CALHOUN FOLK FESTIVAL BELLES ACROSS THE YEARS - WV Folk Festival Cancelled 2020

(06/14/2020)
The West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville was initiated in the 1950s by Dr. Patrick Gainer "to preserve the remnants of West Virginia traditional life and culture to the end that citizens may appreciate and respect the achievements of their forebearers."

The year's festival has been canceled due to COVID-19.

Calhoun has had an illustrious list of "Belles" across the years.

Belle is French for beautiful and Calhoun's beautiful Belles across the years:

1957 Fannie Yoak

1958 Stella Ferguson

1959 Della Kelley

1960 Berta Francis

1961 Cora Dye

1962 Mrs. L. J. Morris

1963 Myrtle Marshall

1964 Orma Burns

1965 Alice Wease

1966 Luerna Robinson

1967 Hattie Kight

1968 Grace Hathaway

1969 Della Bennett

1970 Mabel McEndree

1971 Mary Black

1972 Gene H. Kight

1973 Donnie Riddle

1974 Delphia Harris

1975 Fannie Parsons

1976 Thelma Poling

1977 Edna Smith

1978 Martha Vannoy

1979 Elsie Vannoy

1980 Hazel Brannon

1981 Maybn Bailey

1982 Mae Offutt

1983 Vera Bailey

1984 Jaunita Hall

1985 Cora Alfred

1986 Edna Kight

1987 Esta Jones

1988 Pearl Vanhorn

1989 Chloe Alfred

1990 Laverne Powell

1991 Fae Cox

1992 Oleta Lamp Hill

1993 Glenna Fleming

1994 Vesta Arnold

1995 Margie Evans

1996 Grace Adams

1997 Jean Yoak

1998 Donna Cain

1999 Osa Fowler

2000 Oleta Kelley

2001 Irene Conrad

2002 Ella Elliott

2003 Ruby Shock

2004 Katheryn Burrows

2005 Sally Hashman

2006 Evelyn McCormick

2007 Freda Yoak

2008 Patricia Radabaugh

2009 Evelyn McCormick

2010 Mary Umstead

2011 Grace DeLorenzo

2012 None

2013 Ann McCartney

2014 Helen Morris

2015 Loretta Stevens

2016 Patty Cottrell

2017 Carol Sloane

2018 Jean Simers

2019 Karen Yoak