55 of 55: Live Music in Pocahontas County | 55 counties in 55 days

When the organizers of Allegheny Echoes gave us some options on when to visit during the week’s event, they mentioned “Wild Meat Nightsâ€.

As an old friend of the news put it, “where there is food, there is newsâ€.

I couldn’t miss it, so it took me about 3 hours to get to Marrington, and after checking in at the Marrington Motor Inn, I was knocked down on several occasions playing the best violins, banjos and mandolins . It was.

There were few concerts during the day, but things really started after dark. Around this time, the entire engine transformed into a miniature version of the String Band Festival, and a small group of musicians gathered outside the rooms of various motels to play songs and drink a few beers.

While at Allegheny Echoes, I spent some time talking to banjo breeder Richard Hefner as a whole about life during a pandemic. Like many artists, he got stuck for most of the year and just started playing with people again.

“The worst part was that there was a pretty long time there where I didn’t want to pick up anything to play,†he said.

As the music played late into the night, an enthusiastic team fed the crowd with a late dinner of pork, venison and clams. What I was convinced of were the meatballs in barbecue sauce.

Between the afternoon show and the evening jam, I wandered around Marrington, ate Hawaiian pizza at Alfredo’s Italian and Greek restaurant, then at 4th Avenue Gallery, an artists’ cooperative in the ‘old C&O Railroad Depot. I visited Beaux-Arts et Métiers.

I dipped my head into the Pocahontas County Opera House and rented the outdoor stage that stood outside.

All over Pocahontas County, I had nothing like a cell phone signal, but local businesses, local libraries, and motorists had Wi-Fi. I couldn’t make a call, but I was able to post what I liked on Facebook.

In the morning, I had coffee and muffins at the Dirt Bean Cafe and Bike Shop. Coffee, pastries, ice cream and light meals were downstairs. Bikes and bike repairs were on the second floor.

I didn’t have a bike, but the coffee was pretty good. The beans are locally grown and roasted just above Richwood Road at the Cherry River Roasting Company.

The owner seemed in a rush the morning of my visit. She was tired and had to replace the air conditioner. She was also a little worried about the future.

“It’s hard to get enough people to work,†she told me.

• Appalachian cuisine
• (Snowshoes)
• Foxfire Grille (snowshoes)

• Snowshoe Mountain Resort (Snowshoes)
• Hills Creek Falls
• (Manongahira National Forest)
• Green Briar River Trail
• (starting point of the Marrington trail)

• Bruce, Brew & BBQ Festival, July 31-August. 1 (racket)
• August 7, Appalachian Heritage Day (Cascineic Railroad State Park)
• Watoga State Park Mountain Trail Challenge, August 14
• (Watoga State Park)