Wheeling Arts Festival Returning Saturday

Apr 22, 2024

Aug 4, 2023

Patrons enjoy a previous Wheeling Arts Festival. The event makes its return Saturday at Wheeling Park. (File Photo)

WHEELING — After being absent for half a decade, the Wheeling Arts Festival returns this weekend — but at a new location.

The festival is set to happen from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Wheeling Park, and admission is free. There will be live music on two stages, as well as artisan vendors, food trucks, beer, wine, and more.

The event, which in the past happened in downtown Wheeling, was moved to the park because of current construction and parking concerns in the Friendly City.

“We wanted to have it at (West Virginia Northern Community College), but there’s construction in front of the building and everywhere else,” explained Logan Schmidt of the Wheeling Arts Commission, who is an organizer for the event.

He said members on the committee consulted contacts and was able to arrange for the festival at Wheeling Park, where there is “plenty of parking and lots of space.”

“Parking is always rough downtown,” he said. “We’re also trying to keep this year’s festival local. In past years, we saw more artists from the region. This year, we’ve toned down and are hyper-local.”

Schmidt said he previously was a vendor at the arts festival, but this year he is coordinating the vendors.

He expects there to be 26 artisan vendors offering a variety of works that will appeal to a wide range of tastes.

Among them are Frayed Knot Macrame, Acute Peach Art, Apartment Two Art, Cat’s Paw Art Studio, Colleen’s Crafty Creations LLC, East Wheeling Clay Works, Fuzzy Whale Paper Co., Haunted Holistics, Lone Stone Designs, Morgan Wiedebusch, Opossum Pouch Soft Goods, Papa Faith, Peaceniks Creations, RoDoWV Art, Rust Belt Stained Glass, Sarah Sweeney Designs, Scott Hanson Illustration, Shapelessflame, Stone Cottage Apothecary, Syd Weiler Illustration, The Dreambow Factory, Time-to-Dye, WildHeart Arts, Witty Voyager and Wonder Witch Co.

“You also can expect music all day on two stages — the main stage and the side stage,” Schmidt said. “There will be all genres from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.”

The main stage live music lineup is as follows:

– 11 a.m.-noon: Rosella & The Visions

– 12:30-1:30 p.m.: WVU All Star Band

– 2-3 p.m.: Brother Randall

– 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Zane Run

– 5-6 p.m.: Mr. Fancy Pants

– 6:30-7:30 p.m.: The Trainjumpers

– 8-9 p.m.: Joshua Lee & The Nice Dream

These acts will be performing on the side stage:

– 1:30-2 p.m.: Faire May

– 3-3:30 p.m.: David James

– 4:30-5 p.m.: Chump

– 6-6:30 p.m.: Isaiah Keez

– 7:30-8 p.m. : Corvus

There will also be bouncy games for kids, as well as food trucks and beer at the event, Schmidt said.

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