KINGWOOD, W.Va. — Preston County is ready to continue a fall tradition of more than three quarters of a century as the Buckwheat Festival opens it’s doors Thursday.
The Buckwheat Festival celebrates the farming tradition of buckwheat in Preston County with a plethora of activities — including carnival rides on the fair grounds at 6 p.m. Darla Moyers, Assistant General Chairmen and Festival Secretary, spoke to WAJR’s Morgantown AM about the other activities that will be taking place to start the festival.
“Thursday everything kicks off at noon,” she said. “We open the arts and crafts and then we are good to go. Fireman’s Parade — one of the best ones I love that one.”
That parade begins at 7:30. The festivities don’t end there, though. Live musical performances, a car show, and a beauty pageant will take place in between the start of the festival until it’s finish on Sunday. Moyers said it’s one of the best “bangs for your buck” in the state.
“There’s no admission price, you know, to get into the fairgrounds,” she said. “You can enjoy the arts and crafts, the Memorial North Road, what the largest pumpkin is, the quilts that are shown, the homemade items that the local people of Preston County make and bring in to be judged.”
One of the most regarded parts of the festival in its 76 year history has been the food, and this year is expected to be no exception. The Festival has more than two and a half tons of buckwheat flour along with more than 10,000 pounds of sausage meat and 140 boxes of syrup, milk, and butter for the buckwheat cake and sausage dinners that will be taking place daily. Despite the closure of the Hazleton Mill, Moyers said the local traditions of the festival are strictly followed by keeping the buckwheat farm fresh.
“The Hazelton mill closed a few years ago so we use the mill in Grantsville, Maryland,” she said. “It’s our closest mill. So that’s where the buckwheat is grounded. It’s grounded just like the Hazelton Mill.”
Despite the popularity of the dinners, that won’t be the only type of food that will be served at the Buckwheat Festival. Those looking for local flair will feel right at home with local vendors and commonly found carnival foods.
“You can get your hamburger, your hot dogs, you can get pizza and then the fresh cut french fries,” she said. “Then we also have chicken dinners and your typical fair foods.”
The doors will open at the fairgrounds Thursday at 6 p.m. with rides running at half price.