FREDA YOAK CALHOUN'S FOLK FESTIVAL BELLE

(06/05/2007)

Calhoun County Belle 2007 - Freda Yoak

Calhoun's Folk Festival Belle Freda Yoak of Pleasant Hill will represent the county at the 2007 Fifty-Eighth Annual West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville.

The festival runs from Thursday, June 21 to Sunday, June 24, and is dedicated to old-time musicians Lester Virgil McCumbers and his wife Malinda Swanetta McCumbers of Nicut.

In 1957, the Folk Festival Belles became a part of the Festival and have been a tradition ever since.

The Belles are selected in each county by local groups, such as the Extension CEOS (Community Educational Outreach Services), Senior Citizens groups, or a Chamber of Commerce.

Each Belle must be 70 years of age or older in the year she is chosen and she should represent the true pioneer mountain spirit.

They are the honored guests of the Festival and are housed during the Festival in Pioneer Village, a group of student housing on the GSC campus.

In addition to participating in the festival, on Sunday morning, the Belles can be found at the Festival closing - a service held at Job's Temple.

Job's Temple is a Civil War era log church on Rt. 5, 10 miles west of Glenville.