On Saturday, June 20, Tamarack Marketplace welcomed visitors from near and far for Summerfest 2026, a day filled with live music, artisan demonstrations, local food, and Appalachian culture. Held on West Virginia Day, the festival was the perfect way to celebrate our state’s creativity, heritage, and community spirit while also marking Tamarack Marketplace’s 30th birthday.

 

 

 

 

Throughout the day, guests enjoyed performances on two stages featuring an incredible lineup of musicians and performers. The Main Stage welcomed One Eyed Jack, The Carpenter Ants with special guest and West Virginia music legend John Ellison, The New Relics, Matt Mullins & The Bringdowns, Andrew Adkins & 1863, and Nothing Noble.

The Courtyard Stage featured Emma Shirey, Eric Robbins, Theater West Virginia performing a special selection from Honey in the Rock, Jessie Milnes & Emily Miller, Jordan Dyer & Mark Miller, and The Dynamic Duo. Together, the two stages kept the music going all day long and celebrated the rich musical traditions of our region.

 

 

Beyond the music, visitors had the opportunity to meet talented West Virginia artisans and watch live demonstrations throughout the day. This year’s demonstrators and special guests included Jimmy Woods, Gayle Rancer, Phillip Peelish, Lesia Angel, Bev Hall, Shannon Arbogast, Darren Jackson, Kathryn Lehotsky, Lindsey Long, Andrew Mullins, Angela Carpenter, Peyton Brown, Debbie and Steve Sisson, Debra Davis, Allen Hamrick, Ronnie Hamrick, Christine Keller, Connie Martin, Mama Faye, Merideth Young, and Eliot Parker, who joined us for a book signing.

 

 

 

 

Guests also enjoyed a fantastic variety of local food from JOJO’s Taco Truck, The Hungry Hut, MAD Concessions Paradise Treats, New River Slices, Bandit BBQ, and Coal Camp BBQ, making it easy to grab a delicious bite between performances and demonstrations.

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, no birthday party would be complete without party favors! To help celebrate Tamarack Marketplace’s 30th birthday, guests picked up custom Tamarack Marketplace party hats and balloons. Seeing visitors of all ages sporting their party hats and carrying balloons added even more fun to the festive atmosphere.

 

 

 

 

 

Families found plenty to enjoy throughout the day, including free face painting by For His Glory Face Painting, a bubble zone, Summerfest Bingo, coloring activities, and a special faux stained-glass monarch butterfly craft. The butterfly activity served as a nod to West Virginia Day, celebrating the monarch butterfly as the official state insect of West Virginia.

 

 

 

 

This year also marked our 5th Annual Summerfest. What began as a celebration of West Virginia’s creativity has grown into one of Tamarack Marketplace’s favorite traditions, bringing together artists, musicians, makers, performers, and visitors from across the region. As we celebrated 30 years of Tamarack Marketplace, it was especially rewarding to see so many people come together to support local talent and share in the festivities.

 

 

 

 

Thank you to all of the musicians, performers, artisans, food vendors, staff members, and guests who helped make Summerfest 2026 such a memorable day. We are grateful for your support and for helping us celebrate 30 years of showcasing the best of West Virginia.

We can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Missed Summerfest or want to experience it all over again? Browse more photos and watch performance highlights from the day here!