On Sept. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery will host the Freshwater Folk Festival in that beautiful location with plenty of activities for people to enjoy and find out more about nature too. There is no admission charge, but there will be vendors selling food. There is no admission charge, but there will be vendors selling food.
It’s the 20th annual festival, and as usual there will be some special features. One is the demonstration by the Shepherd University Aquaponics Laboratory under the huge tent with the other 21 exhibitors.
The variety of nature exhibits is evident from several of the associated topics (i.e., rivers, river trails, other trails, caves, fish, freshwater mussels, crawfish, birds, bees, snakes, science activities, etc.). If the sun shines this time, Michael Rosolina will once again show folks some sunspots with his solar telescopes.
Some of the musicians have played at the festival before. The performances and presentations on the amphitheater stage will begin at 10 a.m. with Terrence Zimmerman on guitar and Amy McIntire playing her banjo and singing. Terrence played a solo set for the 2024 festival.
Between 11 a.m. and noon, Roy Moose of the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center will present his demonstration, “Snakes of West Virginia” and Larry Two Rivers Brown of Cherokee ancestry will tell about the way of life of the native people of this land and their relationship with nature. He will also play his Native American flute.
Two Bing Brothers, Jake Krack, and others played bluegrass music together at this festival 14 years ago, and that will happen again during one-hour sets at noon and 2 p.m.. In between those two sets, Wendy and Ron Peronne of Three Rivers Avian Center will take the stage along with an owl, hawks, and a bald eagle.
Another new feature of the festival will be displays and demonstrations by Appalachian folk artisans organized by Mary Dailey.
Splatter and Sprout of Main Street in White Sulphur Springs will offer art activities for kids. The young folks will have an opportunity to cast for big plastic back yard bass on the grass on the west end of the festival area. For the third year in a row there will be a TOUCH A TRUCK area where vehicles from the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department, WV State Police, Boone Tractor, and Lynch Construction will be available for kids to explore and hear about.
The hatchery’s visitors center is handy and is the most interesting place to visit. Right next to it will be the Friends of the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery tent with information about the organization. Clothing with the hatchery logo can be purchased there, and people can enter a raffle for free.
The festival is supported in part by Arts and Rec funding from the Greenbrier County Commission.
