It’s berry official: 84th Strawberry Festival is underway in Buckhannon

The 84th annual West Virginia Strawberry Festival is officially underway in Buckhannon following Saturday morning’s opening ceremonies in Jawbone Park, where the festival flame was lit to mark the beginning of the week-long celebration.

Shane Jenkins, president of the West Virginia Strawberry Festival Association, opened the program. He asked attendees to take stock of the quiet morning before the rush of the week to come.

“It’s the calm before the Fiesta,” Jenkins said. “In a couple of days, this very space will be filled with the smell of funnel cake, the roar of the carnival and the incredible energy of a community that knows how to show up for one another.”

This year’s theme, “Strawberry Fiesta,” is on display in storefronts along Main Street and in a new road mural designed by Buckhannon-Upshur High School National Art Honor Society students.

Jenkins challenged the audience to dive in and experience everything the festival has to offer.

“Don’t just visit this week. Participate. Meet new people. Eat the extra funnel cake,” he said. “Stay up for the last song on these stages, and make lasting memories with your friends and family.”

Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner welcomed the crowd to “the greatest city in the state of West Virginia” and thanked the festival’s all-volunteer board, along with city employees, from public works to public safety.

“There is something truly magical about this week each year,” Skinner said. “Our streets come alive, our community shines, and we are reminded how fortunate we are to live in a city filled with civic pride, small-town hospitality and a genuine love of place.”

Upshur County Commission President Kristie Tenney spoke on behalf of the commission, with fellow Commissioner Doug Bush also in attendance.

“For 84 years, the West Virginia Strawberry Festival has brought people together to celebrate the very best of our community,” Tenney said.

Tenney called the festival a celebration of faith, family, friendship and the small-town spirit that defines West Virginia.

“Welcome to the 84th West Virginia Strawberry Festival, where community comes together one sweet memory at a time,” she said.

Queen-elect Sophia Wagner of Clarksburg, who was crowned alongside king-elect Matthew Born at the coronation Saturday evening in West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Wesley Chapel, asked festivalgoers to track her down during the week.

“I want to meet as many people as I can,” Wagner said.

Buckhannon resident Natasha Weaver performed the national anthem, and festival chaplain Quinten Oldaker delivered the opening and closing prayers. Jenkins also recognized Aaron and Tasha Harris, local business owners and farmers, as the 2026 Strawberry Spirit Award honorees for their volunteer work in the community.

The festival runs through Sunday, May 17, with roughly 70 events on the schedule.

Family Fun Night returns to the West Virginia Wesleyan College courtyard Tuesday evening from 5 to 8 p.m. to open the midweek lineup. The carnival cranks up at Jawbone Park on Wednesday, signaling the festival’s full transition from calm to chaos.

Three parades anchor the back half of the week. The Junior Royalty Parade kicks things off at 6 p.m. Thursday on Strawberry Lane, followed by the Firemen’s Parade at the same time Friday evening. Travis Tritt’s daughter, Tyler Reese Tritt, will hit the Main Street stage at 9 p.m. Friday for a free show.

The Grand Feature Parade rolls down Strawberry Lane at 1 p.m. Saturday, led by grand marshal and former WVU fullback Owen Schmitt, with country sensation Parmalee closing the night with a free Main Street concert at 9 p.m.

The festival winds down Sunday with the Strawberry Car Show rolling onto Main Street, followed by closing ceremonies at 5 p.m. at Jawbone Park.

A complete schedule of events is available on My Buckhannon.