Folk Festival 2026

61f/16C, partly cloudy but beautiful day. High of about 80.

Well, after a good night's sleep, we decided we would go to the WV State Folk Festival in Glenville after all, about an hour and a half away. After all, it only happens once a year, and we have missed it the last several years. There are many friends we don't usually see except there at the festival, and as we get older that face time seems more important than ever.

And what a good time it was! Beautiful drive across winding Route 33, and in town early enough to get breakfast at the Common Grounds restaurant,  where we immediately ran into a half dozen friends. Then outside for a little browsing the crafts, and then the parade! 

Glenville is a small town with a good, small university,  in a not-very-populated county, but they sure pulled in people from all over West Virginia and out of state too. I don't remember  a high school band ever being in the parade before, but the Gilmer County High marching band was there this year. Apparently they had one song ready--Mountain Dew-- but they played it faultlessly, several times.

Then there were the Belles. Each county selects one older woman to be their representative,  and the ladies dress in period outfits. They are honored throughout the festival with various events. Most of them walked the parade route, which was only about 4 or 5 short blocks. Here is my friend Mack Samples' wife Thelma, representing Harrison County.

And here is our Jackson county Belle. She must have been the youngest one!

This year there was something new to us--young Belles! 

There were also tiny tots representing some counties. 

This festival almost died out about 15 years ago, but new ideas like this are bringing in more young people and that young blood is what is needed. The many young faces I saw attested to the success of efforts to bring youth into the festival.

I had a nice visit with a few storytelling and writer friends, then stopped into the country store, where I ran into Mack Samples,  who has a new book out. A quick photo and a hug, and a book went into my bag. 

More next time!  

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

A Cool Auction and a Fine Restaurant

56f/13 3C, mostly clear, low humidity.  High reached 79.

It was auction pickup day today, so we were on the road. This auction offered many unique Asian items, quite different from the usual in our area. There were many toys and gaming items too, along with collectibles from popular shows like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, and Nascar collectibles. I brought home some interesting stuff, like these:

This is a jewelry armoire, about 3 feet tall. 

Gorgeous glasses made in France. There were 2 sets, the others are rocks glasses.

This 3-foot diameter wood wall hanging is stunning.

This horse is huge and heavy. Sadly he was damaged and repaired, so I got him for $1.00. The repairs are actually done quite well.

This is a 4-feet long framed tapestry.

And you know I would buy the peacock teaset!

This trunk was much bigger than I realized. In nice shape inside, still has the tray.

The room dividers that I was so excited about turned out to be a disappointment.  I had hoped they were mother-of-pearl inlaid like others I have seen, but either the inlay was never done or someone removed it. So sad. 

There are two of them, and I still think they will sell, but they were not what I thought. Neither was this one:

I had hopes that it might be silk, but it is not. Still very pretty though. Overall I was happy with our buys, and I think they will add a unique touch to our booths.

Afterwards we stopped at a place I have wanted to check out for well over a year: The House of Wines, near Marietta,Ohio. Not only do they offer a large selection of wine and beer,

they are also a restaurant,  offering outdoor dining beside the Muskingum River.

My meal was delicious--I had already cut my sandwich in half before thinking to take a photo! It was a bacon chicken cranberry thing with lettuce and tomato and a sauce, with homemade ketchup, and a real treat for me, fries! Rarely have them.

Larry pronounced his Reuben sandwich and Swiss onion soup absolutely perfect. I took a photo of his but it came out terribly blurry. Oh well.

We had planned to go to the West Virginia State Folk Festival tomorrow,  but we are both so tired, I am not sure we will make it. We'll see!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

And Then There's This

62°f/16.7°C, heavy, violent storms this morning. Still cloudy and looking like rain.

We were still in bed when the storm hit, and boy was it a doozy. Larry jumped up to close the window, and thrn we heard it---the unmistakable cracking and breaking of a tree.

What a mess! But fortunately only a few boards and my wicker planter and a couple flowerpots were broken.

Then our neighbor Mark, who grew up with our boys, showed up with his chain saw.

And now, it looks like this:

I'd say we were very fortunate! All the brush is piled up and ready to burn sometime later on. We needed to pressure wash the deck anyway, and I think we will only need to buy 3 or 4 boards to replace the broken ones. This wasn't on the to-do list for today, but all in all, it's not too bad.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.