All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

The 2023 season of Festival Fridays kicks off this week

Festival Fridays
Festival Fridays in Jawbone Park, downtown Buckhannon. / My Buckhannon file photo

BUCKHANNON – Enjoy live music, fresh food and local vendors in downtown Buckhannon as the 2023 season of Festival Fridays returns to Jawbone Park on Friday, June 2.

The weekly music, food and artisan extravaganza is hosted by Create Buckhannon and runs from June 2 through August 25, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. each Friday. Opening bands will play from 5 to 6 p.m., with headliners performing from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Top Shelf, a variety/rock band, will headline the first event on June 2.

Create Buckhannon President and Founding Member CJ Rylands said the group is excited for the 2023 season of Festival Fridays.

“We’ve given up two of our Fridays – one to the BBQ Bash and one for WAMSB – but we have some new vendors,” Rylands said earlier this spring. He also pointed to improvements in the old Chase Bank lot across the street as a benefit for the summer events.

“The July 4 Festival Friday is the biggest one; we have more people, more vendors and the excitement for the fireworks and all that,” Rylands said.

Rylands said Create Buckhannon hopes these events give everyone in the community a chance to interact with one another, listen to some music and support local vendors.

“Our underlying intention is to create an opportunity for people to come and share our public space, meet people and talk face-to-face,” Rylands said. “The strength of any community is directly proportional to the strength of the connection between its citizens, and our intention is to create opportunities for us to strengthen those connections with each other.”

Below is the Festival Fridays music schedule for summer 2023:

  • June 2 – Top Shelf: Variety/Rock
  • June 9 – Nic of Tyme: Old School Rock
  • June 16 – W.Va. BBQ Bash event: Events in Jawbone Park
  • June 23 – Soda Pop Gypsies: Top 40/Variety
  • June 30 – Stonestreet: Variety
  • July 7 – Back in the Day: Oldies/50s and 60s
  • July 14 – Full Cirkle: Classic Vinyl
  • July 21 – 2023 World Association of Marching Show Bands Championship: Events in Jawbone Park
  • July 28 – Independent State: Appalachian Soul Rebel Roots
  • Aug. 4 – Stone Creek: 80s/Rock/Country
  • Aug. 11 – Wilma Cutlip + Sundance/ Classic Rock/Country/Blues
  • Aug. 18 – Juice Newsome and the Groove: Funk/Groove/Dance
  • Aug. 25 – Band TBD, held at WVWC campus

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