Forest Festival’s Bray addresses club
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ELKINS – Heidi Bray, executive director of the Mountain State Forest Festival, addressed the Rotary Club of Elkins, giving details of this year's festival.
The inaugural Mountain State Forest Festival was held in 1930, after the Elkins Business Men's Association and the Elkins Woman's Club met for the purpose of establishing an Elkins homecoming event.
For many years, the event was held at the end of October but after consulting U.S. Weather Bureau meteorologist and Elkins Rotarian Harris A. Jones, the festival was moved to the beginning of October.
This year's festival officially gets underway on Saturday, Sept. 26 and will continue through Sunday, Oct. 4. Citizens Bank of West Virginia CEO and President and Rotarian Nathaniel Bonnell is serving as this year's director general for the festival.
"[Bonnell] and his assistant directors are working very hard to finalize all of the last-minute details. Nathaniel chose the theme ‘Autumn in Color’ which reflects the tapestry of our region," said Bray.
A few pre-festival events have already taken place. Bag Bingo was held in June, the Golf Tournament was held in July and the Turkey Calling Contest was held on Aug. 29. On Sept. 19, Woodly's Great Gravel Adventure will take place at Stuart Recreation Area along with the Tennis and Pickleball Tournaments which will be held on the Davis & Elkins College campus and at Elkins City Park. Both events are scheduled to get underway at 8 a.m. on that morning.
The Great Gravel Adventure will feature a bike race starting in Stuart's Park and traveling through the Monongahela National Forest.
"We had 66 riders last year and we're hoping to have more this year. We have one rider already registered from Paris," commented Bray. "It's a long way to come to ride a bike but we're anxious to meet him."
There are three new events joining the festival line-up this year: the turkey calling contest, a martial arts tournament featuring jujitsu, and a drone show. The Turkey Calling Contest took place on Sept. 29 at Knot Just Another Barn in Belington, the Martial Arts Tournament will be held on Saturday, September 26 at Elkins High School, beginning at 8 a.m. and the Drone Show presented by WVU Medicine UHC will be on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 8 p.m. at the Town Square.
The first full day of this year's festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26. That day's events include the opening ceremony, the Bass Fishing Classic, the jujitsu tournament, the Highland Dance Competition that returns after a one-year hiatus, Irish Road Bowling, a Mountain State Street Machines event, the Cornhole Tournament and the Forest Festival Kickoff Party & Chili Cook-off on Davis Avenue that will include a performance by BonJourney, a mix of Bon Jovi and Journey music.
"If you'd like to sample the chili, there will be tickets for sale. We're up to 8 or 9 registrants for the chili cookoff so if you'd like to participate in that we'd love to have you," said Bray.
Sunday, Sept. 27, will feature the Pump N Run, the 10k Run/5k Walk and Kids Fun Run along with the "Paws, Wings and Autumn Things" Parade of Children and the Children's Festival on Davis Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Streets). The information booth will also be open on Sunday (between Noon and 5 p.m.).
"The Pump N Run will start at Anytime Fitness. They will do the 'pump,' which is weightlifting. However many reps you can bench press, takes off 15-30 seconds of time on your 5K. We'd love to see some of you there for that too," said Bray.
This year, the Run/Walk will incorporate a 'color run section' where spectators throw colored powders at the participants. The Children's Festival will have several free events such as bounce houses, a foam party, arts and crafts, and a character meet and greet.
"The kids love that event," commented Bray.
The very popular free Citizens Bank Festival Stage at the Rotary Amphitheater in the Town Square will open on Sunday with the Elkins' Got Talent show. Other events throughout the week will include The Railyard Event & Conference Center's Railside Revue (Monday), Jersey Nights: A Tribute to Frankie Vallie & The Four Seasons (Wednesday), musician and comedian Cletus T. Judd (Thursday) and Queen Flash: The Ultimate Queen Tribute on Saturday. A Night of Dance, featuring local dance groups, will be held Tuesday at Harper McNeely.
With the opening of The Railyard Event & Conference Center, a number of events have been moved to that venue, allowing much more space for those activities. The Photography Exhibit, the MSFF Crafts & More event and the Foresty & Wood Products Exhibit and West Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association displays will be held at the Railyard. Those events run Thursday through Saturday. The Log Cabin Quilters Guild Quilt Show and the Mountain Weavers Guild exhibit will remain at YMCA as in years past.
The Coronation of Maid Sylvia LXXXVIII, Emma Grace Snyder, will be held on Friday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. at the Citizens Bank of WV Amphitheater at Davis & Elkins College. Prior to the coronation, there will be pre-coronation music and entertainment beginning at 1 p.m. Traditional Friday evening events, the Elkins Volunteer Fire Department Fireman's Parade and the Queen's Ball, will follow.
Saturday, October 3, is jam-packed with events, beginning with the Lumberjack Contest at 8:00 A.M. and concluding with the Queen Flash concert. In between, all of the exhibits, the craft shows, the city park events, the antique car/log truck/Grand Feature Parade and the Jack Basil Band Spectacular will entertain festivalgoers.
"The Grand Feature Parade and the Coronation are both livestreamed thanks to [Rotarian] Phillips Kolsun so you can catch those if you have to sit at home," commented Bray. The livestreams can be found on the Festival's website and YouTube page.
The festival concludes on Oct. 4, with a buckwheat feed and the muzzleloading contest at the Izaak Walton League on Files Creek, the Darden Mill Exhibit and the official closing ceremony at 2 p.m. the Jennings Randolph Federal Building Plaza.
After the 2026 Mountain State Forest Festival week is wrapped up, the Poker Run will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17, beginning at the Beverly Fire Hall with stops in Durbin, Seneca Rocks and Parsons.
"We did push it back this year a little bit to hopefully have some fall foliage. With as much water as we've had, the leaves should be nice and pretty," said Bray.
"I'd like to thank all of our sponsors this year. We really couldn't do it without you," concluded Bray.
More information about the 88th Mountain State Forest Festival, including a full schedule of events, can be found at www.forestfestival.com or by calling 304.636.1824.
Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in their communities, and in themselves. Visit www.Rotary.org to learn more about Rotary International, visit the club's Facebook page - Rotary Club of Elkins – or contact 2026-2027 club president Karen Wilmoth at wilmothk@gmail.com for more information about the Rotary Club of Elkins.