Elkins Inter-Mountain
Festival Parade Feature Of Last Day Celebration
Parade And Football Game Claim Attention Of Visitors At Festival
Dates For 1931 Festival Meeting With Approval When Announced
November 3, 1930
The parade and the Davis and Elkins-Oklahoma City football game were the features on the program of Saturday the last day of the first annual Mountain State Forest Festival, although a number of social events on Saturday night continued the celebration a few hours longer.
The parade Saturday morning was said by all spectators to be the largest and most beautiful procession that ever passed over the streets of Elkins or any other West Virginia city.
First prize in the parade, $100, was awarded for the Woman's club float which was occupied by Queen Silvia I and members of her court. Second prize was awarded to the float in the interests of the Randolph county school system, entered at Coalton and third to the log cabin float entered by the City of Buckhannon.
Many bands participated in the parade which was headed by the Fairmont American Legion Drum and Bugle corps, a striking aggregation of drummers and buglers. The Terra Alta high school band, the I. O. O. F. and high school bands of Elkins, The West Virginia Coal and Coke corporation band of Junior, the Elkins city band were among the musical organizations in the Festival.
A. Spates Brady, chairman of the parade committee, was marshal and members of the H. W. Daniels post of the American Legion were assistants. the Legionnaires headed various sections and assisted materially in keeping the procession unbroken. They were attired in their new blue uniforms and silver trench helmets.
All of the bands also attended the football game and played at intervals before and during the contest. While the game was not won by Davis and Elkins college it was a fast contest and gave Elkins people a sample of the "big time" football in which the Senators have been engaging in a number of years.
The announcement of the dates for the 1931 Festival - October 8, 9, and 10 met with general approval Saturday. Local people and visitors alike were pleased that the Festival will be continued in future years and the general opinion prevailed that it can be developed into an outstanding affair.
Today practically Festival visitors had departed for their homes. The Queen and Princesses of her court left Elkins on Sunday and were delighted with the reception which had been accorded them during their stay in the city. They were typical of West Virginia's young womanhood in every sense and their beauty and general bearing added a delightful influence to the events of the Festival in which they participated.