Despite temperatures reaching 100 degrees on Saturday, the ninth annual Strawberry Festival was successful, according to Executive Director of the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce Anne Palmer.
“The weather was hot and I think the crowd was just overwhelmed with the heat, but we still had a very, very successful festival.”
With over 80 vendors signed up ranging from local civic organizations, restaurants, crafts, and concessions, the festival also hosted three contests — a hot dog eating contest, a fiddle and banjo contests, and a “best dressed dog” contest.
The hot dog eating contest saw four contestants, all males, who vied for the title of the biggest stomach for Ball Park franks.
Billy “Big Dog” Ridge of Burlington was crowned the Mineral County Hot Dog Eating Champion after he devoured 9 ¾ dogs and buns in his overtime “Eat-Off” against Michael “Oscar” Grubbs of Keyser.
Other participants in the contest were Eric Beeman and Brian Clark.
The fiddle and banjo contest saw many young and adult participants, most notably Maryland State Champion fiddle players Kathleen Myers of Keyser and Stormie Keating of Winchester, Va.
Keating took home the title of first place in the fiddle contest and received a $50 check. Myers received second place and was awarded $25.
Many of the fiddle players also played the mandolin or the banjo with Keating securing second place in the mandolin category and Colton Keplinger took home first in both the mandolin and banjo categories.
Myers also received second place in the banjo contest.
The “Best Dressed Dog” contest attracted many lovely canines with “Sillee Sally” of Armstrong Street taking the first place title.
The black mix breed’s owner is Donna Faulk.
Entertainment for the day included “Stack O’ Blues,” gospel singer Kris Lengel, gospel singer Jean Marple who performed Patsy Cline classics, and J.R. Karsley, who set the stage on fire as an Elvis Presley impersonator.
Strawberry Festival chairperson Christy Barnett said she heard nothing but positive remarks from both vendors and festival-goers on Saturday.
“Given the extreme heat of over 100 degrees downtown, I think we did really well,” said Barnett. “Some of the vendors said they did amazingly well. A lot of people were coming up to me telling me they were glad we had it. So given the heat and it being such short notice, I think we did great.”
Palmer said that she and members of the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce will meet in the near future to begin plans for next year’s 10th annual Mineral County Strawberry Festival.