Clifton Forge, VA (May 7, 2019) - On Saturday, June 1 from 10:00am to 5:00pm, the eighth annual Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day & Railway Festival will take place in the Alleghany Highlands. Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day & C&O Railway Festival 2019 is a celebration of the heritage of the Alleghany Highlands, our Railway History, and Virginia's role in the formation of our country ....1619 to today. Continuous entertainment in story and song, food from around the globe and our own backyard, quilt exhibits and demonstrations, vendors and displays that entertain, educate and enchant can be seen during the one-day event. The Festival takes place in downtown Clifton Forge, at the beautifully restored Historic Masonic Theatre, Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center, the Masonic Amphitheatre, Clifton Forge Public Library, Clifton Forge Presbyterian Church and Clifton Forge School of the Arts. Travel down the road a block and find more music, food, demonstrations, vendors and displays at the C&O Heritage Center. 1619 was a pivotal year in the establishment of the first permanent English colony in North America. It was the year of the first representative legislative assembly in the New World, the arrival of the first recorded Africans to English North America, and the recruitment of English women in significant numbers. Celebrate a day of Virginia milestones with history, food, music and fun...the eighth annual Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day & Railway Festival.
To kick off Heritage Day, the Covington/Hot Springs Rotary Club is sponsoring “WANNABEATLES 2019 Tour”, the ultimate Beatles tribute band at The Historic Masonic Theatre on Friday, May 31 at 7:30pm in the John E. Hillert Auditorium. Experience all of the magic of the Beatles music with the Grammy-nominated WANNABEATLES in a family-friendly show that is filled with great Beatles standards, hilarious parodies and on-stage antics. Tickets: $20/17/15; Box Seats: $30
The celebration continues on Saturday, June 1 from 10:00am to 5:00pm with Welcome Stations located on Church and Commercial, Church and Jefferson, the Masonic Amphitheatre Bridge, The Historic Masonic Theatre Lobby Entrance and C&O Heritage Center. Admission is free so check in at the Welcome Centers to receive a wristband and Schedule of Events. Businesses on Ridgeway will also be a part of the Festival with Lollie’s Quilt Shop presenting long-arm demonstrations, Fire & Light Gallery presenting the history of photography in addition to an antique camera exhibit, Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center presenting “Hands-on Women’s Work Through the Years”, demonstrations including spinning, hand-quilting, basket-making, bellows-making, broom-making, felting in miniature and 1940’s-era cooking in a 1940’s kitchen. 42 Deli’s menu offers an English sandwich special, Colorful Chameleon’s menu offers Scottish food and Jack Mason’s Tavern’s menu offers a hearty Irish meal.
Additional food vendors may be found at the Masonic Amphitheatre Food Court, The Historic Masonic Theatre Underground, on Church Street near the School of the Arts Mill, and at C&O Heritage Center. An English Tea Tent complete with Celtic harp music, scones and shortbread can be found from 2:00pm to 3:00pm on the Amphitheatre grounds. Additionally, the German Biergarten that features German beer, Virginia cider and wine will be back as well as German wurst and sauerkraut, Native American tacos, Soul Food, Polish sausage, homemade ice cream, fried pickles and strawberries, corn dogs and other delectables will be available throughout the day. For the second year, a trackless train will carry guests from venue to venue, free of charge.
Heritage Day will once again honor area veterans with a special Library of Virginia-sponsored mobile exhibit called “Profiles of Honor”. The exhibit highlights stories of Virginians who served in WWI and WWII. Profiles of Honor will be open in Friday, May 31 from noon to 6:00 pm as well as on Heritage Day, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. As part of the tour, visitors are invited to bring their own WWI and WWII-related photos to be scanned for inclusion in the project. “Profiles of Honor” will be set up on Church Street near the Clifton Forge Library “Centuries of Time”, which will feature a vintage toy and doll exhibit, needleart, Native American music, Wrightsville Museum display, Alleghany Highlands Genealogical Society and Alleghany Historical Society exhibit and display of the future Discovery Center.
