By Jesten Richardson
For The Wayne County News
WAYNE — The Town of Wayne Fall Festival will return for its 30th anniversary on Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10, with a parade, inflatables for the kids, music, vendors and more.
“We’re bringing back the gospel, bluegrass (music); we’re bringing in wrestling; we’ll have the parade; we have probably close to 100 if not 100-plus vendors, so this might be the biggest Fall Festival the Town of Wayne’s ever had,” said Wayne Mayor James Jr. Ramey III — who shared that he started the festival, originally called “Homecoming,” in 1996 — during an interview on Sept. 23.
The festival will take place in the area of the Wayne County Courthouse, at 700 Hendricks St. in Wayne.
The full schedule for this year’s festival is expected to be posted on the Town of Wayne’s Facebook page at facebook.com/TownOfWayneWV, according to Ramey.
As an alternative to rides that could be more expensive for families, the town is renting 10 inflatables that children will be able to play on for free, which could potentially also free up some funds for families to shop the vendor booths.
Aside from any money that people choose to spend with the vendors, Ramey said participating in the Wayne Fall Festival activities will be free to festivalgoers through the town’s sponsorship.
He also said the town is providing funds for the Town of Wayne Parade Committee. This year, the Wayne Town Council approved up to $5,000 to support for the town’s Fall Festival parade and Christmas parade, which is an increase from the up-to $3,000 the council approved for them last year.
Most of the Wayne Fall Festival’s activities are expected to be offered on both Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10. The parade is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10, starting at 11 a.m.
“30 years of the Wayne Fall Festival Parade — and we’re making this one big!” a Monday, Sept. 21, Facebook post by Wayne Parade Committee Member MJ Fosson said.
As a member of the parade committee, Fosson has shared several updates on Facebook, including that the parade will feature:
- “Rising YouTube educational content creator Grammy Z” (GrammyZ.com), who will also be doing a meet and greet at the festival, following the parade (Fosson announced in a Monday, Sept. 21 Facebook post)
- A Dolly Parton dress-up contest, where “Contest participants will follow behind our special tribute float honoring the one and only DOLLY!”
- (Fosson announced in a Thursday, Sept. 17 Facebook post)
- Fosson singing the National Anthem to open the parade and serving as the MC making live parade announcements (Fosson announced in a Wednesday, Sept. 23 Facebook post)
“We’re just trying to make this year extra special because it is the Fall Festival’s 30th anniversary, and for many of the kids in our area, this is one of the few parades that’s nearby that they have an opportunity to experience in person, so we just want to make that something special for them that they will remember,” Fosson said during an interview on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
She also said the Wayne Parade Committee is in the process of creating a Facebook page, but in the meantime, people can watch the committee members’ Facebook pages for further parade updates.
According to a graphic that Fosson shared on Facebook on Saturday, Sept. 5 and Thursday, Sept. 10, Wayne Parade Committee members include: Wayne Parade Coordinator Lydia Wiley and Wayne Parade Committee members Fosson, Jeanetta Meadows and Diane Adkins.
Read more from The Wayne County News here
The post Wayne Fall Festival celebrates 30 years on Oct. 9-10 appeared first on West Virginia Press Association.
