16-05-2025
West Virginia Strawberry Festival continues into this weekend
BUCKHANNON, (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.
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