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News Release
9-25-09
BRIDGE DAY HARVEST CELEBRATION SEEKING
PRODUCE CONTEST ENTRIES
Baked Goods, Flowers, Quilt and Chili Contests Also Scheduled
West Virginia residents are invited to enter produce items in the first-annual “Bridge Day Harvest Celebration.” Contests will also be held for baked goods, flowers, chili and quilts.
West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) Marketing Specialist Cindy Martel said the event aims to capitalize on the traditional Bridge Day event – marking its 30th anniversary this year – to encourage tourists to extend the length of their stay.
“The Harvest Celebration will highlight West Virginia’s farms, foods and crafts to give Bridge Day visitors a better sense of our state’s culture and heritage,” said Martel. “Bridge Day is one of the biggest tourism events in the state each year. We want those visitors to stay a little longer and experience more of what the Mountain State has to offer.”
The Harvest Celebration will be held at the Fayetteville Memorial Building Friday-Sunday, Oct. 16-18, from Noon-8 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Sunday. The weekly Fayetteville Farmers’ Market will be moved to the Memorial Building lawn Saturday from 7:30 a.m.-Noon to allow for parking at its normal location.
“I really encourage people to stop by the Farmers’ Market in the morning,” said Martel. “The bridge doesn’t open until 9 a.m., and there’ll be a shuttle running from the Market to the bridge.”
Contest categories will include flowers, baked goods, fruits and vegetables, largest vegetables, decorated scarecrows, business window displays and youth contests. Entry deadlines vary depending on category.
Full rules and entry forms are available at www.visitfayettevillewv.com.
The chili and cornbread cook-off will be held at the Historic Fayette Theatre in downtown Fayetteville Saturday from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. The event will also feature music, a wine tasting and big-screen coverage of the WVU/Marshall football game. A separate chili cook-off will be held the same day in neighboring Montgomery.
Sponsors for the Fayetteville Harvest Celebration include the WVDA, USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, Mountain Resource Conservation & Development, Inc., Fayetteville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Swirl Ice Cream Shop, Fayetteville Lions Club, Fayette County Farmers’ Markets, and West Virginia State University Rural Business Services.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
“The Basis of All Wealth is Agriculture.”
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