MCMECHEN, W.Va. (AP) - The city of McMechen is working to re-establish their riverfront as a Marshall County tourism and recreation landmark.
For decades, the city’s volunteer fire department hosted a street festival in an effort to collect funds and create a family-oriented recreational event in the community. In recent years, however, interest and funds for the street festival have gone down, prompting Mayor Gregg Wolfe to create a new tactic to bring residents together.
“When I was running for my position one of the things I heard a lot was people didn’t know each other in McMechen anymore,” he said. “We no longer had anything in town to get people out like the street fair did.”
Wolfe said he has used Wheeling’s Heritage Port festivals as inspiration for McMechen’s own event, the Lock 13 Riverfest, which will be held for the first time July 10 and 11 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and noon to 11 p.m., respectively, at Riverview Park.
The festival, named after the riverfront’s historic lock, will include over 30 craft vendors, a light show, pie and hot dog eating contests, a bounce house, obstacle courses and traditional street games like Texas poker and putt-putt golf.
Black Diamond Studio Wrestling, Brett Mitchell, MSM, Smoke Daddy, Craig Martin and the McMechen First Church of God Quartet will also provide entertainment.
City workers have put in labor this month to create an underground electrical system for the festivals and other future events. The project exceeds $10,000, provided by the recreation fund powered by the city’s oil and gas RV park.
“We want to make our riverfront a destination for years to come,” Wolfe added.
Local organizations, churches and businesses were invited to attend and create their own fundraisers for the event. City Clerk Julie Bratton said the project is coming together due to various resident efforts.
“This has been a complete volunteer project for the most part,” she said. “The people of McMechen care and want to see these events succeed.”
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Information from: The Intelligencer, https://www.theintelligencer.net
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