Clay County Golden Delicious Festival

Golden Delicious Festival

Sep 14th - 17th, 2023

Clay, WV

Join Us for Our 50th Annual Golden Delicious Festival in Clay County, WV

We have many local vendors that help us put a great event on every single year. We offer free admission for everyone to come because of the generous gifts from our amazing sponsors. We also have our annual parade with floats and bands, and anyone who would like to join needs to fill out an application. We also have our three beauty pageants for all age groups for the lovely ladies that would like to be the darlings of the pageant every year.

Festival Detail(s)

Experience a diverse range of exciting events and activities at our annual celebration! The festivities include our renowned parade and vendors, along with the thrilling Apple Dash 5k, lively live bands, captivating clogging contests, scrumptious baking competitions, and even the exhilarating skillet flinging contests. From heart-pumping competitions to mouth-watering treats, there's something for every Clay County resident to enjoy. Join us and be part of the fun!

Location

Main Street, Clay, WV

Dates

Sep 14th - 17th, 2023

Times

Perfomance(s)

Sara

Evans

Sara

Evans

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and Sara Evans is about to put smiles on a lot of faces with the release of Copy That. The 13-song collection finds Evans putting her distinctive creative stamp on some of the most iconic songs in country and pop music as well as shining a spotlight on some little known gems.

Born Joshua A. Christian , Josh is a Charleston, WV native. Previously featured in the Charleston Gazette for song writing, his career is growing and flourishing .

Many ask where the name Pantry came from. Josh’s friends were quite the rowdy bunch and he recalls spending many nights in a place called “the dirty paradise” ( a home occupied by his best friends ) . He soon made his room in the pantry, and his friends started calling him Pantry. That’s how the name was born and it stuck. Josh Started playing music around 2014 , with the 3 songs he knew . He brought all his friends to an open mic, the bar offered him his own show and the rest is history! Setting the attendance record on a Tuesday in Charleston, Josh played many Tuesdays for a tip jar and a free meal.

Time has passed and Josh knows a little more than 3 songs now! Postal Worker by day, performer by night, Josh had shared the stage with acts like Daryle Singletary , Charles Wesley Godwin , Bill Dotson , The Davisson Brothers , Julia Cole , Mikele Buck , and Cody Wickline . Josh and his band, bring it every time they hit the stage.

Southern West Virginia based 1980s rock tribute act Hair Supply formed in 2018 as a vehicle for paying homage to the rock hits and anthems of the most decadent decade in popular music history. Sponsored by the HD Media Family of Newspapers, the boys have garnered a reputation for their stage shows including era-specific attire, tongue-in-cheek stage banter and spot-on accurate covers of the bands and artists that ruled the decade that represented the apex of FM Radio hysteria. HS enjoys recreating the mega-hits of artists like Poison, Warrant, Bryan Adams, Foreigner, Billy Squire, Journey and Loverboy, among others. HS prides itself on their showmanship and attention to detail as their audience has grown exponentially as they have become regulars at fairs, festivals, clubs, class reunions and corporate functions across West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. Hair Supply has shared festival stages with Rick Springfield, Shenandoah, Martina McBride, Fastball and Everclear among many others.

Event(s) & Schedule

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Noon-6pm Quilt Show Registration @ Clay Co Health Dept Conference Room

Thursday, September 14, 2023

THROWBACK THURSDAY!

Dress in your best 70's attire!

3-7 pm Quilt Show @ Health Dept.

6 pm Opening Ceremonies, Flag Raising, & Star Spangled Banner

6 pm Queen's Coronation Ceremony, Amusement rides open, & Quilt Show winners announced

7-8 pm Magician T.J. Hill

8-10 pm Open Mic Night

Basket of ripe apples vector line drawing

Friday, September 15, 2023

9 am Flag Raising

9 am - 7 pm Quilt Show @ Health Dept.

