Celebrate fall in Monongahela National Forest at the 30th annual Cranberry Shindig on Sunday, Sept. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event is held at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center, close to all your favorite fall destinations in scenic Pocahontas County. Bring a chair or a blanket and plan to spend the day celebrating the Nature Center’s 50th anniversary.
This year’s Shindig features music by The Bing Brothers and Jake Krack. The Appalachian Country Cloggers and the Old Dominion Cloggers will showcase traditional dancing, and craft demonstrations will include blacksmithing, pottery, apple cider press, spinning wheel demonstrations, traditional dancing, wood turning, and more.
Crafters will display and sell their wares, including homemade jelly, woodwork, jewelry, photography, knives, bird feeders, fly boxes and ties, fudge, glass art, wood carvings, candles, quilts, dolls, baskets, and children’s rocking chairs. The Pocahontas Community Club will sell hot dogs, pizza, brown beans and corn bread. Mountain Concessions Kettle Corn will pop fresh kettle corn and Frostmore Farm will make maple cotton candy.
While you are in the area, be sure to enjoy the Forest’s scenic areas:
- Cranberry Glades is a must-see any time of year, but it is especially beautiful in the fall with the cotton grass blooming, and plants and trees showing their fall colors.
- Falls of Hills Creek is a great hike, with views of three waterfalls along the way.
- Scenic driving is at its best on the drive to the Nature Center from any direction, but the Highland Scenic Highway, with its southern terminus at the Cranberry Mountain Nature Center, is one of the best fall scenic drives in the eastern United States.
- To complement your scenic drive, pick up an audio tour of the Highland Scenic Highway at the Cranberry Mountain Nature center, Gauley and Marlinton Ranger District offices, Richwood CVB office and Pocahontas CVB offices in Marlinton and Cass.
The nature center is located 16 miles west of Marlinton and 23 miles east of Richwood at the intersection of Rt. 39/55 and Rt. 150 (Highland Scenic Highway). For more information, call Cranberry Mountain Nature Center at 304-653-4826. Hours of operation are Thursday-Monday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Oct. 15. The center is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Learn more about the Nature Center: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mnf/recarea/?recid=7049.
