Oil & Gas Festival To Begin
The 41st annual West Virginia Oil and Gas Festival will kick-off on Thursday in the Sistersville City Park and run through Saturday. As always, the event offers plenty of family-oriented fun.
Deemed “Senior Citizens Day”, the festival will officially open at 10 a.m. on Thursday, with the old gas engine show. Senior programs begin at 1 p.m. with a performance by The Mountain State Bluegrass Express. The sixth annual gospel sing will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the highly anticipated amateur talent show will close the evening, beginning at 7 p.m.
On Friday, the gates will open at 10 a.m. At 6 p.m., the traditional Gib Morgan wrench throwing contest will be held. Surf’s Up will take the stage at 6 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. with some old time rock ‘n roll.
Festivities begin early on Saturday morning with the AACA Fall Meet Antique, Rod and Custom show. The grand O&G parade will follow at 1 p.m. The honorary parade marshal will be Kenneth Mason, owner of Drilling Appalachian Corporation (DAC) in Alma.
Additionally, 11 marching bands will showcase their talents in the parade, including Tyler Consolidated, Paden City, Hundred, St. Marys, and Valley. Following the parade, 13 bands will compete in the Band-A-Rama on the TCHS field.
The Happy Valley Boys will perform on the park stage from 2:30-4 p.m. A horseshoe pitching contest, tractor pedal pull and a boxing/wrestling exhibition are also scheduled.
At 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., Curtis Chamberlain will perform a variety of big band style music from the 1930s and 1940s. Following Chamberlain’s performance, a joint concert with the Gracemen and the Godsmen quartets will fill the park at 7 p.m.
Festival goers can enjoy craft sales and demonstrations, a country store, educational exhibits, a derrick building contest, food booths, game booths and commercial booths all three days.
General admission to the park will be $3 for adults and $2 for children ages seven to 12; children under the age of six will be admitted free. Senior Citizens will be admitted for free on Thursday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Season passes are available at WesBanco, First Federal, and Union Bank at a cost of $6 for adults and $4 for children.
For more information call 304-652-2939.