By Patrick Hurston
And that’s a wrap! Another successful Hardy County Heritage Weekend is in the books.
The weekend began, unofficially, with a return of the toe-tapping, finger-plucking, and (almost) bow-breaking celebration of music at the Fiddlefest & Banjo Competition held at McCoy’s Grand.
Despite a hiatus of nearly seven years, the event drew an enthusiastic crowd of over 120 people to the theater to watch 15 competitors showcase their talent as they competed for a first, second, or third place finish of $100, $50, or $25 respectively in the categories of Youth and Adult Banjo; and Youth and Adult Fiddle.
Chet Rickman of Augusta took home first place in both Youth Fiddle and Youth Banjo. Doug Goldizen took home first prize in the Adult Banjo category while Kayley Kyger, who came from Rockingham County, Va., took first in the Adult Fiddle.
Each player was allowed two songs and were judged blindly by John Treadway, Bob Thompson, and Roger Champ. The competition was emceed by Tim Wittig with performances by the Keplinger Bluegrass Band throughout the night.
Produced by the Hardy County Tour & Crafts Association, Heritage Weekend first began in 1953, when a handful of citizens opened their homes and gardens to the public as a fundraiser for the Hardy County Public Library. In the 72 years since, it has grown into a major, county-wide festival, making it the only one of its kind in W.Va.
The Tour & Crafts Association Board, led by Peggy Wright, and made up of Carolyn Strickler; Jean Flanagan; Connie Sherman; Kriston Strickler; Tammy Clayton; Elaine Davis; Shayna Helmick; Tammy Keller May; and Janet Clayton Rose deserve endless support, thanks, and appreciation for their incredible work, along with the countless volunteers essential to pulling off such an enormous array of activities, events, displays, and performances.
One of the most enduring traditions is the Heritage Tile House.
Since 1972, each year a historic home or building is honored by having its image engraved on a collectible decorative tile permanently displayed in the Moorefield Public Library. They are prized keepsakes for many attendees. In recent years, the tile tradition has even branched into ornaments that can be purchased at the library and craft centers during the festival.
This year’s tile house was Dodd Hall, at Camp Pinnacle 4-H Camp in Wardensville, a structure well-known to many throughout the county. Today it serves as the camp’s main kitchen and dining facility, holding about 100 people. The building is multifunctional. In addition to dining, it has a fireplace, a “nature corner”, craft tables, and covered BBQ pits, as well as a large front porch.
It was on this front porch that JoAnn F. Peterson performed on Sat., Sept. 27 as Mary Todd Lincoln, as part of the festival’s “History Alive!” program.
The History Alive! Program is part of the West Virginia Humanities Council’s program designed to explore and preserve history by providing interactive experiences with noteworthy historical figures.
Peterson remained in character as Mary Todd Lincoln while she performed a monologue set on the afternoon of April 14, 1865, just before she and President Abraham Lincoln attended a performance at Ford’s Theater at which Lincoln was assassinated. Peterson also took questions in character, before also taking questions as herself, explaining her background, interest in historical characterization, and the research that goes into playing the historical figures. Later in the day she also performed as First Lady Abigail Adams at the Star Mercantile in Wardensville.
Inside Dodd Hall visitors could reminisce over photobooks dating back to the 1950s. Other camp artifacts were also on display, including campers’ activity books, and counselor meeting minutes, both dating to 1922; photos from the first 4-H at Harness Ford South Fork in 1921; and a 48-star American flag flown at the Camp until it was replaced in the 1960s with a 50-star flag. The flag was preserved and presented courtesy of Fran Welton. On Saturday, visitors were treated to a colorful camp tour by 4-H campers Lelia Brafford and Jasmine Baldwin who made sure to point out every detail, including the ubiquitous inscriptions made by campers over the years on the bunk beds, a virtual rite of passage for the hundreds of kids that pass through each year.
Another beloved tradition reflecting Hardy County’s culture and heritage are the quilts. Susan Garrett, a member of the Highland Star Quilting Guild graciously gave this writer early access to the Quilt Show, as it was being set up Friday evening. This year’s theme was “Sharing Memories” and offered a touching, heartfelt collection of memory quilts, teddy bears, and pillows.
Now in its twenty-third year, this year’s display was impressive, with 119 registered pieces, crafted both by members of the Guild as well as community members. Personal stories reflected in the fabrics used included heartbreaking memorialization’s of loved ones who’ve passed, but many others reflected joyous celebrations such as weddings, retirements, global mission travels, and births. Garret said some of the quilts will be donated to the cancer center at Grant Memorial Hospital for use by patients.
Heritage Weekend thrives on partnerships and local support. Key sponsors and partners include the Hardy County Convention & Visitors Bureau, West Virginia Tourism, and the Grant County Convention & Visitors Bureau. In addition, many local businesses, foundations, and individuals provide sponsorship. Nearly 40 sponsors were behind the success of this year’s festival, including Platinum Sponsors Fraley Funeral Home; Pilgrim’s; and Lost River Butcher Block.
Apologies to the countless other sponsors; homeowners; historians; actors; crafters, artisans; vendors; bakers; musicians; performers; museums; volunteers; and organizers whose efforts or activities weren’t mentioned here.
One of the unique strengths of Heritage Weekend is the diversity of programming, across a large part of the county – from Mathias to Moorefield to Wardensville – that makes it virtually impossible to see, do, and experience everything. But it is exactly that scope and scale that has made the weekend a linchpin cultural event that provides ongoing educational value, especially for younger generations, by connecting them with stories, sites, and the people who shaped the county’s history and culture.
