer.'
Samples said that during the festival each year, she just enjoys seeing people's smiling faces as they come through and participate in the various events. 'As I said, we work very hard to create experiences for families and create meaningful things that they will remember for more years to come,' she added.
For a full list of the events being hosted by the WVSF throughout the remainder of the week, you can check here. To find more detailed information or to get in contact with the organizers behind the West Virginia Strawberry Festival, you can find more details on its website.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
New ocean exhibit opens at Children's Museum of Memphis
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A new exhibit opens at the Children's Museum of Memphis Saturday. It's being called Ocean and Me. If you plan to check it out, you and your children can expect fun ocean facts, literacy bubbles, sunken ships and lost treasures. The literacy bubble will feature all types of ocean-related books. Children will have the option to get comfy in one of the inflatable chairs and swim through different book titles. The Ocean and Me exhibit opens June 14 and will continue through the summer season. The museum is open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Miss Georgia contestant hopes to be first woman with indigenous heritage to win title
COLUMBUS, Ga. () — The 80th Miss Georgia competition taking place in Columbus contains many talented and intelligent ladies from across the state. Brooke Marshall however, is hoping to be the first indigenous woman to hold the title. The 20-year-old Miss Central Georgia representative says she is proud to be a direct descendant of the Muscogee Creek Nation and that she wants to share it with the world. 'We really lack representation and being able to show people that despite where you come from, you can still go and get an education,' Brooke said. 'Your path doesn't have to be linear and you should be proud of the roots that you came from.' As Miss Central Georgia, Brooke describes meeting Chief David Hill and other Muscogee Creek Nation council members at an indigenous celebration in Macon. 'It was really cool getting to see all of the artwork and dances that they do. I've also been able to visit the Muscogee Creek headquarters in Oklahoma and their veterans memorial they have, which was cool because my dad's name is displayed there.' Brooke said. Brooke says although she would get made fun of for her heritage when she was younger, it is now something she wants to highlight. Her talent in this weekend's competition is what she calls a 'Her-story' titled 'We Are Still Here' — it is a dramatic monologue that speaks on the progression of the Muscogee People. 'Its been a way for me to use my voice and get past anxieties that I struggled with in high school.' As a cosmetology graduate of West Georgia Tech, Brooke plans to re-enroll in classes in the fall to continue her education in Marketing. She says whether she wins or loses, she plans on coming back in the next year, because the experience is what she loves the most. 'I believe that Miss Georgia is a process. Girls compete for years and years and it's all about growth and what you learn. I just believe that the opportunities that I've received and have been able to do this year is honestly the most rewarding thing of all in Columbus.' Photos courtesy of Miss Central Georgia 2025, Brooke Marshall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Come face-to-face with catfish on guided noodling trips: On the Clock
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Here in Texoma, we're blessed with a myriad of lakes and rivers, and in those bodies of water are a myriad of catfish. In this installment of On the Clock, we traveled to one of those lakes in Texoma, where noodling tour guide Cee-Jay Blackmon introduces even the queasiest of participants, like me, to the art of catfish noodling. 'What's your favorite part about it?' I asked Cee-Jay. 'That part when they get bit and they freak out,' he answered. Pulling up to the shore, I'm scared for a number of reasons. Between being woefully unprepared and the interesting texture of the catfish, it's safe to say I was regretting my life choices. But thankfully, that's where this noodling pro comes in. 'We take up to 10 people at a time or more. Just depends,' Cee-Jay said. 'And we'll go out on the lake all day and just look for holes under rocks and under concrete.' It's a way of life for Cee-Jay. Getting his noodling start at age seven, he fell in love, hook, line and sinker. 'My uncles would take me out to the Red River and Cache Creek, stuff like that,' he said. 'And they'd shoved me in the hole head first by my feet and then tell me, 'If you ain't got fish and don't come out of the hole.' Ever since then, I just wanted to keep doing it.' Turning it into a career, reeling in crowds for his noodling tours across Texoma. But Cee-Jay says it's a competitive field. 'If there's no one noodling that day, you'll find more,' he said. 'But you could be noodling behind someone, and they could be pulling the fish out before you get to the hole.' So much so, his fishing holes, like the one we're at today, are top secret. 'There's just people all over that noodle,' Cee-Jay said. 'And when you find a hole, you think no one knows of it, you just don't want to just blurt out where it is, because there would be multiple people going and checking it.' That secrecy keeps his spots ripe for a post-noodling catfish fry for his clients. 'If the clients want to keep fish, we'll clean them. Usually, we don't let anyone keep anything over 30 pounds, but, you know, take pictures, release it,' Cee-Jay said. 'Anything under, skin it, clean it, bag it for them, so they can take it home with them.' And after filleting my catch of the day… 'Okay. So obviously I've freaked out a bit, but I did it. Would you hire me?' I asked. 'I would, I'd hire you. Yes,' he said. 'Really? Okay, that's surprising, considering how much I freaked out,' I said. 'It's your first time. It takes a little while to get used to this,' Cee-Jay said. 'After going out and doing it a few times, you'd be right, and you'd be just right in motion.' Ceejay may have a noodling assistant to join him next tour. If you're interested in scheduling a tour with Cee-Jay, call him at (580) 860-3595. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
