WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV (WOAY) – Back in 2016, White Sulphur Springs faced the devastation of a series of floods that washed through the town, tearing down homes and claiming the lives of 23 people.
Now, six years later, the town has decided a celebration of rejuvenation and rebirth is in order.
A joint production started by Cross Creek Hospitality, 50 East, The Schoolhouse Hotel, and White Sulphur Springs Rotary, the inaugural Dry Creek Music and Arts Festival is set to take place.
The festivities will kick off Friday, June 17 with a New Orleans-style second-line parade at 6:30 p.m. on Gum Street. People are invited to join the parade in front of The Schoolhouse Hotel. It will be led by Grammy-winners, The Rebirth Brass Band. The festival will then make its way to Big Draft’s Brewing Main Stage at 7 p.m. for a concert.
It will continue on through Saturday, June 18 with a full day of music spread across two stages, along with vendors, art, and food. There will also be an additional show on Sunday, June 19.
“Things pre-flood were not great in White Sulphur, we were on a real decline,” says a festival volunteer, Anne Bowling Tuckwiller. “When the flood happened I think a lot of us were like, this is probably it, there’s no way we can recover from this.”
“We felt sorry for ourselves for about 12 hours and then immediately got to work the next morning. It totally reinvigorated this community,” she says.
The festival committee plans to make it an annual event in White Sulphur.
Art vendors must register their work by contacting the Dry Creek Music and Arts Festival on their Facebook page.
The city council has also decided to waive the open container laws for the weekend.
