Festival In Full Swing

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Elkins City Park was packed with children from throughout the area Thursday as schools bussed in students to take part in educational exhibits during the 72nd Mountain State Forest Festival.

A large crowd of students from Homestead School gathered around the Zoo-To-You event from the Good Zoo at Oglebay Resort. With an opportunity to see exotic animals, students filed into lines to take turns petting a crocodile.

Students were also had a chance to board an actual U.S. Army National Guard Tank. North Elementary School students climbed in through the back hatch and made their way through the tank before exiting on a hatch in the front and jumping from the top of the tank.

Visiting schools also got a lesson on glass blowing from Appalachian Glass of Weston. The glass blower making friendship bottles explained how they added color to the glass.

The City Park events also include a blacksmith, petting zoo, chainsaw carver Andy Kerns as well as booths set up by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services. Ray Yates provided free train rides for the youth. The park events continue from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Saturday.

Later on Thursday, grand prize winners were selected in the Forest Festival talent show. Taking home the awards were Hilary Mayle of Grafton, Children's Division; Lindsey Paul of Elkins, Teen Division; and Evan Hedrick of Davis, Adult Division.

A large crowd of festival visitors gathered at the old Davis & Elkins College gymnasium for the Woman's Club of Elkins sponsored craft show. The craft show featured thousands of homemade crafts including Christmas decorations, woven baskets, hone, wood products and rock and fossil jewelry and even salsa.

The salsa made by XTRMHEAT offered samples that had people sweating.

XTRMHEAT's hottest salsa is made from Bhut Jolokia peppers which are four times hotter than Habanero peppers and are certified by Guinness Book of World Records as the hottest pepper in the world.

The craft show is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Elkins VFW housed the Forestry and Wood Products Exhibit. One display held live specimens of invasive species that can be found on the West Virginia Forest. The VFW also housed Christmas Trees from the West Virginia Christmas Trees Growers Association.

The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday.

The MSFF Photo Contest will also be open to spectators today from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The contest included entrants in categories of Nature, Animals and Places. Maid Silvia LXXII Kimberly Cover and her Maids of Honor Jessica Hornick and Megan Sponaugle also picked their favorite photos.

The Queen's Choice went to "Spiderweb Cemetery" by Betty Kelly of Elkins. The Maids of Honor Choices were an untitled photograph by Kristen Hedrick of Elkins and "Amen" by Jerold Isner of Grafton.

Best of Show went to Steve Brown of Elkins for his shot "Tranquillity." In the student category Best of Show went to Morgan Haas of Elkins for her black and white photo titled, "Breakdancing."

In the Nature category, Brown took first for his shot "Canopy," and second for his shot "Autumn Moon." Brown also took the Honorable Mention award in the category. Third place went to Alyssa Wolfe of Beverly for "Caterpillar."

Becky Blackley of Elkins took first place in the Black and White category for "Sunset on the Neva River-Russia," second place went to "Boat for Sell," taken by John Terry of Montrose and third place went to Sue Jones of Mt. Zion for "Teton Wagon Train," Isner took honorable mention for "Sis."

Isner also took first place in the animal category for "Dining," second went to John Terry of Montrose for "Jack Rabbit," third place went to John Busch of Elkins for "Migrating Zebra" and honorable mention went to Terry for "Butterfly Weed."

In the Places category, Melody Loudin of Elkins won first place for "Quiet Depression," Isner took second for "Ole Blue Eyes," third place went to Joseph Orange of Roanoke, Va., for "Brain Freeze" and honorable mention went to "Blaze" taken by Toby Oliver of Perry, Ohio.

Isner won first place in the Places category for "Tug," second place also went to Isner for "Home Alone," third place went to Carol Dean of Buckhannon for "Solitude" and Erick Titchnell of Montrose with "Shay Locomotive at Elkins."

Haas took first place in the student division with "Chamillionaire," second place went to "Free" by Megan McGee of Valley Head, McGee also took third place with "Kojo" and honorable mention went to "A Snapping Time" by Whitney Definbaugh of Mill Creek.

The Mountain State Forest Festival continues today with the City Park attractions opening, craft show, Seneca Trail Arts Show and Primitive Campground opening at 9 a.m. The coronation of Maid Silvia LXXII will take place at 2 p.m. on the Davis & Elkins College Campus. Winged Wheels Precision Motorcycle Exhibition will take place at 6 p.m. on Davis Avenue. The Elkins Volunteer Fire Department Fireman's Parade will being at 8 p.m. in downtown Elkins. Blackwater Junction will provide entertainment at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on the downtown stage at Elkins Town Square.