Come to Rowlesburg, WV this fall and enjoy one of only two public chestnut festivals on the east coast. The 10th Annual West Virginia Chestnut Festival will take place rain or shine on Sunday, October 8 from 10:30AM – 7:30PM. The glory of autumn will be on display in the colorful surrounding hills of Rowlesburg. This year’s theme is, “Honoring the Research Scientists and the Heritage of our Former Giant Hardwood Tree, the Great American Chestnut Tree.” Research scientists are dedicated to restoring the tree to its native range, where the tree once dominated the eastern forests.
Festival Director, Joseph Nassif had this to say about the event, “Our dedicated and hard-working committee is striving to make the world better, one chestnut festival at a time! Festival participants will have the opportunity to mingle at breakfast, at the chestnut grill station, at vendor stations, at meetings, and at the gala chestnut dinner banquet. Join us for as many as of them as you can.”
The festival kicks off with breakfast at the River City Cafe for a donation of $5. Following breakfast, take a stroll to scenic Rowlesburg Park and enjoy a variety of activities, such as sampling delicious fresh-roasted chestnuts, browsing crafts and wares, an opportunity to purchase chestnut seedlings, and more. Food and beverages will be available at the park concession stand.
For those interested in learning more about the American chestnut, visit the Szilagyi Creative Arts Center in the afternoon where several meetings will take place. The public is invited to attend the WV Chapter Meeting from noon-2:00PM, and from 4:00-5:00PM, a scientific presentation will take place. Special guest speakers are TACF’s Director of Restoration, Sara Fitzsimmons and West Virginia University graduate student, Amy Metheny.
The finale of the festival will be the Gala Chestnut Dinner from 5:30-7:30PM, where chestnut-flavored dishes will be served, Mr. & Ms. Chestnut will be crowned, and distinguished dinner guests will be in attendance. The keynote address will be given by Sara Fitzsimmons who will speak about “Natural Regeneration of the American Chestnut Tree.” Click here to learn more details about this event!