ELKINS – One of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the Kump Education Center will take place on Saturday during the annual Pie Auction at the historic Kump House.

The theme for this year’s event is “Pies for Preservation” and activities will get underway at noon when visitors can tour the 101-year-old Kump House free of charge. Those taking in the beautiful craftsmanship of the facility will be greeted by a tour guide who will share the history and legacy of the home, which was designed from locally sourced wood.

The pie auction will begin at 1 p.m. and the event will conclude at 3 p.m. Fiddle and banjo musicians the Casseday Brothers will perform tunes for those visiting the Kump House.

Brothers Vernon and Norman Casseday make up the local duo, who have performed at the Helvetia Community Square Dance, West Virginia State Folk Festival, Arthurdale Heritage Festival and more. Vernon Casseday has recorded two albums with his mentor Jesse Milnes, and the group has competed in the August Festival fiddle and banjo contests.

“I heard them (Casseday Brothers) practicing when I recently visited the Arts Center and I was blown away by their skills,” said Kump Education Center Administrative Coordinator Sara Gladwell. “I knew they would be a great fit for our event.”

The annual Pie Auction, which celebrates the area’s heritage of homemade baked goods, is in its 14th year at the Kump Center. Pie auctions are a traditional Appalachian fundraising activity. The Pie Auction offers a wide variety of pies for guests to bid on, from a variety of fruit pies to cream and meringue. Early Kump family pies were made from apples grown in the family orchard.

Kump Education Center board member Laura Santmyer has invited all of the food vendors from this year’s Ramps and Rails Festival to attend. This year’s event will also feature local craft vendors selling goods ranging from stained glass to homemade paper that can be planted to grow flowers.

Proceeds from the auction support the Kump Education Center’s mission of free public educational opportunities, such as lectures, tutoring, immersive wetland experiences, and preservation of the historic property.

For more information, call the Kump Education Center at 304-637-7820 or visit kumpeducationcenter.org. Information can also be found on the Kump Center’s Facebook page.