By Emily Salvatori, Assistant Editor
Wheeling offers many outdoor summer festivals. While some events have already passed, like the Wheeling Arts and Culture Festival, there are still many in the near future. Here are some of the upcoming local festivals you can attend:
The Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival
The Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival will return once again to the Wheeling Heritage Port. It begins at 11 a.m. on July 21 and ends July 23 at 6 p.m. The festival includes street vendors, entertainment and more. The festival was started in 1983 and continues to be a fun, annual tradition in the Ohio Valley.
The Grecian Fest
The Grecian Fest will be held July 26-29 at the Greek Orthodox Church St. John the Divine. There will be live music from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Agape dancers will perform every day at 12 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Greek food will be available daily from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Ohio Valley Pride Festival
The first Ohio Valley Pride Festival will be held July 29 and 30 at the Wheeling Heritage Port. The Ohio Valley Pride Fest’s hours are from noon until midnight on July 29 and from noon until 6 p.m. on July 30. For more information, check out the Ohio Valley Pride Festival’s website and Facebook page.
The Mahrajan Lebanese Festival
On Aug. 12 and 13 at the Levenson Shelter at Oglebay Park, the Mahrajan Lebanese Festival takes place. On Saturday, the festival will begin at 4 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. On Sunday, the festival begins at noon and ends at 7 p.m. At the Annual Maharaja Lebanese Festival, you can enjoy authentic food such as hummus, falafel, a variety of Lebanese pastries and much more. There will also be entertainment with live Middle-Eastern music and two dance troupes performing. The event is hosted by Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church.
Other festivals this summer include Heritage Music Bluesfest from Aug. 11-13 and the Mountaineer Brewfest on Aug. 19. Both the Heritage Music Bluesfest and the Mountaineer Brewfest will be held at Heritage Port.
There are many different types of festivals in Wheeling that can provide you with options if you are looking for something to do this summer. Go out and enjoy!
Photo credit: Kevin Powell
