This weekend, Chris (my husband) and I went to the Volcano Days Engine Show and Festival. I was very confused about this festival at first, given that West Virginia does not have a volcano, and I'm pretty sure isn't even on a fault line. It turns out that the Festival is named Volcano after the now non-existant oil town. The boundaries of the town now lie within Mountwood Park where the festival is held each year.
The soundtrack of the festival was the rhythmic pops and mild hum of dozens of engines. Around these engines, people were displaying other antique tools. It was really inspiring to see people so passionate about sharing and learning the history of their community.
One of my favorite things about West Virginia is that the people celebrate everything about their culture and history. So far, I am aware of festivals that honor the oil boom, apple butter, fiber arts, black walnuts, and honey. I know there's more. Life in West Virginia has a beautiful simplicity that seems to stem from appreciating resources and honoring traditions.
Craft vendors and other businesses had booths set up past the engines. Some of the artisans even did demonstrations of their work. Whitetail Tree Service, as far as I can tell, offers typical tree pruning and removal service. They just also have an excellent marketing strategy--a man carving animals with a chainsaw. It was pretty impressive.
Another favorite booth was Heavenly Sunlight Alpaca Farm. They were selling unbelievably soft alpaca yarn dyed in incredibly vibrant colors, as well as knit and woven items. They even had a box of unspun alpaca fleece, a spinning wheel, and a loom set up to show their process.
Of course a festival is not complete without fair food. Chris and I decided to forgo the traditional corn dog and funnel cake for a delicious (and long overdue for this Memphis girl) barbecue sandwich. We topped that off with a scoop of old-fashioned, hand-churned black walnut ice cream.
The festival also featured live music--mostly talented, local bluegrass musicians. It was getting late, but we stayed long enough to hear the Jones Family band. They were really good, especially their fiddler. A bluegrass fiddle solo is pretty much the equivalent of a rock guitar solo in terms of audience response. Everyone was loving it, including the fiddler himself! You could just tell from his face that playing his fiddle brought him true joy. (I hate that this picture isn't sharp. Oh well, you can still see his smile!)
We had a really great time this weekend. It was wonderful to not only get out of the apartment, but to also experience a piece of West Virginian history. And, I failed to mention that Mountwood Park is absolutely gorgeous! It's located in a mountainous area covered with trees and even has a sizable lake. Along with campgrounds, the park offers bicycle and boat rentals. Chris and I are definitely going back when the leaves begin to change. We might even try kayaking.
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