Be part of Buddies of the Cheat (FOC) alongside the banks of the gorgeous Cheat River on Friday, Might 1st, and Saturday, Might 2nd, to have fun the thirty second annual Cheat River Competition, positioned on the competition grounds off Route 26 simply north of Albright, WV, about 30 miles from Morgantown, WV.
Boaters, music lovers, and households get pleasure from two days stuffed with dwell music, dancing, artwork, distributors, and enjoyable. For athletes, we maintain a 5K foot race and a Down River Race via the Cheat Canyon. Many fest goers make a weekend out of it and keep within the adjoining campgrounds. Cheat Fest serves as FOC’s main fundraiser and helps their work all year long.
Stay Music
Above: Hogslop String Band Photograph by Josh Golman
Music is the heartbeat of the Cheat River Competition. Headlining the fest this 12 months – Hogslop String Band! Additionally that includes The Wilson Springs Resort, Pictrola, Pink Smith & The Blue Daybreak, Weary Area Wanderer, Juice Newsom & The Groove, Meadow Run, Mill Creek Cronies, People Em All Trio, Huge Fiddle, Lindsey Hull
Cheat Fest Downriver Race and 5K Foot Race
The Cheat River Competition weekend kicks off with one of many largest, if not the biggest, mass begin downriver races within the nation referred to as Rick Gusic’s Cheat River “Bloodbath-ence.” The race course travels practically 10 miles via the world-famous Cheat Canyon, dropping at a most gradient of 40 toes per mile. This part of the Cheat River is Class III – IV, and as a free-flowing river the character of the river, issue and threat differ relying on the water degree, which might change shortly. Solely boaters who’re extraordinarily snug with such a paddling ought to register for the race!
Saturday morning begins with the Cheat Fest 5K run that pulls all forms of pedestrians: severe runners, informal walkers, and households with strollers. Members begin and end on the Cheat River Trailhead Park, using the brand new part of Rail-Path that runs alongside the mighty Cheat River.
Distributors and Juried Artwork Market
The Cheat Fest Vendor Market is a superb place to buy out of doors gear, crafts, providers, scrumptious meals, & extra from native and regional distributors! The well-known Artwork Market is a circle of particular distributors who undergo a jury course of to supply the best of native artwork. Mom’s Day buyers can peruse the tents and purchase regionally made items immediately from the artists.
Child’s Actions
Children below twelve enter the competition free of charge. The Child’s Tent is a spot for youths to study expertise, create crafts, go on nature hunts, and meet different children. Child’s actions will embody crafts made with recycled supplies and acid mine drainage tie dye. The dye for this undertaking is comprised of acid mine drainage, the pollutant that plagues the Cheat River watershed. The child’s tent actions finish with a child’s parade.
About Buddies of the Cheat:
For the reason that formation of Buddies of the Cheat (FOC) in 1994, the group’s main focus has been addressing the extreme acid mine drainage (AMD) air pollution points within the decrease reaches of the Cheat River watershed. Via coalition constructing, collaboration, and the implementation of AMD therapy methods, the Cheat River – named one of many nation’s most endangered rivers in 1995 – is as soon as once more alive with life.
FOC works with state and federal companies to coordinate reclamation and remediation efforts, educational establishments to facilitate analysis tasks, and quite a lot of different stakeholders from the enterprise and non-profit sector.
Restoring water high quality alone won’t clear up the long-term issues and ongoing challenges the Cheat watershed faces. FOC works to teach the general public on native and regional points, greatest administration practices, and environmental stewardship along with offering and selling alternatives to understand our pure assets via out of doors recreation.
