Already a subscriber? LOGIN »

By: Greg Neuharth / Staff Writer - Updated: 4 days ago

UPSHUR COUNTY — This series of regular articles explores aspects of Upshur County’s history, culture or people honored by the West Virginia Highway Historical Marker Program. The state register lists 20 of these iconic white plaques in Upshur County and each article will present as much information on the subject as can be found. With the return of Upshur County’s famous celebration, the eighth installment discusses Buckhannon’s perennial celebration, the West Virginia Strawberry Festival.

As spring returns to the area, bringing warmer weather and a burst of greenery with it, one thing many people look forward to is the availability of fresh produce, not least of which is the succulent strawberry. While the wild strawberries that can be found in the mountainous parts of the state are smaller and possess a different taste than the domesticated variety, their presence is a surefire sign that winter is behind us. In celebration of spring’s renewal, people across history and the globe have held various rituals and festivities to welcome life back to the world, and some of those have traditionally focused around the strawberry crop.

It should be noted that while our town’s Strawberry Festival is undoubtedly the most familiar to locals, Buckhannon is far from the only place that holds one. In fact, numerous places across the country—and indeed, other countries—have held strawberry festivals of their own to celebrate and promote the growing of the fruit, including in climates where one would not expect it to grow easily. Some notable locations that still hold strawberry festivals in the spring and summer include Billings, Montana, Cabot, Arkansas, Dayton, Tennessee, North Canton, Connecticut, Oxnard, California, Pasadena, Texas, Plant City, Florida, Brasilia, Brazil, Suonenjoki, Finland and Panchgani, India.

The West Virginia Strawberry Festival finds its roots in the Great Depression. Originally named the Central Strawberry Festival, it was first held on June 3, 1936; its intent was to promote strawberry growers in central West Virginia and help them increase sales. It started when WVWC Professor J.E. Judson pointed out to the local Lions Club and the Chamber of Commerce that the climate and soil of Upshur County was ideal for growing strawberries and proposed that a festival be started to encourage their production. Only three weeks after Judson’s proposal, the Central Strawberry Festival was born. Though the festival initially lasted only a single day, over time it would grow to encompass an entire week of celebrations, parades, and a carnival. The first Strawberry Queen was Laura Jean Watson, who was crowned on the courthouse steps by then-governor H. Guy Kump. Judson served as the chairman of the program committee in its infancy.

Only the second year into its lifespan, the festival grew to two days in length, and added a reception for the queen and her attendants at Agnes Howard Hall, a ball for the queen and princesses, a parade and horse show, music events, and more. From 1943 to 1948, the festival was not held, as both the number of people serving in World War II and the rationing of resources prevented the planning of the celebration. The jubilee would return for June 2 and 3, 1949, with much excitement at its return. Ten years later, in 1959, the name was officially changed to the West Virginia Strawberry Festival, and it began running for three days. In 1956, a fireman’s parade was added, and the carnival became a major draw in that decade as well. Other attractions included the queen’s coronation and ball, auctions, exhibits, a square dance and the Grand Feature Parade.

Over time, the popularity of the festival grew well beyond Upshur County, attracting people from surrounding counties, and eventually from across the state. For instance, in 1969, the Strawberry King was the Rev. Samuel McCain of Fairmont, who had grown 9,000 strawberry plants, and the queen was Susan Alison of Taylor County. By the end of the 1970s, the festival was running for five straight days, sported numerous parades, and drew in marching bands from all over the United States—as many as 60 in 1980. Some would even come from other countries entirely. The Grand Feature Parade was first televised on WBOY in 1990 and the following year, it was viewed by an estimated 340,000 viewers.

Even though the strawberry industry in Upshur County is not what it once was, the annual Strawberry Festival brings the whole community together in a way that no other time of year can quite match. After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival made a triumphant return to the streets of Buckhannon and once again welcomed visitors from near and far in celebration of the warmth of spring and a simple red fruit.

If you wish view the full all article, watch this short video or subscribe now for full access.

304-472-2800 • 304-472-0537