"inside the greenbrier valley" west virginia's largest 4th of july celebration

7/28/2019 "Inside the Greenbrier Valley" West Virginia's Largest 4th of July Celebration

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Te Stte Fir

WhaTS NEW ThIS YEaRKids nd Mentl helt

SERIOUS QUESTIONSGreenbrier historicl Society

TURNS 50 YEaRS OLD

July 20


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14 July 2013

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Back when each town in Greenbrier County

had its own high school, junior high and

sports team, the title and rst line o

Aldersons beloved school song was Hail, Hail,

Hail to Alderson! It was proudly sung at each

game or special event.

The word hail, used as a verb, means to cheer, salute or

greet. What better way to recognize the accolades Aldersons

Fourth o July Celebration has received in the past year as

well as the obstacles it has overcome than to cheer the estival

on in person July 4-8. I you havent been to the celebration in

a while, youll nd the traditional events you always loved, as

well as a lot o new additions. I youve never attended, youll

see what youve been missing. Once a year, this quiet rivertown o slightly more than 1,000 residents suddenly teems with

revelers. Laughter lls the air, reworks light up the sky and

the hills come alive with music.

For generations, residents o the town and surrounding

counties have looked orward to Independence Day in Alder-

son. Greenbrier County native Steve West says he goes or

the parade, the sense o community and the ood. Another

native, Patricia Campbell Carlson, says she loves the home-town eel and riendly people. As she puts it, There are no

strangers there.

The town has reason to celebrate. For one thing, Alder-

sons Fourth o July Celebration is the largest in the state.

Its events span at least ve days each year, ending with the

popular rubber ducky race on the Greenbrier River. Tickets

cost $5, and a $5,000 grand prize is awarded to the personwhose ticket matches the winning duck. The estival is alsolled with musical perormances, eld events, ood vendors,

arts and crats, baking and hotdog-eating contests, a bike race

and 5K race, as well as canoe races and other river events.

Highlights also include a parade and reworks. Rick Parker,

event co-chairman and Alderson Community Center president,

says, About 15,000 people line the parade route each year, and

at least another 15,000 gather to watch the reworks not only

on the old ootball eld, but rom every vantage point they can.

Aldersons estival is an enduring celebration o our nations

independence, with roots going back to the towns rst known

celebration o its kind in 1874. Now, with more than 50 yearso consecutive estivals under its belt, the town strives to outdo

itsel by throwing a bigger and better party each year. And this

summer, Alderson has even more reason to celebrate.

First, this years event comes on the heels o West Vir-

ginias sesquicentennial. In recognition o that milestone, the

events theme or 2013 is Almost Heaven: Celebrating 150

Years o West Virginia Being Wild and Wonderul. Theorganizers are adding an attraction called Heritage Square,honoring West Virginias cultural heritage with traditional

crats and more at the Alderson Community Center. But thats

not all: The celebration recently was selected as one o the

Southeast Tourism Societys top 20 events or summer 2013.

(The State Fair o West Virginia was similarly recognized.)

New signs were erected at each o the gateways into town,

proclaiming that Alderson is, indeed, home to the Best July

Fourth Celebration.

Music, Food, Prde ndRubber DucksWest Virginias largest Fourth of July

celebration has something for everyone.

by Sarah AldersonCommunity contributor

Fight, fght, fght or Alderson,and our devotions prove

Though the celebration has received a lot o recognition in

the past year, its also had to overcome obstacles.Ater years o hosting the primary event in Greenbrier County

each July, Alderson ound itsel competing or attention in 2010

with the newly created Greenbrier Classic, a PGA gol tourna-

ment scheduled at the same time. This years Greenbrier Classic

concert series will include country musician Kenny Chesney

among its headlining acts. Committee member Amanda Bowden,

who coordinates the estivals marketing and manages its socialmedia outreach, says, Theres no way we can compete withKenny Chesney, but we plan to continue our celebration or

another 50-plus years no matter what else is going on.

The biggest blow came last year, in the orm o the derecho

that hit the Greenbrier Valley and most o West Virginia. Even

though the hurricane-orce wind storm knocked out power

across the county and orced the cancellation o most o the

estivities, the parade itsel went on.

Still, the impact on the estival, and on the town, was devas-

tating. Each Fourth o July Celebration includes

the ollowing year, and i the events cant be held

cant be raised. The Fourth o July Committee hathe rest o last year and the beginning o this one

events to raise unds.

