West Virginia State Folk Festival
Music, Heritage, and Appalachian Culture
Join us each year -- beginning the third Thursday in June -- as the city of Glenville, West Virginia, takes on a marvelous change reminiscent of the old days. See antique cars, the Folk Festival Belles, quilt shows, and Appalachian arts and crafts. Your ears will be treated to the sweet sounds of banjo and fiddle contests, jam sessions in the streets, old-time gospel singing, and oral traditions. Please your tastebuds at the Festival as well! But no matter what, don't forget the Strawberry Shortcake from the Gilmer Co. FFA!
Festival Purpose:
The purpose of this corporate body shall be to preserve the remnants of pioneer life and culture of West Virginia in music, entertainment, education, and social and economic activities to the end that citizens may appreciate and respect the achievements of their forebearers.
Download the 2025 Folk Festival Schedule.
A schedule will also be provided in the Folk Festival Newspaper, available at the Country Store during the festival.
Don't forget to visit the Artisans' Corner for extra kids' activities!!!
FOLK FESTIVAL DEDICATION PAGE-2026
By Brenda K. McCartney
The THIRD Thursday in June is here, and the West Virginia State Folk Festival is beginning. Along with the different events, the Festival Committee tries to honor a special person by dedicating the Festival to them.
This year is no different and we have such an individual, who has been a “staple” with the Festival. Who is it you ask? Her name is Diane Bach. While many of you do not know her name—or perhaps have not even heard her name—she has certainly been a dedicated person through the years.
Diane came to Gilmer County, in 1973, after graduating from Parkersburg High School to attend Glenville State College. She soon began making friends and enjoying Glenville and one year she stayed through the summer, where she first got a taste of the Festival. She helped with the College ball teams, worked in the Office at Pickens Hall, and soon found herself graduating from Glenville State with a degree in Health, PE, Safety, and Drivers Education, in 1977. She did not find the job she wanted, so later that fall, she came back to Glenville and became the Director in Pickens Hall, where the Folk Festival Belles and musicians were housed at that time, during the Festival. In 1981, she became Associate Dean of Students through Glenville State, where she could work with not only the students and trying to get them interested in June events, but through a Glenville State Elderhostel Program held during the week of the Festival. In the Elderhostel Program older adults came from surrounding states to learn more about the “Old Time Music” and the very thing the Festival tries to promote-pioneer life of times gone by. She grew closer and closer to the Festival, helping to categorize the museum pieces in the Country Store, working in the Store, assisting Mack Samples with the musicians, and then becoming President of the Festival, in the fall of 1982, and continuing through the years of 1983-84. If there was something that needed done, on time, and correctly—get Diane!
Then in 1989, we learned our friend had gotten a job at Siena Heights in Adrian, Michigan. She would be moving so far away and maybe would never come back to the Festival. Well, that did not happen—Diane has only missed THREE Festivals, thus far, in all these years and has been bringing her friend, Margaret, with her lately. Now we did not want her to just be on a resting vacation here, so we put them to work. Diane has been coming down early and helping with collecting and typing cookbook entries of the Belles, preparing gift bags for the Belles, assisting with the crafts/vendors as they set up for the Festival, and keeping some order to entries as they are lining up for the parade. There are many things the Committee probably does not know Diane has done, but one thing we know—she still cares about the Folk Festival. What a true blessing to have such great help! The miles may try to keep her away, but her heart brings her back!
For this reason, the Folk Festival Committee would like to extend sincere congratulations to Diane Bach!
If you love to bake, cook, and simmer, check out this year's food contests!!!
​​
Job's Temple
The last event of the WV State Folk Festival is a church service like no other because it is held in Job’s Temple, a log structure established in the late 1850’s when congregants with southern sympathies withdrew from Pisgah Methodist Episcopal Church located approximately two miles east of this site. Job’s Temple, now on the National Register of Historic Places, was finished after the men returned to the community following the Civil War.
Regular services were conducted until 1912 when the church fell in disrepair. During the 1930’s, interest was revived for the preservation of the building and the annual homecomings began in 1936. Over 140 graves are on the property with the oldest being 1870.
Job’s Temple Association Inc. oversees the preservation of the church building, provides perpetual care for the cemetery and grounds, and organizes homecomings each year. They love the old church so much that they recently worked to build retaining walls to hold back the drifting hillside from pushing on the sanctuary. They made repairs to the foundation and roof, using tools and methods of the first builders including hauling in logs with a team of horses.
