The Autumn Harvest Festival and WV RoadKill Cook-Off is a fun celebration. The Autumn Harvest Festival consists of a great vendor selection, awesome music and delicious food. The RoadKill Cook-Off, meanwhile, is an added event at the festival that allows you to taste from an assortment of dishes that can get exotic at times.
2023 DATE: September 23, 2023
Location: Downtown Marlinton
Website: https://www.facebook.com/roadkillcookoff
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This post documents my experience on September 28, 2019.
I arrived in Marlinton early Saturday morning…
…as a rainbow greeted me from above.
The Biscuit Bake-Off was taking place at the Opera House…
…with plenty of delicious-looking entries…
…people were registering…
…for the morning’s Possum Trot…
…and many, including myself, headed to the Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce booth for a $5 wristband…
…so that they could enjoy samples at the Autumn Harvest Festival’s RoadKill Cook-Off.
But since the tastings weren’t quite ready yet, I decided to first take a walk around the festival…
…meeting festival royalty as they sold decadent baked goods…
…learning about a former railroad that was transformed into a beautiful hiking trail (Greenbrier River Trail Association)…
…getting familiar with local politics (Citizen’s Defense League/Smith for WV)…
…and eventually following this sign…
…as it led me to a place where I could dodge a morning shower…
…and vote on some entries that included quilts, produce and fine artwork.
Soon after, the sun was out again…
…music had started up at the gazebo…
…and I decided to check out the vendors…
…who offered everything from home decor and homemade crafts (Home Simple Decor/Cute As A Button by Joy)…
…to handmade birdhouses, signs and furniture…
…including fun Mothman merchandise…
…beautiful glass jewelry (Elgood Mountain Rainbow Glass)…
…local maple syrup and products…
…inventive turkey calls (Lonnie Sneed’s Turkey Calls)…
…and homemade pepper grinders (which I bought for myself)!
Other booths sold salt rising bread and pepperoni rolls…
…homemade fudge and pork rinds(Pastor Jack’s/Marlinton Rotary)…
…stuffed baked potatoes (New Hope Lutheran Church)…
…maple cake donuts…
…local wine and hard cider (Kirkwood/Swilled Dog)…
…and meal options that included hot dogs, biscuit sandwiches (Boy Scout Pack 33/Pocahontas Memorial Hospital Auxiliary)…
…pork loin sandwiches and BBQ (PCHS Football Boosters/Marlinton Lions Club).
But let’s not forget the RoadKill Cook-Off!
With a wristband, festival goers were able to line up among the 8 competitors at this year’s Cook-Off…
…where they received a sample…
…that included wild boar meatballs over spatzle…
…venison with potato, corn and cheese…
…wild boar with pasta, rabbit and kielbasa gumbo…
…and even some bear chili (the most exotic meat of this year’s competition).
My favorite among the dishes, in case you were interested, was a wild board sausage with hot pepper and cheese…
…followed closely by the venison and “pus scabbed fritter.”
And I admit that I got back in line for seconds of my favorites…
…before leaving the festival with a pepperoni roll.