ROWLESBURG — Despite the cold, the 15th annual West Virginia American Chestnut Festival drew in visitors and vendors alike.
Folks lined up to order steaming hot roasted chestnuts or found a seat and listened to music in the park.
To escape the cold, a warm cup of coffee and dessert could be had at the River City Cafe in the Szilagyi Center. Before returning to the goodies offered by vendors there was the World War II Museum to browse, as well as the River City Art Room, the Preston County Sports Museum, the River City Pottery Studio and the Historic B&O Centenary Bridge Exhibit.
In the park, 86-year-old Charles Wotring was showing off his items made of chestnut. His son Randy said Wotring can look at a picture in a magazine and make the item.
“This is his hobby,” Randy said about his dad. “He’s has been doing this for 80 years. He still has the wagon he built when he was in elementary school.”
Wotring said 90% of his projects involve chestnut, adding that he also uses maple, oak, cherry, walnut and occasionally sassafras to make his pieces.
“This is the only place I sell my stuff unless someone wants something special,” Charles said. “I found some signs in a magazine that had home spelled out on them. So I went to Hobby Lobby and bought patterns of the letters. I cut the letters for my signs out of a piece of paneling.”
Wotring said he currently has some trays that are going to go to the museum. He said they are made of slats from the old school.
“I was told the names of the county schools will be put on them and then they’ll be hung in the museum,” Wotring said.
Another vendor, Ashley DeLauder from Aurora, said her grandmother taught her to crochet and knit. DeLauder said now making craft items is her hobby. She said she wants to teach her daughters when they are old enough to handle the thread.
Lilly Reckart was selling a variety of homemade fudge, suckers and pretzels. She also had a display of bibs and onesies for babies. Reckart said she sells her items at all the fairs she can attend.
Darrell Dean, co-director of the event, said the Chestnut Festival was started by Joe Nassif. He said Nassif discovered there was no American Chestnut Foundation in West Virginia, and worked to found one in 2007.
“He had a very intense interest in growing chestnuts.” Dean said.
In 2013 Robert Sypolt planted an orchard on the Preston High School campus. According to an article in this year’s Chestnut Festival guide book, the orchard includes native American chestnuts, Chinese chestnuts and backcross chestnuts.
Some of the trees have been producing chestnuts since 2019, according to the article. A network of walking trails was constructed through the orchard and an adjoining botanical garden.
The trail system is used by both the public and the high school cross-country team.
