BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – The Appalachian Festival Block Party will be held on Saturday, August 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in downtown Beckley.  In conjunction with the Appalachian Festival, the block party features local food and other vendors along with entertainment and family fun.

Music will include the New River Jazz Band, Shane Ingram and Friends, The Lilly Mountaineers, Bailey Spurlock and Major Paradigm.  Local restaurants, food trucks, pop-up shops and organizations will set up booths and sell their cuisine or products.  Booth and food competition categories include best appetizer, entrée, sandwich, dessert, most attractive booth, and the Peoples’ Choice.  Vendor registration ended August 9.  Food vendors range from fair food like kettle corn, funnel cakes, fudge, Italian ice, to sandwiches and dinners. According to the City’s Event Director Jill Moorefield, “Formerly known as Taste of Beckley, we changed the name of the event to a Block Party in order to include a variety of booths and give it more of a community street fair feel.”  Attendees will discover more than 30 booths, a variety of music, along with family activities such as a bounce house, games and face painting by Faith Community Church, plus the annual Southern Communications Oreo-Stacking Contest.

Entertainment schedule:

5:30 – 6:30 pm – New River Jazz Band, in the Heber/Main Street area

6:00 – 7:00 pm – Shane Ingram and Friends on Neville Street

5:00 – 5:45 pm – Bailey Spurlock at Word Park, Neville Street

6:00 – 7:00 pm – Major Paradigm at Word Park, Neville Street

6:45 pm – Southern Communications Oreo-Stacking Contest, Main Street area

7:00 – 8:15 pm – Daniel Lilly and the Lilly Mountaineers near intersection of Main/Fayette St.

Music sponsors include the Irish Heritage Festival, Jan Care and City of Beckley.

Before the block party, The Raleigh Playhouse and Theatre will show an Appalachian-themed document at 3:00 pm and the Academy of Creative Arts will showcase several students/instructors at 4:00 pm at the Neville Street room under the academy.

Another event hosted by Beckley Events Committee during the festival is Friday in the Park on August 23 featuring music by Lost Cannon Bluegrass Band and Shane Ingram with Kevin Greene and Michael Hamrick, between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm at Word Park on Neville Street.  The Uptown Farmers Market is held at the Beckley Intermodal Gateway on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3-5 pm. For more Appalachian Festival events, visit AppalachianFestival.net.