On Saturday, Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the 18th annual Freshwater Folk Festival will bring people to the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery on East Main Street for entertainment and something good to eat. On top of that, it’s an opportunity for children and adults to have a really good time learning more about streams and lakes, the animals that live there, and nature in general.
This year, the stage of the hatchery amphitheater will be the site for musical performances intermingled with presentations related to the animals of West Virginia.
Cody Wickline, a successful contestant on NBC’s The Voice, will begin singing and playing guitar at 10 a.m.
At 11 a.m., Cody will hand the amphitheater stage over to Southeastern Bee Association member Rick Forren for a beekeeping presentation. Roy Moose of the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center will follow with his Snakes of West Virginia demonstration. Both of them will also be in the big exhibitors’ tent during the rest of the festival with their bees and snakes.
Guitarist Nick Pennington will be the musician for the noon hour, and Longspur Tracking will then demonstrate the techniques they use to locate wounded game beginning at1 p.m.
The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources will provide an especially entertaining and informative half hour program before Terrence Zimmerman takes the stage at 2 p.m. to perform his unique blend of bluegrass, Jazz, and classical guitar.
A large tent beside the amphitheater will be filled with exhibitors, demonstrations, and hands-on activities of amazing diversity. Examples of that are the simulations of caving techniques, information on protecting our watersheds, bird migration studies, an exhibit of fish and wildlife paintings, an online naturalist website demonstration, a scientific activities table, the making of fish art imprints, and both fly tying and fly casting with Project Healing Waters. Folks will get to look through a solar telescope which will of course be outside of the tent. Several animals will be on display.
For something completely different at the festival, a Touch-A-Truck activity will be offered in an adjacent area of the hatchery grounds. Children and former children will explore vehicles used by local police officers, firemen, a rescue squad, and tractor drivers. They will also be able to interact with the heroes that use them.
The overall menu for all the food vendors will include pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, corn dogs, chicken sandwiches, cinnamon rolls, tater tots, ribbon fries, cheesecake, Italian ice, large soft pretzels, brownies, cookies, tacos, a variety of loaded baked potatoes, and more.
The event is free with support from the Greenbrier County Commission’s Arts and Recreation Fund, the West Virginia Department of Art, Culture, and History’s Fairs and Festivals Fund, and donors.
The Friends of the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery presents this festival in partnership with the hatchery and has received much help from the White Sulphur Springs Rotary Club for almost two decades.