Latest news with #WestVirginiaStrawberryFestival
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Clarksburg City Council approves grant to help Clarksburg History Museum
CLARKSBURG, (WBOY) — The Clarksburg History Museum was a central focus during Thursday evening's Clarksburg City Council meeting. Council members approved a one-time emergency grant of $10,000 to support the Clarksburg History Museum, which could face a potential closure due to significant funding cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency. During the meeting, museum representatives shared that, thanks to generous community donations, they have raised approximately $3,000 since the beginning of the month. 'The AmeriCorps, with the cut that the administration made, they lost that money. So, we are helping to keep them afloat. And you know, if anybody would like to make donations, they would greatly appreciate them and accept them,' Clarksburg Mayor Jim Malfregeot said. Another item discussed and approved by the council was a resolution to allocate opioid settlement funds to hire a social worker or a comparable position. The total cost of the hiring is not to exceed $53,652.86. Mayor Malfregeot noted that the individual selected for the role will work in direct collaboration with Police Chief Mark Kiddy. 'If an officer picks up an individual, probably bring them back here and then she or he will be called to come help assist the individual. Yeah, it's huge, because we are trying to clean up the streets of Clarksburg,' Malfregeot said. 'One person at a time, you know, it's not easy. Some of these people want help and some of them don't want help. We are going to go after the ones that want help.' West Virginia Strawberry Festival continues into this weekend In other business, the council unanimously approved a resolution to officially name an unnamed alleyway within the city in honor of a respected community figure and former long-serving municipal employee, the late John Cooper. In his honor, the alley located between North Florence Street and Pinnickinnick Street will now be known as 'Cooper Way.' 'We were lifelong friends, neighborhood friends. I call him family more than friend. I have known him since I was like four years old. So, we go back a long ways,' the Vice President of the Clarksburg Parks and Recreation Board, Kelley Davisson, said. 'Being here tonight and listening to the council members speak so highly working with John, even if there were some disagreements or whatever, John was just that kind of guy that made you smile. And to have this small token for the family is a big undertaking and very much appreciated.' Cooper devoted more than 40 years to public service as Superintendent of Clarksburg City Parks, leaving a lasting legacy through his dedication to maintaining and enhancing the city's green spaces. 'I've mentioned it a couple times and I am going to keep bringing it up, I think we should name the amphitheater after John because what he did with the amphitheater, the splash zone, we have probably the best park system in the state of West Virginia because of him,' Malfregeot added. Council members described the naming as a meaningful recognition of his lifelong contributions to the park system. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Buckhannon reactivates fire siren for Strawberry Festival
BUCKHANNON, (WBOY) — The Buckhannon Fire Department has installed and reactivated the fire siren in the city, which will sound for two minutes at the start of the West Virginia Strawberry Festival Fireman's Parade on Friday. Although the siren will be used to celebrate firefighters at the festival, the rest of the year, the siren will be used as an emergency indicator for people in the downtown area. Although it is called a fire siren, the siren can be used to warn and imminent danger to people or property, including life-threatening incidents and natural disasters, such as severe flooding, thunderstorms, wind, tornados or winter weather. Each time the siren is used, it will sound for two minutes to signal imminent peril. According to an alert from the Upshur County Department of Emergency Management, the siren can also be used to signal the end of a threat. 'When an alert has been issued due to a potentially severe storm in the area, an 'All Clear' message could be sent when the danger has passed.' West Virginia Strawberry Festival 2025: Full schedule Alongside the reactivated siren, the Buckhannon Fire Department, Buckhannon Police Department and Upshur County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) have developed a safety alert protocol utilizing online resources. When residents hear the siren, they can visit the Upshur County DHSEM website or Facebook and X pages for immediate information on the threat. Residents can also sign up for alerts through the NIXLE Emergency Alert System, just sign up online here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sweet-A-Licious welcomes band from Honduras to Strawberry Festival