9 am Business decorating contest (register at information table)

9 am Big Otter Elementary Choir

930 am HE White Elementary Choir

10 am Lizemores Elementary Choir

1030 am Clay Elementary Choir

11 am Clay Middle School Choir

1130 am Clay Middle School Band

12 pm Apple Belle Ceremony & Amusement Rides open

1230 pm Apple Belle Reception @ Clay Senior Services Building

3 pm Business Decorating winners announced

4 pm Magician T.J. Hill

5 pm Music- Whiskey and Wine

6 pm Music- John Pantry

8 pm Music- Hair Supply

Saturday, September 16, 2023

9 am Flag Raising

9 am- 7 pm Quilt Show

9 am Pet Pageant Registration (courthouse)

9 am Car Show (behind old courthouse)

930 am Pet Pageant (courthouse)

10 am Baking Contest Registration (auxiliary gym)

1030 am Weiner Dog Races (courthouse)

11 am CCMS Art Auction (courthouse square)

1 pm Grand Feature Parade

2 pm amusement rides open

2 pm Skillet Flinging contest registration

2 pm Cornhole registration

2 pm Bake Show winners announced

230 pm Baked Goods Auction (courthouse square)

3 pm Not So Newlywed Game

3 pm Skillet Flinging Contest

3 pm Cornhole Competition (old courthouse)

5 pm CCHS Alumni Gathering @ CCHS

6 pm Magician T.J. Hill

7 pm Music- Lindsay Schoolcraft

7 pm Athletic Hall of Fame Induction @ CCHS

8 pm SARA EVANS

10 pm Fireworks

Welcome to the origin story of West Virginia's most iconic fruit: the Golden Delicious apple. It all began over a century ago when Anderson Mullins stumbled upon the first-ever Golden Delicious tree by Porter Creek in 1912. The Stark Bros. Nursery recognized the potential of this fruit and completed its purchase, kickstarting almost 50 years of cultivation in the region.

Over time, the Golden Delicious apple became a household name, beloved by people across the globe. Its sweet, crisp flavor and beautiful golden hue made it a fan favorite, prompting the inception of the Clay County Golden Delicious Festival in 1973. This annual celebration brings the entire county together for a delightful weekend filled with fun, excitement, and of course, the most delicious apples around.

Join us in celebrating the legacy of the Golden Delicious apple and experience the magic for yourself. Explore our website to learn more about the festival and the wonderful community that has grown around this beloved fruit.

Applications

Business Decorating Contest

Use our PayPal by clicking the pay button or scanning the QR code to pay for fees online.

The Golden Crew

The Golden Crew is an integral part of the annual festival, and they work tirelessly to ensure that every visitor has an enjoyable experience. The committee is made up of dedicated volunteers, who have a passion for creating an event that the whole family can enjoy. With the help of their generous sponsors, they have been able to make the festival possible year after year.

The President of the committee is Renee Holcomb, who is also a business owner in the town of Clay. Renee is responsible for overseeing the vendors, and she takes pride in meeting new people while also welcoming back those who have attended the festival in the past.

The Vice President of the committee is Daniel Coleman, who works at the local senior center. Daniel started out as a volunteer and joined the committee to help with the event. He oversees the parade, which is a challenging task that requires a lot of time and patience.

The Treasurer of the committee is Malinda Stewart, who works at the local Prosecuting Attorney's office. In addition to handling finances, she also organizes the Corn Hole Tournament during the festival and assists with any other tasks that need to be completed.

Brittany Clifton is the festival secretary, and she works as a secretary at the local State Police Detachment. Her role is critical as she manages the festival's social media accounts and creates the flyers for the events.

Ryan Clifton, Brittany's husband, is also a member of the committee. Ryan works at the local bank and oversees the festival car show, which attracts many visitors from several miles away.

The newest member of the committee is Michelle Frame, who works at the local power company. Michelle ensures that the banners are hung and the meters are ready. Her sense of humor is always appreciated, especially during stressful times.

Together, the committee works to line up the entertainment for the festival, which is a challenging task. Without the help of all these people and their "Golden Sponsors," the festival would not be possible. Although the past year has been challenging, the committee is thankful to be able to put on a great festival this year.

Visitors can look forward to an "apple" adventure sponsored by the Elk River Trail Foundation, an apple bake-off, a quilt show, the coronation of queens, great food, and music. The committee is excited to see everyone come out and make this festival the best one yet!

The Golden Delicious Pageant

2022 Golden Delicious Apple Festival Pageants will be held at the Clay County High School, 1 Panther Drive, Clay, WV 25043 on June 11th. A more detailed itinerary will be posted soon, please check back here.