Kick off your summertime fun with the 28th annual Cheat River Festival this Friday and Saturday.
Head to Albright this weekend for the Cheat River Festival, a two-day celebration of the Cheat River and all the communities that surround it. It’s one of the biggest fundraising events of the year for local nonprofit Friends of the Cheat—and an unofficial kick-off to the sunny season ahead. After a two-year hiatus, Cheat Fest is back, in-person, and better than ever.
Here’s just a sampling of highlights of this year’s Cheat Fest:
- Hear a diverse range of music from 13 Appalachian artists, including Shelf Life String Band’s modern take on bluegrass and Morgantown-native Hello June’s indie rock.
- See what local artists have for sale at this year’s Art Market.
- Visit the Merch Tent Friday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for a meet and greet with Appalachian women writers, including Ann Pancake.
- Learn something new from one of the “Education Eddy” workshops.
- Race with the currents of the Cheat—plus hundreds of paddlers from around the world—during Friday’s Down the River Race. For those who prefer to stay on land, there’s also a 5K foot race along the riverbanks on Saturday morning.
This family-friendly festival has plenty of activities for kids, too, including arts and crafts with recycled materials, educational workshops, and the Kids’ Parade on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. Admission to the festival is free for those 12 and under.
Gates open at 5 p.m. Friday, and admission is $15 for the evening. On Saturday, gates open at 11:30 a.m., and admission is $30. The festivities will go on until around 11 p.m. both days. If you’re looking for a place to crash, the Friends of the Cheat campground is a short walk away, and there are several other campgrounds and hotels in the area, too.
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