BUCKHANNON, (WBOY) — With the West Virginia Strawberry Festival getting into full swing, Sweet-A-Licious Ice Cream Shop welcomed a special group of international performers Wednesday, a band of 30 young musicians who traveled from Honduras to take part in this year's festival. The band was welcomed to the Mountain State with a dinner on Wednesday night as they became acclimated to the U.S. and West Virginia. 'Honduras is overall a very poor country and I just wanted to show these kids just a little bit of West Virginia,' the owner of Sweet-A-Licious, Michelle Jack, said. 'I thought, you know, it was a great opportunity just to do something nice and to show a little bit of kindness to people who have come a long way and enjoy what they do. They love band and they love to play their instruments, and I love to be kind.' Despite USDA cuts, Preston County Schools says school lunch program will continue After dinner, the band played in the parking lot of the ice cream shop and put on a show for those walking by. Those who came by were able to listen to the tunes and even interact and dance to the music. 'A lot of excitement, we're really excited and happy and we want the audience to enjoy our show,' Conductor of the Honduras Band, Joya Garcià, said. In an effort to further support the visiting musicians, Sweet-A-Licious has launched a fundraising initiative aimed at helping the children in the band experience one of the festival's highlights, the carnival. The owners of the ice cream shop said that they reached their fundraising goal and that every contribution they received for the kids to attend the carnival will create lasting memories for those young kids. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
West Virginia Strawberry Festival 2025: Full schedule
BUCKHANNON, (WBOY) — One of the biggest festivals in West Virginia is just days away! Since 1936, the annual West Virginia Strawberry Festival in Buckhannon has been honoring and celebrating West Virginia agriculture, and this year is no different. Starting on Saturday, May 10, downtown Buckhannon and Jawbone Park will transform into a temporary festival grounds. Although some of the biggest attractions like the live music, shows and parades take place on the second Saturday of the eight-day festival, there are lots of activities to look forward to throughout the week. The festival's Strawberry Menu will be available throughout the festival, and guests are encouraged to check out the window displays on Main Street at any time. The Official Strawberry Gift Shop is also open daily from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at 25 E Main Street. Buckhannon rallies support for community member battling cancer Here's the full schedule for each day: Saturday, May 10 10 a.m. – Opening ceremonies at Jawbone Park 2 p.m. – Pet show at Jawbone Park 6:30 p.m. – Coronation at West Virginia Wesleyan College's Wesley Chapel Sunday, May 11 2 p.m. – Mother's Day Royalty Bingo at Outpost & Event Center Tuesday, May 13 4-10 p.m. – Food Court at Jawbone Park 5-8 p.m. – Family Fun Night at West Virginia Wesleyan College Courtyard 7 p.m. – Buckhannon-Upshur High School Spring Choir Concert Wednesday, May 14 11 a.m.-10 p.m. – Food Court at Jawbone Park 5 p.m.-10 p.m. – Local Live Entertainment at Jawbone Park 6 p.m. – Carnival at Jawbone Park 7 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center Thursday, May 15 9 a.m.-6 p.m. – CEO Quilt Show in West Virginia Wesleyan College Gym 10 a.m.-6 p.m. – Photo Exhibit at Colonial Arts Gallery 10 a.m.-6 p.m. – Craft Show at Stockert Youth & Community Center 11 a.m.-11 p.m. – Food Court at Jawbone Park 6 p.m. – Carnival at Jawbone Park 6 p.m. – Junior Royalty Parade at Strawberry Lane followed by Parade Awards at Jawbone Park 8:30 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center Friday, May 16 9 a.m. – Field Competition at Ross Field 9 a.m.-6 p.m. – CEO Quilt Show in West Virginia Wesleyan College Gym 9:30 a.m. – Strawberry Capping at Upshur Senior Center 10 a.m.-6 p.m. – Photo Exhibit at Colonial Arts Gallery 10 a.m.-6 p.m. – Craft Show at Stockert Youth & Community Center 11 a.m.-midnight – Food Court at Jawbone Park 12 p.m. – Carnival at Jawbone Park 2 p.m. – Concert Band Competition at WVWC 2:15 p.m. – Crowning of Lord & Lady at Courthouse Plaza 2:30 p.m. – Sweetest Berry at Courthouse Plaza 4 p.m. – Strawberry and Basket Auction at Courthouse 4 p.m. – Engine & Tractor Exhibit at Stockert Youth & Community Center 5 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center 6 p.m. – Fireman's Parade at Strawberry Lane After parade ~ Strawberry Blonde, Best Legs and Pie Eating Contests at Jawbone Park After parade ~ Party Gras on Main & Jawbone Park After parade ~ Drumline Battle on Main 8:30 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center 8:30 p.m. – Strawberry Idol at Jawbone Park Saturday, May 17 9 a.m.-12 p.m. – Photo Exhibit at Colonial Arts Gallery 9 a.m.-1 p.m. – CEO Quilt Show in West Virginia Wesleyan College Gym 9 a.m. – Mountaineer Strawberry 2700 Championships 9 a.m.-6 p.m. – Engine & Tractor Exhibit at Stockert Youth & Community Center 10 a.m.-6 p.m. – Craft Show at Stockert Youth & Community Center 11 a.m.-midnight – Food Court at Jawbone Park 12 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center 12 p.m. – Carnival at Jawbone Park 12 p.m. – Strawberry Mile at Buckhannon Academy Elementary School and Strawberry Lane 12:30 p.m. – Classic Car Parade at Strawberry Lane 1 p.m. – Grand Feature Parade at Strawberry Lane followed by awards and after party at Jawbone Park 4 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center 4 p.m. – Irish Road Bowling at Turkey Run Road 6 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center 6:30 p.m. – Strawberry Idol at Jawbone Park 8 p.m. – Easton Corbin at Main Street Stage followed by entertainment and after part until midnight Sunday, May 18 8 a.m. – Mountaineer Strawberry 2700 Championships 12 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center 12 p.m. – Strawberry Car Show at Main Street 12-3 p.m. – Live music at Jawbone Park 1 p.m. – Irish Road Bowling at Turkey Run Road 1 p.m. – Carnival at Jawbone Park 2 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center 3 p.m. – Gospel Sing at Jawbone Park 4 p.m. – Arestov's Acrobatic Extravaganza at Stockert Youth & Community Center 5 p.m. – Closing ceremonies at Jawbone Park Entry to the festival is free. You can find more information about activities, vendors, locations and more at the West Virginia Strawberry Festival's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
