Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival opens
Annual celebration runs through Sunday
Photo by Madeline Scarborough Mike Cooney, of Parkersburg, uses the band saw to create wooden name blocks that can hold photos or be used as decoration, which he is selling at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival this weekend.
Photo by Madeline Scarborough Khloe Casto, 7, of Parkersburg, enjoys showing off her climbing skills on the rock wall at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival on Friday.
Photo by Madeline Scarborough City Park was flooded with people for the kick-off of the Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival on Friday.
Photo by Madeline Scarborough Attendees set up near the stage to enjoy some traditional stringband music on Friday evening at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival.
Photo by Madeline Scarborough Mike Cooney, of Parkersburg, uses the band saw to create wooden name blocks that can hold photos or be used as decoration, which he is selling at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival this weekend.
Photo by Madeline Scarborough Khloe Casto, 7, of Parkersburg, enjoys showing off her climbing skills on the rock wall at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival on Friday.
Photo by Madeline Scarborough City Park was flooded with people for the kick-off of the Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival on Friday.
Photo by Madeline Scarborough Attendees set up near the stage to enjoy some traditional stringband music on Friday evening at the Mid-Ohio Valley Multicultural Festival.
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PARKERSBURG -- With warm weather and a shining sun, the 24th annual Mid-Ohio Valley Multi-Cultural Festival kicked off Friday evening at City Park in Parkersburg, with the festival running through Sunday.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime," said Mark Lewis, Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, said as he quoted Mark Twain.
The opening ceremony included the mayors from Parkersburg, Vienna and Belpre welcoming everyone to the event and showing community support. Many representatives of local businesses also spoke, talking about the importance of and beauty in diversity.
It was announced that Brooke Pottmeyer, 17, of Marietta, was this year's essay contest winner, receiving a $500 scholarship for her essay on diversity.
"It is great to be exposed to different cultures," Pottmeyer said.
She said her favorite part of the festival was the ability to learn about the many different cultures.
"It is important to learn about and accept everyone, this festival helps expose our community to different cultural roots that make us who we are," she said.
This year's festival royalty is Multicultural Festival Mrs. Jessica Madison, Multicultural Festival Teen Alexah Terry, Multicultural Festival Queen Ally Harper, Multicultural Festival Ms. Gabrielle Maynard, Multicultural Festival Forever Queen Dana Johnson and Multicultural Festival Pre-Teen Jasmine Wright.
Harper, 17, a rising senior at Point Pleasant Junior-Senior High School, who has participated in pageants since she was 10 years old, will be the first ever queen to represent the Multicultural Festival in the West Virginia Association of Fairs and Festivals Pageant at Charleston in January 2020.
Harper said she was honored to be able to represent the festival in the state competition.
Another few firsts for this year's festival royalty is that Madison is the festival's first Multicultural Festival Mrs. and she and her daughter, Wright, are the first mother/daughter duo to each hold a title for the Multicultural festival.
Foam crowns will be handed out to children at the pageant tent in City Park during this year's festival. As members of pageant "royalty," the kids will be able to get their picture taken with the queens.
Friday's music featured traditional Appalachian stringbands. The festival continues today and Sunday with vendors, crafter, children's activities, entertainment and other attractions at City Park.
This weekend's music performances will be:
TODAY
*11 a.m.: High Schools That Rock (rock and roll)
* Noon: el Corazon de Mexico (Mexican dance)
* 1 p.m.: G.O.R.E.E. Drum and Dance (African Drum and Dance)
* 2 p.m.: Samadhi Tribal Belly Dance Troupe (Bellydance)
* 3 p.m.: Sayaw FilipinOH (Philippine cultural dancers)
* 4:15 p.m.: el Corazon de Mexico (Mexican Dance)
* 5:15 p.m.: The Prodigals (Irish Band)
* 7 p.m.: Kevin Howard Band (Jazz)
* 8:30 p.m.: Inner City Blues Band (blues and R&B)
SUNDAY
* Noon: Interfaith Prayer
* 12:30 p.m.: Pipes and Drums of St Andrews (Scottish Bagpipes)
* 1:30 p.m.: Athens Irish Dancers (Irish Dance)
* 2:30 p.m.: G.O.R.E.E. Drum and Dance (African Drum and Dance)
* 3:30 p.m.: Steve Free (Native American folk music)
* 5 p.m.: Stallion (70s and 80s Rock)