WordPlay Connects, the nonprofit arm of WordPlay bookstore in Wardensville, is pleased to announce its role as a site partner for Rural Assembly Everywhere 2026, the national virtual gathering hosted by the Rural Assembly. On Thursday, July 30 at 1:00PM, WordPlay Connects will host an in-person event – Connecting through Stories – at The River House in Capon Bridge, bringing neighbors and friends together to view excerpts from the virtual programming and discuss how and why stories matter, particularly in rural communities.
“We’re so excited to partner with Rural Assembly Everywhere and The River House for this event,” said Marlene England, director of WordPlay Connects. “We’ll view a portion of the virtual Everywhere broadcast and then chat about the power of stories to connect us to each other and our communities.” In addition to enjoying free beverages and sweet treats, each participant will receive a free copy of Every Peach Is a Story, a heartwarming picture book for all ages written by David Mas Masumoto and his daughter Nikiko, who is a fourth-generation farmer on the Masumoto Family Farm in California. Nikiko is one of the featured guests on the Rural Assembly Everywhere broadcast.
Rural Assembly Everywhere is the annual virtual gathering of the Rural Assembly, a program of the Center for Rural Strategies. Everywhere brings together people from across the country who care deeply about their rural places, neighbors, and community issues. The virtual broadcast will stream live on Crowdcast on July 23 and will feature speakers, conversations, music, and other rural culture. Learn more about Rural Assembly Everywhere at www.ruralassembly.org/everywhere.
The Connecting through Stories event on July 30 is free, but registration is required. Email info@wordplayconnects.org to register for the event. The River House is located at 24 Rickie Davy Lane in Capon Bridge.
