The Shadow
It was difficult to find people who were wearing masks at the Clifton Forge Shrine Club’s 51st Fall Foliage Festival which drew thousands to Clifton Forge from Oct. 14-16.
Unfortunately, for the festival organizers, what began on a warm, sunny day on Fri., Oct. 14 and continued throughout another near-perfect-sunny Sat., turned into a rainy Sun. afternoon with rain beginning to fall just after 1:00 p.m. and continuing off and on till the official end of the festival at 5:00 p.m. and beyond.
Glenn Perry, secretary/treasurer of the Clifton Forge Shrine Club, remarked, “Garlynda’s Fancy Feet was scheduled at 1:00 p.m., but they only got to dance a little before the rain.”
Before the festival’s official ending time arrived, only two vendors were still active, one on Main St. and one of Ridgeway St.
During the two sunny days prior to the rain, festival attendees had filled spaces near Ridgeway St., Commercial Ave. and Main St., the central area of the festival where one or both lanes of traffic had been blocked off for the Clifton Forge Shine Club via its request to the Clifton Forge Town Council.
Perry noted, “Most of the merchants did well.”
Some motorists found extra parking in the Rose St. Hollow area, and others filled parking spaces along McCormick Ave. and Church St.
The Clifton Forge Shrine Club’s doughnut and country ham concession trailer was set up across Ridgeway St. from Jack Mason’s Tavern & Brewery.
The entire north side of Ridgeway St. from the CSX Amtrak Station to the fountain where Ridgeway St. meets Main St. was occupied by vendors selling from tents or trailers.
According to Perry, the concession sales were brisk, and his statement was evidenced by steady lines of patrons on Fri. and Sat. before the rain arrived.
The Historic Masonic Theatre hosted Irene Kelley, a coal miner’s daughter from Latrobe, Pa. who left a rock band to become the lead singer for Redwing, a prominent bluegrass band in Huntington, W.Va. The show drew 50 to hear the MCA recording artist and songwriter, and it was the only musical performance the first night of the festival.
The west side of Primis Bank served as the staging area for the festival’s official entertainment on Sat. and Sun.
Classy Cloggers Dance Group performed on Sat. from 10:00 a.m. till 10:30 a.m., Marcia Navidi, a vocalist, shared country, oldies and gospel from 10:30 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. and the Cliffwood Trio presented renditions of country, rock and pop songs from 11:00 a.m. till noon.
Afternoon entertainment included the Virginia Magic Band rendering southern rock from noon till 2:00 p.m., and the Highlands Blues Band finished the day’s entertainment by performing from 2:00 p.m. till 4:00 p.m.
The Masonic Amphitheatre was utilized Sat. evening by two bands not listed on the Shriner’s Fall Foliage Festival’s entertainment lineup. Those bands performed while The Announcers and Narrow Road performed a gospel music benefit concert for The Clifton Forge Shrine Club.
Dale Muterspaugh, a founding member of The Announcers, addressed the audience at the beginning of the benefit concert held in the sanctuary of the Central United Methodist Church on Main St. and informed all that 100 percent of the donations received along with ones given for free CDs that were being offered as gifts would benefit children at a Shriner Hospital.
The Shriners’ organization owns and operates 22 hospitals in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Sunday’s entertainment schedule was interrupted abruptly by rain as members of Garlynda’s Fancy Feet and Patsy’s Dance Studio were performing.
Rain forced the Clifton Forge Shrine Club’s officials to call a halt to the entertainment for safety of the performers and cancel the next two scheduled acts, Rebels of Rhythm Cloggers, 2:00 p.m. till 3:00 p.m. and Crimson River, a Christian country band, that was scheduled to perform from 3:00 p.m. till 4:30 p.m. Crimson River is one of The Virginia Opry’s 12 bands.
Perry noted that Crimson River has been invited back for the 52nd Fall Foliage Festival in 2023.
The Alleghany Highlands Arts and Crafts Center was open during the festival, and art exhibits were available for viewing. Also, the Clifton Forge School of the Arts opened its doors to festival goers as well to view exhibits.
The official flea market that was part of the festival was set up on Main St., Ridgeway St. and Commercial Ave. did not keep people from unofficially conducting yard sales and setting up tents and tables to market their wares far beyond the downtown area.
In fact, from the Clifton Dale Park highway sign east of the Town of Clifton Forge on U.S. Route 60 to the onramp at I-64, vendors were set up along both sides of the road as were residents who were conducting yard sales.
A festive atmosphere prevailed on both sunny days on both sides of the hill separating the Town of Clifton Forge from Clifton Dale Park.
Shriners International is celebrating 150 years as a worldwide organization, and The Announcers has performed gospel benefit concerts free of charge to help the Clifton Forge Shrine Club raise funds for its children’s hospitals during 49 of the 51 Fall Foliage Festivals.
Perry concluded, “I think that the fall festival went well.”
Established in 1922, the Shriners International has 7,000 clubs spread over six continents.
