The West Virginia State Folk Festival

The West Virginia State Folk Festival, held in Glenville, West Virginia, will be celebrating 57 successful years when it begins on June 21, 2007. This celebration of Appalachian Heritage and Culture takes up annually on the third Thursday in June. The streets of Glenville are roped off, a square dance platform is erected for dancing on the corner of Main Street, and the sounds of folk music fill the air from every corner of the small town.

The West Virginia State Folk Festival began1950 under the direction of Dr. Patrick Gainer in an effort "to preserve the remnants of West Virginia traditional life and culture to the end that citizens may appreciate and respect the achievements of their forbearers."

The Country Store Museum located at the foot of Courthouse Hill is a store that was built in 1890 and became headquarters for the West Virginia State Folk Festival in 1973. The store/museum is the soul of the festival. This ancient building has been listed by the National Register of Historic Places. The first enterprise to occupy the building was the Ruddell General Store specializing in farm equipment, dry goods and general household items. In 1971, Charles Ruddell and Mildred Ruddell Arbuckle sold the store to the Folk Festival. The Country Store is currently stocked with museum items, Folk Festival attire, and displays of antique items such as farm tools, toys and musical instruments.

One highlight of the festivities is the choosing of the Folk Festival Belles. One Belle is selected from each county by a local group, such as the Senior Citizens group. Each Belle must be a minimum of 70 years old. The Belles are the guests of honor of the Festival.

The street square dancing is on a 'specially designed' wooden platform which has not changed since its initial construction in 1957. The dancing and music start around 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening and lasts until just before midnight.

The Folk Festival wouldn't be complete without the crafters lining the streets of Glenville. Not only do the crafters offer their wares for sale, there are daily demonstrations including pottery, wood carving, weaving, fiddle making, and glass blowing. You can even try your hand at spinning and weaving with the fiber arts demonstrators.

Whether its high noon or closing time, music can be heard from the banjo, fiddle, guitar and many other instruments flooding the streets of Glenville with old familiar folk tunes. In addition to the instrumental music, old time ballad singing and story telling are prevalent. Folk music concerts are held each evening in the Fine Arts Auditorium of Glenville State College

Tents are erected around town to showcase old time singing and music, poetry, and story telling. The Gilmer County Historical Society sponsors Living History Presentations. The 2006 presentations included Belle Boyd, Confederate Spy (1844-1900), and General Robert E. Lee (1807-1870) .

The Little Kanawha Valley Bank, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is open for viewing at the Folk Festival. On July 12, 1901, the Little Kanawha Valley Bank was incorporated in Glenville. That same year the bank was constructed with wood coming from a local plaining mill, and the decorative metal work being brought in on river packet boats. Inside the bank there is oak framing and marble counters and the original metal grillwork around the two bank work stations and several. An old bank safe stands open in the back room of the bank.

The closing ceremonies of the Folk Festival take place on Sunday with a religious a service held at Job's Temple. Job's Temple is a Civil War era log church on Rt. 5, 10 miles west of the traffic light.

The 2007 schedule of events is as follows:

Thursday, June 21, 20072 PM Craft Sales open4 PM Festival Opens at Country Store Museum - Court St.

7 PM Andrew Montour, Indian Scout , Historical Reenactor - Holt House

8 PM Old Time Square Dance -Gerry Milnes & Band - Main & Court Streets

9 PM Jam sessions - Conrad Motel lot

Friday, June 22, 2007

Informal music sessions

The Kemper Family's Hand Carved Birds

Quilt Show,

Basket Making Workshop

(See #27 on map for location - 10 AM - 6 PM)

11 AM Oral Traditions Tent - Sherrell Wigal

11:30 AM Oral Traditions Tent - Fran Schmetzer

12 PM Singing Tent -Mike Morningstar and Rick Roberts

1 PM Oral Traditions Tent - Doug Van Gundy

1:30 PM Oral Traditions Tent - Kirk Judd

2 PM Over 50 Fiddle & Banjo ContestRegister 1:30 PM,

GSC Fine Arts Bldg.

3 PM Horseshoes on Court Street - Country Store Museum

Singing Tent

4 PM Singing Tent - Grayson Samples

6 PM Pet Show - Main & Court Streets

All pets must be on leashes!

7 PM Evening Music ProgramsFine Arts Bldg, GSC - donation

8 PM Old Time Square Dance- Tracy Schwarz & Band - Main & Court Sts.

8:30 PM Women's Club Belle Reception - GSC Alumni House

9 PM Jam Sessions- Conrad Motel Lot

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Informal Music

The Kemper Family's Hand Carved Birds

Old Bank, Howard St.

10 AM Papa Gainer's Favorite SongsTrinity Methodist Church - Main Street

Craft sales open

Quilt Show

Oral Traditions Tent

Basket Making Workshop

(See #27 on map for location - 10 AM - 6 PM)

10:30 AM Oral Traditions Tent - Sherrell Wigal

11 AM Unaccompanied Gospel Sing

Trinity Methodist Church

Oral Traditions Tent

11:30 AM Oral Traditions Tent - Fran Schmetzer

12 PM Singing Tent - Molly and Mary Calame

12:20 Musicians/Dancers meet at Conrad

Motel lot to go to nursing home

1:30 Lion's Club Parade - Main Street

2 PM Under 50 Fiddle & Banjo ContestRegister 1:30 PM,

GSC Fine Arts Bldg.

Marble Tournament

3 PM Spelling Bee - Trinity Methodist Church- John Lilly

Singing Tent

Betsy Ross

Holt House

Children's Activities

4 PM Singing Tent - Linda Moore and Jack Greathouse

Awards - Bird ID Contest

Old Bank on Howard St

Shape Note Singing Workshop

7 PM Evening Music ProgramGSC Fine Arts Bldg., donation

8 PM Old Time Square Dance- Jesse Milnes & Band

Main & Court Sts.

9 PM Jam Sessions, Conrad Motel lot

Sunday, June 24, 2007

10:30 AM Church Service and Singing Job's Temple, Rt. 5 West, 10 milesBob Cain, Church of Christ - Powell Street -Behind the Baptist Church - Powell Street, Historical Reenactor - Post Office Lawn- Laura Treacy Bentley - Joyce Cain - Kirk Judd - Trinity Methodist Church until 4 PM -9 AM Country Store Museum opensjams all over town- Doug Van Gundy - Joyce Cain - Old Bank, Howard Street10 AM Craft sales open Trinity Methodist Church until 4 PM9 AM Country Store Museum Opens- all over town, all day & evening