Well folks West Virginia’s 150th birthday is right around the corner!! There are scores of events being held around the state to celebrate, and this is one you won’t want to miss. Cantrell’s Rafting in Fayetteville is opening up their campground to the public for “WV’s 150th Music Festival”. The staff, promoters, bands, and vendors have been planning for months to host something truly special and waiting patiently for the festival has proved to be harder than pronouncing ‘sesquicentennial’.
The bands chosen for this event represent a wide variety of music styles so there should be something for everyone’s taste.
The festival begins with a kick-off party in Cantrell’s Pub the evening of Thursday, June 20th. Music the following two days will be primarily on the main stage in the campground thru the night of Saturday, June 22nd. It will feature bands exclusively from all corners of West Virginia including Vern’s Pot O’ Chili, 600lbs. of Sin, The Fabulous Brothers Steele, The Yetti, Halftime String Band, Dinosaur Burps, The Tom McGees, Sly Roosevelt, Blistered Nifkin, Rockwell’s Ghost, Sasha Collette, and Hellbound Honkeytonk. The bands chosen represent a wide variety of music styles so there should be something for everyone’s taste.
Cantrell’s is offering a few different packages including single day passes, weekend passes, VIP passes with camping and also packages which include rafting trips. Single day passes start at $20, VIP and rafting packages are limited so call soon if your group would like to book a trip!
The festival will also have some great local food available from Gumbo’s Cajun Restaurant (located in downtown Fayetteville). Other vendors include Made in WV; an original apparel outfitter from Morgantown and a Fayetteville based head shop called The Great Googly Moogly. There will also be commemorative merchandise available. Event sponsors include IGLOO Design Workshop and Big River Records.
All festival events on the main stage are family friendly and kids under 12 are free with a paying adult. After hours shows located in the Pub are 21 and up only. No pets will be allowed (yes this includes your “totally cool” dog) unless they are registered service animals.
– Ian Lutz (LBSPY 35, June 17-July 1)
HASHTAGWV ART & ENTERTAINMENT Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Christina Entenmann-Edwards has been a WV resident since September 2008. She was born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and is no stranger to hard work and the entrepreneurial spirit. In 2006, she graduated from Quinnipiac University (Hamden, Connecticut), Cum Laude, with a B.A. in History. In 2010, she graduated with an M.B.A. from Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia). In February 2012, Christina launched HashtagWV as the area’s first full-color, free arts and entertainment tabloid + online platform. Christina completed the Leadership West Virginia class of 2021, which is an innovative program that grows, engages, and mobilizes leaders to ignite a life passion to move West Virginia forward.