The 17th Annual Autumnfest will be held on Friday through Sunday at the Wetzel County 4-H Grounds with many activities scheduled throughout this free three-day event.

Besides all of the scheduled activities going on, there will be a gun raffle, heritage crafts, apple cider, apple butter, baskets, a black smith, Anwar eye screenings, quilting, spinning, a flea market, a quilt show, a bounce house for kids, and sock monkey demo. Also, Wetzel County Hospital will be doing health screenings.

Starting on Friday at 1 p.m. the Autumnfest will be open to the public. There will be a health fair, a quilt show, and several contests. All entries will be accepted at noon for the, Giant Pumpkin Contest, which has to be a homegrown Wetzel County pumpkin. Also entries for the scarecrow contest must be homemade. Starting at 5 p.m., there will be a soup beans and cornbread dinner.

At 5 p.m. the Rivers Edge Band will playing and starting at 7 p.m. the S I Connection band will perform.

On Saturday there will be a cancer walk at 9:30 a.m., a horse shoe pitch, tractor show and gas engine show and a mud truck show, with $100 for the winner, will begin at 11 a.m.

Also starting at 11 a.m. the Mon Valley Pickers will be playing bluegrass music. A vegetable soup lunch will begin at 11:30 a.m.

Entries for the baking contest sponsored by Red Star will be received Saturday until 12:30 p.m. Each entry will be judged on its own merit. Entries must be presented on a disposable plate with an accompanying recipe. All baked goods become the property of Autumnfest. Ribbons and cash prizes will be awarded.

The fiddle contest, with a prize money of $250, will begin at 12:30 p.m. Sandy Lusco will be performing at 12:30 p.m. also. The pony pull will begin at 1 p.m., as will children’s activities. From 2-3:30 p.m., Tom and Carol Wriston will be performing. Then a corn hole tournament will begin at 2 p.m. An auction will start at 3:30 p.m. and at 4 p.m. the Hard Times band will be playing. For the evening, a chicken and noodle dinner will begin at 5 p.m. The Blue Grass Express will perform at 6 p.m., followed by the band Not So Rich and Famous starting at 8 p.m.

On Sunday a spaghetti lunch will start at noon. The Joy Trio will be singing at 1 p.m., followed by a karaoke contest starting at 2 p.m. Donna Forester will perform at 3:30 p.m. and the last act to end the weekend will be Ryan Ritchea starting 4 p.m.

Camping is available for this three-day event. Also the fee for the weekend for vendors is $45, crafters fee is $25, and the flea market fee is $15.

This event is sponsored by the Wetzel County 4-H, FFA, and Community Educational Outreach Service. Chesapeake Energy graciously provided a donation to this fall event.

For more information of the Autumnfest call (304) 775-2870 or e-mail at jo9366@frontier.net.