by Kate Evans
The 2023 Morgan County Expo is happening this Saturday, July 29 at Berkeley Springs State Park and the Country Inn from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The family event features art, musical entertainment, exhibits, food, crafts, a watermelon-eating contest at 11 a.m., the 4-H cake auction at 2 p.m. and other fun activities. The event will take place rain or shine.
Free swimming
Free swimming at the Berkeley Springs State Park pool is also being offered during the Expo. Stop by the West Virginia University booth for your free swimming tickets, said WVU Morgan County Extension Agent Cindy Smalley.
Event projects
Regular Expo entries will be on display at the Country Inn on Saturday from 10:00-3:00 p.m. They include horticulture (plants and tomatoes,), sewing, quilting, needlepoint, photography, Legos and art, Smalley said. A new category is collections-such as buttons, rocks and coins. 4-H projects will be on display at Hunter’s Hardware.
Smalley said that 4-H projects include photography, Choose Your Own, cooking, fishing and animal projects. At least one kid has a chicken project and one is doing a pig project. Choose Your Own and fishing were very popular projects this year. They have a total of 80 kids involved in 4-H. Participation in 4-H has been growing, she noted.
photo by Cindy Smalley
The Youth Art in the Park event is also taking place at Berkeley Springs State Park in conjunction with the Morgan County Expo on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It’s an opportunity for youth to sell their handcrafted wares as artists, Smalley said.
The Morgan County unit of the Boys and Girls Club of the Eastern Panhandle will also have art on display.
Music, activities
BlackCat Music Cooperative will be providing music at the Morgan County Expo. The BlackCat School of Rock and the Young Yukes will be performing at noon. D.J. Justin Litten will also be playing music at the event.
There will be a bouncy house, face painting and a pinewood derby conducted by the Boy Scouts too. The scouts race model-sized cars on a gravity-fed racetrack, Smalley said.
The park will be full of vendors and non-profit organization booths this year during the Expo. Organizations include the Boys and Girls Club, Starting Points, the Morgan County Partnership, MC After 3, West Virginia Farm Bureau, the Master Gardeners and the Boys Scouts. All organizations have been asked to have an activity available for the public to do at their booth, she said.
Smalley said they can always use more volunteers to help with the Morgan County Expo. WVU Extension also needs some folks to take on leadership roles on the Morgan County Expo Board. Call Cindy Smalley at 304-258-8400 at the Morgan County Extension Office if interested.
