Thousands Fill Downtown Clarksburg As Italian Heritage Festival Heads Into Final Day

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Thousands of visitors filled the streets of downtown Clarksburg Saturday as the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival pushed through periods of rain and weather delays for one of the busiest days of its three-day celebration.

Rain slowed the start of Saturday's festivities, including delaying the festival's Grand Feature Parade by about an hour, but it did little to keep crowds away for long.

Once the weather cleared, spectators lined the downtown parade route as floats, bands, dancers, community organizations and members of the festival's royal court made their way through Clarksburg. The streets remained busy throughout the afternoon and evening as visitors returned to food vendors, entertainment stages, cultural activities and businesses throughout downtown.

The 47th annual festival has once again transformed several blocks of Main Street into one of West Virginia's largest celebrations of Italian-American heritage.

For many families, the festival is as much a reunion as it is an annual event. Generations of families with ties to Clarksburg and north-central West Virginia return each year, while thousands of other visitors come for the food, entertainment and traditions that have surrounded the festival since it began in 1979.

Saturday represented the heart of the weekend celebration.

Following the morning parade and rain interruptions, entertainment continued throughout the day on the festival's stages. Performances included local and regional entertainers, Italian music and an evening performance of "Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney," featuring Tony Kishman.

Vendors serving Italian favorites and other festival foods remained a major draw as crowds moved through downtown throughout the day. The festival's cooking demonstrations, artists and artisans, children's activities and other attractions also continued despite the changing weather.

But the festival is not finished yet.

Sunday brings one more full day of traditions and entertainment before the 2026 West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival comes to a close.

The final day begins with the traditional outdoor Mass at 10 a.m., one of the festival's longest-running and most meaningful traditions.

Entertainment resumes afterward, including a noon performance by Allegro Dance Company and the annual meatball eating contest shortly after 1 p.m.

One of the weekend's biggest performances is also still ahead.

West Virginia native and Grammy Award-winning singer Kathy Mattea is scheduled to take the Main Stage at 2:55 p.m. Sunday. Mattea, known for a career spanning country, folk and bluegrass music, is one of the featured headliners of this year's festival.

Amici is scheduled to perform at 5 p.m., helping close out three days of entertainment in downtown Clarksburg.

The Gallery featuring artists, artisans and authors will also remain open Sunday, along with the festival photography contest, food vendors, cultural exhibits, cooking demonstrations and other attractions.

After a Saturday that saw umbrellas open, schedules shift and crowds return as the rain passed, the festival now heads into its final hours with another full slate of events ahead.

For nearly five decades, Labor Day weekend has brought Italian music, food, heritage and thousands of visitors into the heart of Clarksburg.

On Sunday, there is still one more day to be part of it.