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Parkersburg Homecoming Festival wraps up another year

Photo by Brett Dunlap Johnny Staats and The Delivery Boys performed Sunday during the 17th Annual Johnny Staats Bluegrass Festival which featured performances by Robin and Dan Kessinger as well as Bobby Taylor and Andrew Dunlap.

PARKERSBURG — The 2018 Parkersburg Homecoming Festival came to a close Sunday night as the rubber duckies returned to the Ohio River and the songs of the Eagles filled the air.

The Eagles tribute band Hotel California closed out the festival performing such Eagles favorites as “One of These Nights,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” “Hotel California” and others.

It was the love of the music that brought many people out.

“The Eagles were big when we were younger,” said Katie Fluharty of Washington, W.Va. “That was our kind of music when we were younger.”

In years past, organizers had traditionally booked a well known band from the 70s and 80s. Although Hotel California is a well-known tribute band, Fluharty said it was the songs themselves that brought her out.

Photo by Brett Dunlap The Eagles tribute band Hotel California closed out the 2018 Parkersburg Homecoming Festival on Sunday night performing many of the band’s greatest hits on the festival’s Main Stage.

Keith Akle, of Parkersburg, said it was the nice weather that brought him out to the concert Sunday evening. He was also a fan of the Eagles music.

“I’d like to see them get name bands in, but this will do I reckon,” he said.

He and his wife went to the fireworks Saturday night.

“Those were great,” he said. “Those were probably the best fireworks they have had.”

The Akles try to come down a couple of times during Homecoming weekend to see what is going on and for something to do.

Photo by Brett Dunlap The rubber duckies were once again dropped into the river after a nine year absence. Around 6,800 rubber duckies were dropped into the Ohio River on Sunday from the Belpre-Parkersburg Bridge for the Rubber Ducky Derby to the Parkersburg Homecoming Festival.

Parkersburg Homecoming Festival President Mike Cottrell the weekend was wonderful and the festival was a success. They did have rain on Saturday, but things continued on.

“It really didn’t dampen the spirits and everyone just shook it off and continued on,: Cottrell said.

The parade had a good turnout with many people lining Market Street.

“It was just an amazing crowd,” Cottrell said. “It was one of the largest I have ever seen.”

Many of the vendors were pleased with the festival.

Photo by Brett Dunlap Harper Bosley, 2, was one of a number of people who saw the rubber duckies get dropped from the Belpre-Parkersburg Bridge on Sunday and watched them go down the Ohio River for the Rubber Ducky Derby.

“Their sales were good,” Cottrell said.

There was a “phenomenal crowd” there for Saturday night’s fireworks.

“We have heard nothing but positive comments about it,” Cottrell said. “Everyone liked it.

“It was a major accomplishment bringing it back down from Fort Boreman Hill to the river.”

Cottrell said all of the sponsors did an excellent job in putting on the festival this year.

Photo by Brett Dunlap A large crowd came out Sunday night to see the Eagles tribute band, Hotel California, to close out the 2018 Parkersburg Homecoming Festival.

“We are lucky to have the support of the community,” he said.

For the first time since 2009, the Parkersburg Rubber Ducky Derby put rubber duckies back into the water. Officials estimate it has been nine years since the duckies were last dropped into a local river with the last time being off the East Street Bridge into the Little Kanawha River. For years they were dropped off the Belpre-Parkersburg Bridge and was a highlight of the last day of the festival on Sunday.

The last several years a drawing has been held in place of the derby.

This year people bought tickets that matched a rubber ducky that was put in a giant cage. The cage was lifted by a crew from Bosley’s Equipment, hung over the Ohio River from the Belpre-Parkersburg Bridge and dropped into a designated channel in the river. The first 10 ducks won a prize.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a 2018 Hyundai Accent SE from Superior Toyota Hyundai. Other winners received cash amounts.

Tim Stone, of Mineral Wells, was the person who got to release the ducks at the first Rubber Ducky Derby back in the 1980s. Organizers brought him back to release the ducks again as a way to commemorate the return of the Derby this year.

“I did it for 10-11 years,” he said.

When he was chosen for the first one, Stone had no idea what it would entail. He went to Charleston and saw one. The first one they used the ducks and cage from Charleston. Soon Bosley created a cage and the Homecoming committee bought the rubber ducks to use and they were used for years.

“I had no clue what a Rubber Ducky Derby was when I first started,” he said.

Stone was a paramedic at St. Joseph’s Hospital who was one of the original sponsors of the derby. He was chosen to release the rubber duckies during the first derby. He was happy to see it return to the way they use to do it.

“This is the way it should be, having the car as the prize, having Bosley’s here with their duck cage, it is just awesome,” he said. “It adds more atmosphere to the festival.

“Those ducks in the water are the highlight. We had a beautiful day to do it.”

There is also the anticipation of someone winning a car, Stone said, adding people missed that and seeing the ducks dropped from the bridge.

Woody Miller, chairman of the Rubber Ducky Derby, said being able to get the ducks back in the water was important.

“It is what the people wanted,” he said. “They want the Homecoming Festival to be what it use to be.”

Miller credits a number of new members on the Homecoming Board with working hard this year to bring some new things to the festival as well as bring back some old favorites, including having the fireworks shot off from the river.

“I think we have succeeded in that,” Miller said. “We had a tremendous crowd down here (Saturday) night for the fireworks and the concerts.

“I think it has been really good.”

He credited all the volunteer fire departments, Bosley’s and everybody else for working with him to make this part of the festival such a success.

“It is a great blessing for me to have such a great team to work with,” Miller said.

Earlier in the day a good crowd came out to the 17th Annual Johnny Staats Bluegrass Festival which featured performances by Robin and Dan Kessinger; Bobby Taylor and Andrew Dunlap; and Johnny Staats and The Delivery Boys.

Kyle Jolly, of Williamstown, came out with his son to enjoy the music on Sunday.

“I have always loved bluegrass since I was a kid,” he said. “I listen to all types of music, but I think bluegrass players have the best mastery over their instruments and that really impresses me.”

Ken Heaney, of Parkersburg, was also at the bluegrass concert. He just retired after 40 years in the military.

“I came back home,” he said. “This is home for me.”

Having grown up in this area, the Homecoming Festival became something good to come out to every year.

“It looks like they have some work to do (to improve the festival),” Heaney said. “I am still happy they are having it.”

Cottrell said planning has already started for next year’s festival. He said they need to work on communication as well as increasing the number of board members. There were a number of events planned for Sunday that did not come together in time. Having more events on Sunday is a priority for organizers.

“We made it through, but we had a couple of bumps and hiccups in the road,” Cottrell said. “We know what we have to do to correct it going forward.

“We already have plans in place to handle it and correct it.”

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