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PARKERSBURG – 2026 Parkersburg Homecoming, starting Friday, emphasizes community connection and Parkersburg pride, with family-centered events and showcasing local artists.
"Community, that's our core of everything," said Donna (Sue) Helmick, festival president.
Homecoming organizers say it is bringing back the joy and pride of Parkersburg through community connections and family focused events. One example is continuing and strengthening Kids Fest, an old favorite where there is a lot of community support and local businesses working together, Helmick said. There will be two showings of 2026 animated releases "Hoppers" and "GOAT,” where children will have a chance to win a copy of the DVD at the end of the movie.
Parkersburg Homecoming also features its inaugural Parkersburg Karaoke Showdown, in which eight contestants will compete for cash prizes in a singing competition Friday night. Contestants are Alley Moore, Chris Lewis, Holly Kellums, Melissa Matos, Missy Arnold, Rhonda Hayes, Sabrina Wittekind, and Sadie Cavitt.
Helmick hopes this is the first of many for this event.
"It's just another way to showcase our local talent. I feel like this might be something that continues on." she said.
Saturday is the 24th annual Johnny Staats Bluegrass Festival, featuring: Matthew Enoch, Luke Colombo, Waverly Run Bluegrass, Johnny Staats and the Delivery Boys and headliner Rhonda Vincent and The Rage.
"The festival is mostly local artists, which I love," Helmick said.
"Without our sponsors, we wouldn't have been able to do what we have been able to do," Helmick said, with 15 new sponsors supporting the event, "especially with Grogg's Home Services as our concert sponsor."
Helmick hopes this Homecoming can show the positive impact the community support has, and inspire the next generation as well. This year being the first in a three-year plan to revitalize the event and "rebuild connections that have been broken or lost along the way."
With the recent rising water levels, the setup for vendors has been pushed back but will not affect the festival.
"Our vendor coordinator has been in great communication with everyone. So we are on track to do everything like we had originally set up and scheduled," Helmick said, and thanked the city of Parkersburg in monitoring river levels.
With the Second Street construction, there is no public parking near Point Park for the festival. With the help of Dave Leisure, Mid-Ohio Valley Transit Authority operation safety supervisor, there will be free shuttles for the public with pickups at the Rural King parking lot and the parking lot next to Southside McDonald's. Buses will leave each location approximately every 15 minutes.
Mid Ohio Valley Transit Authority announced that as in years past, normal EZ Rider service will be suspended until 2 p.m Saturday.