Heritage Day favorite Quilt Pew Display returns at the Clifton Forge Presbyterian Church with quilters telling the stories of the quilts they have made.
The Masonic Amphitheatre Park will highlight children’s activities (face painting, bubble blowing, games and more) and Heritage farm animals with time for interaction and learning, Black Smithing, a Master Naturalist display featuring regional flora and fauna and a Discovery Box with pelts, skulls and scat.
Continuous entertainment begins at 9:55am when bag-pipers and color guard cross the Amphitheatre Bridge to signal the start of Heritage Day. Heritage Day committee member Paul Linkenhoker will welcome attendees to a day of remembrance and celebration. Cloggers, Native American dancers, “Crossing County Lines” band, “Strum Sum” Americana band, “Reborn Gospel” ensemble and “Mr. Ed and Winnie” music of the 40’s and 50’s, will perform at the Masonic Amphitheatre. Flute, banjo and storytelling with a special presentation on the Alleghany Highlands of the 1800’s by Mike Hayslett will be offered in the Thomas P. Dean Underground of the Theatre and “Moonlight Express Band” will perform at C&O. Scheduled times and entertainers may be seen online at HYPERLINK "https://www.alleghanyhighlandsheritageday.com" www.alleghanyhighlandsheritageday.com
C&O Heritage Center features train layouts, exhibits, railroad collectibles, music and food and mini train rides.
Clifton Forge School of the Arts features heritage hand crafts-woodworking, walking-sticks, hand-made Alpaca products, Fiber Arts Network demonstrations and children’s products; pottery and glass-making artist’s area featured in the respective studios.
Patrick Henry will be everywhere!
The popular Vintage Vehicles display will be set up in the parking lot of Clifton Forge Town Hall.
The stirring Quilts of Valor Ceremony returns to The Historic Masonic Theatre at 1:00pm honoring four area veterans who will be presented with quilts by the Quilts of Valor Foundation as a thank you for their service, sacrifice, and valor in serving our nation in combat. The veterans, whose names will be revealed at the ceremony, served in two different wars. The public is invited. Also scheduled for The Historic Masonic Theatre are documentaries including “Evolution of America, 1619 to Today”.
Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism executive director, Teresa Hammond commented, “The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is pleased to serve as one of the sponsors for Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day again this year. This event is a great opportunity for the community, especially our children, to celebrate our Virginia history and to learn more about our heritage”.Â
Covington Mayor Tom Sibold issued the following invitation, “On behalf of the entire community, I would like to invite everyone to participate in the 2019 Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day. There’s something of interest to everyone and our children and grandchildren will learn much about the history of their community. We look forward to seeing you on June 1 to celebrate the Alleghany Highlands.”
Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day & Railway Festival is a one-day, rain or shine event with free admission. Every attempt has been made to include many indoor activities just in case rain should fall. This year’s event is graciously sponsored by Highlands Community Bank and SONA Bank sponsoring the Amphitheatre stage entertainment, ACE Hardware sponsoring the trackless train, Ingevity, WestRock, Alleghany County, Alleghany Highlands Arts & Crafts Center, Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, Alleghany Historical Society, C&O Railway Heritage Center, Clifton Forge Main Street, Town of Clifton Forge, Olde Town Covington, Covington/Hot Springs Rotary Club sponsoring the WANNABEATLES 2019 Tour, VFW Post 1033, Clifton Forge Woman’s Club, Friends of Clifton Forge Public Library, Clifton Forge School of the Arts, Clifton Forge Presbyterian Church, Historic Masonic Theatre. Special thanks to APP iStudio and COV Designs.
For more information on Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day & C&O Railway Festival, and to view the Heritage Day Schedule of Events, visit https://alleghanyhighlandsheritageday.com and the Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day & Railway Festival Facebook page.
|  | The eighth annual Alleghany Highlands Heritage Day & C&O Railway Festival will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday, June 1, with bagpipes and drums and color guard crossing the Masonic Amphitheatre stage for opening ceremony.
photo courtesy of Heritage Day Committee
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