The towns small businesses depend on the est

in their annual income. Those ew days in July can

summer, i not their year. The Fourth o July Cel

a great deal to our store, in so many ways, says B

o Aldersons Store. We depend on it to survive u

mas season. And really, many o the businesses inBut like other small towns across the Greenbrie

Alderson is resilient. And so are its people. Last su

volunteers ought to carry on with as much o the

could. Businesses even tried to open without powepicked themselves up and dusted themselves o si

theyve persevered to come back bigger and better

Sing, sing, sing or Aldersuntil the hills resound ...

West Virginias Largest Independence Day C

lled to the brim with un activities and with mu

concert each night, an old-ashioned gospel sing, adances, bands in the parade and more. Theres als

o other events, such as a car show, a remans ro

derby, a horseshoe tournament and a cornhole tou

Former resident Tim Burke, whose amily mo

Alderson years ago when he was in elementary s

still has ond memories o the parade. I hadnt b

my young kid age, he says, but I was impresse

And dont orget the reworks. For two nightscelebration has ull-spectrum shows with ground

wont see anywhere else, all designed and handcr

derson Fire Department volunteers.

In act, as co-chairman Parker points out, the e

become much like a small air. And Alderson has a

putting on wonderul airs: From 1884 to 1890, th

West Virginia was held at the current location o C

er. Its ocial name was the Greenbrier Valley Indtion, but most people called it the Alderson Fair.

West Virginia and Virginia focked to the estivitie

rom Charleston and Cliton Forge to bring in airg

estivals were held sporadically, but it was 72 year

popular event took place in Alderson again, in 196

Well give a rah, rah, rah or Aand fll the heavens with its so

While accolades rom outside are wonderul, G

County residents in general and Alderson resid

lar have long believed their celebration was the

Drivers nd orsebck riders led te crge t te nnul prde, one

o te centerpieces o aldersons Fourt o July celebrtion.Photo by Michelle Knapp


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16 July 2013

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ThINK hibumagazine.com/survey

Tell us

wt you

Alderson native Michelle Knapp still lives in the town where

she grew up and has missed the celebration only once. My a-

vorite part when I was little was the parade, she says. It wasntlong beore she wanted to participate, rst by decorating her bi-

cycle and then by riding her horse. Today she enjoys watching

her two daughters take part in the parade and the river events.

Emily Alderson, daughter o another town native, Joe Al-

derson, grew up coming each summer just to see the parades.

When I was little, she says, it was the candy and the horses.

Now its the atmosphere and getting to hang out with amily.

She also enjoys introducing the children o her older sister,Aundrea Kelly, to the parade. This year, Kelly and her amily

will make the trek to Alderson rom Texas, but many travel even

urther. Each year, at the celebrations homecoming dinner, an

award is even given to the person who has traveled the arthest.

In the end, what sets the Alderson celebration apart rom

others is the people who organize it. First, the Alderson Fourth

o July Committee is made up entirely o volunteers who work

throughout the year to make it a success. As Alderson nativeAlex McLaughlin says, Two or three generations have worked

tirelessly to plan, organize, raise unds and volunteer to make

this one o the premier Fourth celebrations in the state. Its one

o the most remarkable things Ive ever seen.

Second, the residents and the business community get in

on the act by helping to spruce up the entire town. Homes and

businesses are decked out in red, white and blue, a decorating

contest spurring them on. One longtime organizer, GreenbrierCounty Commissioner Karen Lobban, says, Its amazing to

see how everyone gets involved in decorating. From the homes

to the businesses, there are some wonderul displays.

With such an array o sights and sounds, you wont want to

miss West Virginias largest Independence Day celebration. There

will be a lot going on in this small-town Gem o the Hills.

For more inormation on the 2013 Alderson Fourth o JulyCelebration, visit alderson4th.com.

Sarah Alderson is a direct descendent of Elder John Alderson,

founder of Alderson. She was Fourth of July Queen in 1978.

Clockwise rom top: Myor Trvis Copenver (let),delegte George

Boogieambler,council memb er ann Eskins nd town recorder Betty

Toms dmire aldersons new sign.a freworks disply ligts up te

nigt t te 2011 Fourt o July celebrtion.all smiles t previous

yers event.No pddles re llowed in te si x-mn cnoe rce on te

Greenbrier River.Visitors spls wit te ducks beore te big rce. Te

Run 4 Sncks5K, new event dded in 2012, ws it.Locl fremen

compete in bucket brigdecompetition during te nnul

fremns rodeo.Top photo courtesy of Town of Alderson;right photo by Joe Alderson - Alderson Images;

other photos by Amanda Bowden

"inside the greenbrier valley" west virginia's largest 4th of july celebration

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