Published: June 01, 2009 11:02 pm      

Annual Keyser Strawberry Festival planned Saturday

KEYSER, W.Va. — With spring soon ending and the start of summer, area residents will be heading to Keyser on Saturday for Strawberry Fest 2009.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Ann Palmer, director of the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce, said. “We’ve got lots of activities and things going on. We would like to have everyone come and join us. We have something for everyone to enjoy in Keyser, West Virginia.”

The annual event’s opening ceremonies at 9 a.m. include a prayer by Pastor Gordon Brubaker and special recognition of former Keyser resident Jack Rollins, songwriter of “Frosty the Snowman,” “Peter Cottontail” and “Smokey the Bear.” Miss West Virginia will also attend the ceremony.

“The biggest excitement for me is that we are honoring Jack Rollins,” Dave Sowers, city councilman and master of ceremonies for the event, said. “State what you want, but writing some music — baseball, basketball players, I know that’s talent — but ‘Smokey the Bear,’ ‘Peter Cottontail’ and ‘Frosty the Snowman’? That takes real talent. Everyone knows those songs. ‘Frosty the Snowman,’ people around the world know that song.”

Syntry Christian Rock with Kevin Clark will play from 9:30 to 11 a.m.

A dog show is scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m.

From 11 a.m. to noon, Mary Jacobson, “World’s Strongest Woman,” will be part of a Fire Truck Pull and Art Spataro, an Elvis impersonator, will perform.

Plenty of music will follow in the afternoon, with Joe’s Garage music, Derek and Matthew Wrachford music, a fiddle contest, jam sessions, Jeannie Marple performing Patsy Cline music, Art Spataro singing and Syntry Christian Rock finishing out the event at 6 p.m.

The festival will include areas around the Mineral County Courthouse, South Main and Amstrong streets.

Vendors from local businesses and organizations will include Relay for Life Teams Phoebe’s Friends and Family of Hope, who will sell strawberry treats. Family of Hope team will also raffle a quilt.

The American Cancer Society Community Partner will have a skin analyzer machine on site as well.

Keyser EMS will have an ambulance displaying the newest technology. It is equipped with Wi-Fi Internet, 12 LED EKG and vital machines that can send information to the hospital. The ambulance also has computer-aided dispatch and a global positioning system.

The event is being sponsored by the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce, the city of Keyser and the Mineral Daily News-Tribune.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.