Worship here is very special. The congregation sits on log benches. There is no electricity, only the rays of the sun coming through the open windows, and the light of God. Voices resound in old-time harmony off the log walls and ceiling.
Each year the Job’s Temple Association holds an annual Homecoming in August to which all are welcome. They are currently selling books, which will be available on the day of the service, telling the history, events and people associated with this very special house of worship. The Folk Festival Committee appreciates the Job’s Temple Association, Inc. and its officers for permission to conclude the Festival with this very special event.
Pastor Donnie Stout will give the 2026 message at Job's Temple.
​
Pastor Donnie Stout will give the message this year at Job’s Temple. He and his wife, Paula, have enjoyed holding the service and meeting the Belles and others who attended—so he was very pleased to be asked again this year.
​
He has served as Pastor of the Kanawha Drive Baptist Church for the past eleven years. He loves to play his guitars and ring out the old hymns each Sunday morning, or anytime he gets a chance. He had a successful prison ministry for 24 years. This ministry was anchored to the Rock Prison Ministry, until Covid restrictions were put in place, in 2021.
​
Pastor Stout works in the logging industry, as an owner and operator, along with his eldest son, Stacy. The name of his company is “Where the Timbers Cross Logging Company” and works mainly in Gilmer and the surrounding counties.
​
He was born and raised in Braxton County, but his roots run deep in Gilmer County, as his mother, Lorina Susan Hickman Stout, lived in Gilmer County, in the Stout’s Mills area. For the past 19 years, he and his wife, Paula, have lived in the Kanawha Drive Community. He and Paula have two sons, Stacy (Lilly) and Scottie (Megan). They are proud grandparents of three boys; Abel, Grady, and Barrett.
​
The Job’s Temple Service is on Sunday, June 21st. The service will begin at 9:00 a.m. The little church is located below Glenville, on WV Route 5W. The Folk Festival Belles will be attending---come join them!
WV State Folk Festival Meetings
General meetings will now take place on the third Tuesdays at 5:00 PM at The Country Store (unless otherwise announced).
Regular, yearly dues are $5.00 or lifetime membership is $50.00. Dues can be paid at meetings, sent to PO Box 362, Glenville, WV 26351 or sent through PayPal. Only paid members have voting rights.
President: David O'Dell
Vice President: Brenda McCartney
Treasurer: Sandy Pettit
Secretary: Lynn Welch
Historian: Jason Gum
Board Members: Ginny Hawker, Carol Wolfe, Doug Cottrill, Ted Yurkiewicz, Tony Minney
Part I & II of this wonderful documentary can be found on YouTube
If you would like to support the Folk Festival without becoming a member, donations can to sent through PayPal to wvstatefolkfestival@gmail.com.
Meet our 2025
Gilmer County Baby Belle!!
Congratulations,
Holly Hedges
Meet our 2025
Gilmer County Baby Beau!!!
Congratulations,
Wyatt Smith
Meet our 2025
Gilmer County Junior Belle!!!
Congratulations,
Brooklynn Stewart
Please attend the 11 a.m. parade Saturday, June 17 to see the other Junior Belles from neighboring counties!
Meet our 2025
Gilmer County Belle:
Congratulations, Bobbi Moss!!
Attend the 2025 WV State Folk Festival and say hello!!!!!
WVSFF Belles and long time members, please send us copies of your favorite recipes. The 2021 WVSFF Board will have a limited edition Cookbook celebrating the heritage of West Virginia and the Folk Festival. Please send all recipes to wvstatefolkfestival@gmail.com and
Carbon Copy dheaster1971@gmail.com
June 18-21, 2026
2025 corn hole winners:
Lance Linden and son, Lamb
2025 Adult Writing Contest winner:
Sadie Murphy
_edited_edited.jpg)
Folk Festival Spelling Bee Winners- 1st place, Amanda Fisher of Normantown; 2nd place, Beverly Cooper of Cox’s Mills; and 3rd place, Addison Garland of Simpsonville, KY.
WV Trivia Contest
John Wolfe first person as moderator—along with Cody Moore (last person) as judge. 1st place: Jesse Skiles, Glenville; 2nd place: Hayley Craig, Franklin, and 3rd place: Paula Bohn, Princeton. Other participants were Thon Craig, Alex Tejada, Diana Marks Del Grosso and Al Del Grosso.
.png)
Wood Choppers group before competition.