June 7 – blue field
Ablue Sky greeted festival goers Thursday as the Cole Chevy Mountain Festival prepared for the day and a sunny sky Friday and Saturday.
The Cole Chevy Mountain Festival along Stadium Drive in Bluefield concludes Sunday with a fireworks show scheduled for 10:30 p.m. The gates open today at 4pm.
The National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia, forecast sunny skies today with a high of 71 degrees and mostly sunny skies on Saturday with a high of 75 degrees.
The James H. Drew Carnival rides began and vendors got ready Thursday as the sun began to shine. People were already waiting for tickets to go on sale and some visitors were exploring the halfway point or visiting the sea lions during the Sea Lion Splash show. At the halfway point at the Two Virginias Chamber of Commerce RV quarters, President and CEO Jeff Disibbio said the turnout was good and the festival had a grand opening last weekend.
A special event offered Wednesday, a Silent Carnival for people who might have trouble with the loud noises and flashing lights of a regular carnival, had a good turnout despite the rainy weather forecast, he said. Sponsors of this year’s Quiet Carnival included Southern Highlands, Alorica, MEFCOR Outdoors, First Community Bank, the City of Bluefield, Virginia, Summit Community Bank and the City of Bluefield.
“We had a very successful opening for five days. The rain dampened the mood for a while, but it certainly did not dampen the mood of the children who were here for the Silent Carnival,” Disibbio said. “Those who were able to attend had a fantastic time. We received a lot of compliments, so we are very happy with that. It only rained for a while but it cleared up and at the end of the evening we had a decent audience.”
Although there was rain on Thursday, that does not seem to be a problem for today and Saturday. The National Weather Service in Blacksburg, Virginia. predicted a 50 percent chance of rain on Sunday.
“The forecast will show that we won’t have anything else – fingers crossed, knock on wood – and it will be good weather for the rest of the weekend,” he said. “So we hope it stays that way, but we had a fantastic opening weekend. Many people have come. The first few days we were literally standing here shoulder to shoulder, so we’re glad we were able to provide such a service to the community.”
Today’s Cole Chevy Mountain Festival includes the Steamers Thrill Show at 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM; Sea Lion Splash at 5:15 PM and 8:15 PM; the Stone Age Show at 6pm and 9pm; and Rock-It the Robot at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m
This year’s sponsors include Cole Chevy, Lawrence Brothers, Integrity Air and the James H. Drew Exposition.
A pickle ball tournament scheduled for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. will not take place due to a lack of registrations, Disibbio said.
Contact Greg Jordan at
gjordan@bdtonline.com
