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

Upshur CVB hires brand-new Brushy Fork Event Center manager

BUCKHANNON – The Event Center at Brushy Fork has hired a new manager looking to introduce new events to the space.

The Upshur County Convention and Visitors Bureau, which manages the space, decided to hire Buck Edwards as the new manager of the event center, effective Aug. 13. Edwards will fill the shoes of former event center manager Sean Harris.

“He has such a solid experience working with a variety of people and he’s well known for being involved with something and accomplishing a job, so we thought he would be a really great fit for this position,” Laura Meadows, executive director of the Upshur County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said. “We really wanted somebody who had great contacts, because the event center certainly has a very strong foundation and going forward we want to expand that. Buck knows a lot of people — he knows people in Buckhannon, really throughout the state — so his network of contacts will be a huge asset.”

Edwards said he was interested in the position because he always thought the space was not being used to its full potential. 

“I’ve always thought center out there was underutilized, and I thought with my experience, I could help turn it into something more than what it was at the time,” Edwards said. “It was really appealing to me, so that’s why I applied, and I eventually got the job, so I’m excited about making that happen.”

After starting his new position, he started evaluating their inventory and the space itself to determine the type of events they can facilitate.

“I’ve been learning the administrative side — inventory, equipment, what we have on hand — so that I can have a better understanding of what type of events we can handle,” Edwards said. “It’s going to be important to understand the market we have and what would fit well with that center because not every event will match the center, so I can make that determination and I can be able to market that different groups.”

Additionally, he’s working on several event ideas to start facilitating.

“I would like to start doing a farmers market on Sundays throughout the winter, maybe once a month throughout the winter,” Edwards said. “We’d like to do some antique shows, we can picture possibly doing something like an evening comedy show with dinner and somebody contacted us the other day about doing a cross-stitch event, anything like that we can come up with and find people to do those events.”

He also sees the potential benefit of having a large event space in central West Virginia.

“We will be looking to do a lot of events like one-day conferences with organizations throughout this state — maybe the Department of Education, maybe WVU, organizations like that,” Edwards said. “Groups want to have an event centrally located in West Virginia, and the event center definitely fits in.”

Meadows said there is no other venue like the event center in the immediate area.

“We really don’t have a large venue in Buckhannon and we’ve been really fortunate here in the past few years, where we do have some other event venues and I think they’re amazing because they all have their own different types of atmospheres,” Meadows said. “With the Event Center at Brushy Fork, there’s nothing else that large and there’s nowhere else in our area where you can house pushing 400 people for a banquet, so just knowing our community has that asset of space is tremendous.”

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital welcomes Valorie Richardson as surgical services manager

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital has appointed Valorie Richardson, a veteran surgical nurse and leader, as Manager of Surgical Services, citing her extensive experience and dedication to patient-centered care.

Upshur Update: Catch up on the latest local news in our June 17, 2025 podcast

This week’s Upshur Update podcast covers a new school cellphone policy, a hospital leadership hire, local student achievements, a DUI arrest, community outreach for houseless residents, a job opening, and record attendance at the Strawberry Festival.

Mother, son both earn degrees from WVWC School of Nursing

Mother and son Valerie and Noah Jordan both graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College’s School of Nursing during Commencement Weekend, celebrating their shared family tradition and commitment to nursing education and leadership.
Upshur County Courthouse

Buckhannon Banter: Get the local lowdown for June 17, 2025

This week’s local highlights include a scholarship for the Class of 2026, a free Soulful Energy Festival, temporary service changes at Fish Hawk Acres, and open youth soccer registration for the fall.

Celebrate the summer solstice with an evening paddle hosted by the Buckhannon River Watershed Association

The Buckhannon River Watershed Association is inviting the public to a free, all-level Summer Solstice paddle and ice cream social on June 21, promoting community and river stewardship along a gentle four-mile river stretch.

Robert John Taylor Jr.

Robert John Taylor Jr., a devoted family man, avid outdoorsman, dedicated professional, and beloved community member, passed away at 71, leaving behind a legacy of love, faith, service, and resilience.

Upshur BOE rolls out new school cellphone policy, seeks public feedback

Upshur County Schools have introduced a new cellphone policy, based on a recent state law, banning personal devices during instructional time.

Alfred “Butch” Marshall Nesbitt

Alfred “Butch” Marshall Nesbitt, 76, a Vietnam veteran and retired construction superintendent of Buckhannon, died June 16 and will be honored with a memorial service and military honors at Poling-St. Clair Funeral Home.

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital appoints Evelyn McGee, MBA, as director of ancillary services & ambulatory clinics

WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital has named Evelyn McGee, a healthcare leader with over 30 years of experience and deep community ties, as its new Director of Ancillary Services & Ambulatory Clinics.