By Betty Gandee
With the 45th Annual Clay County Golden Delicious Festival kicking off this past week in Clay, there were lots of activities and events around town. Starting the week out, the elementary schools took advantage of the carnival rides and treated students to a day of fun. Thursday, September 13, at 6 p.m. the festival held its opening ceremonies, which included flag raising by the local VFW, singing the national anthem, the queen coronation, and golden karaoke which was won by Hayley Morris of Bickmore.
On Friday, Anna Gaskins, 93 years young, was crowned as the festival’s Golden Delicious Belle winner. Mrs. Gaskins is from WV and a Clay County High School graduate. She was crowned by Sheriff Donnie Triplett and honored at a dinner held at Clay Senior and Community Services.
Saturday was a day filled with fun in the sun. The day started off with seven precious pooches hitting the stage to compete in the puppy pageant. The victorious winner was Miss Bella “Sassy” Cayton. It was then time for the men to strut their stuff and see if they were pageant material as they competed for the title of Mr. Golden Delicious.
The winners were:
Second Runner Up: Gabriel Howel
First Runner Up: Mitchell Adkins
Mr. Golden Delicious: Michael Wodnicki from Clarksburg, WV.
As the streets filled with children, the parade made its way through town, complete with marching bands, Queens, floats, and fire trucks. Parade participants drove through town tossing candy and treats putting smiles on all the children’s faces. This year’s parade was a huge success, Parade Director Christian Elliott did a wonderful job organizing and keeping things running smoothly.
This year’s float winners were:
Directors Choice: H.E. White Elementary
Queens Choice: Pleasant Dale Church
Prettiest Float: Autumn Rapp
Most Original: Elsie Smith
Kids activities, the quilt show, baking contest, cornhole, wrestling, and concerts filled the rest of Saturday evening. With the festival winding down, many came out to enjoy their Sunday. Performances by Squire Parsons, Redemption’s Legacy, and FBT Kids’ Choir sponsored by Fairview Baptist Temple. A big thank you to all the sponsors that made and continue to make this festival a “Bushel Of Fun.”
