South Fork Grange will host it’s annual ramp dinner Saturday, April 20, 2024, beginning at 2 p.m.

Dinner will be served until the kitchen is empty.

Menu consists of: Ham, potatoes, ramps, ramp salad, soup beans, cornbread, applesauce, horseradish pickles, cake and coffee or iced tea.

Cost for adults is $20 and for children under age 10 $10.

No carryout meals available. Horseradish pickles for sale.

Ritchie County Family Resource Network is hosting an adults only Mardi Gras Ball Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024 from 6-10 pm at the Ritchie County 4-H Grounds.

Enjoy a fully catered dinner, DJ and dancing along with door prizes, a 4x6 photo and resource tables.

Advance tickets are available by calling 304.643.2022.

Advance ticket cost is $40 per couple, $25 for single. Tickets at the door are $30 per person.

Formal or casual attire is welcome and this is a drug and alcohol free event.

A Valentines Day themed fundraising event sponsored by the North Bend State Park Foundation, you are invited to attend the Chocolate with Friends Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, at North Bend State Park Lodge

Please come and enjoy an evening sampling chocolate and chocolate inspired delights lovingly prepared by over a dozen local businesses and individual chocolate aficionados.

Cost is $35 per couple, $20 per single adult and $15 per child under age 12. The event will be hosted in the Main Conference Room.

Setup will be in an open house format, where you can come and go anytime between 4-8 p.m. Relax and sample all the goodies.

There will be coffee and soft drinks to complement the chocolate.

Proceeds benefit the North Bend State Park Foundation, which uses them for future projects at the state park.

To allow plenty for all to sample at the event, there will not be any “to go” plates, but at the end of the end of the evening, there may be some leftover goodies and possibly decorations available for purchase.

North Bend State Park Foundation, is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, whose mission is to financially and otherwise support projects, which improve North Bend State Park’s facilities, recreational opportunities, activities and aesthetics in order to enhance the overall experience of its guests.

Take a hike Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, on the North Bend Rail Trail and enjoy the fall foliage of Ritchie County in West Virginia.

Join the park naturalist Adam Wissner at the park’s Shelter Three and take a shuttle into Petroleum, then hike the trail back to the state park.

This hike is part of our WonderFall Patch Program. The completion of this event will come with a WV State Parks WonderFall Patch!

There will be opportunities to see the haunted Silver Run Tunnel, historic towns of Petroleum and Cairo, WV, one of the original abandoned stone tunnels, and several bridge crossings.

It is recommended you take plenty of water, wear sturdy shoes/boots, bring snacks, and dress for the weather.

Hikers must register for van space by Tuesday, Oct. 25 by calling the park at 304.643.2931.

Hikers must arrive by 8:30 am and meet at Shelter Three, at the park. Parking will be available.

Shuttles will leave from Shelter Three at the park at 8:45 am. A vehicle will follow hikers in case of an emergency.

This event is free and open to the public, however, registration really helps with shuttle.

For more information call the front desk at (304) 643-2931, email the park naturalist at Adam.L.Wissner@wv.gov or check the North Bend Foundation Facebook page for details as activities are planned.

North Bend State Park will host a Miniature Golf Tournament Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, with registration from 9-9:45 am.

This is a 54-hole event on a nine-hole course. There will be a 9:45 am meeting followed by a shotgun start.

After 36 holes with the same group and a 30-minute break, we will regroup with the highest scores starting a rolling start for the remaining 18 holes. The lowest scores will play last.

Two-person best ball playing for cash cost is $20 per team.

Two-person best ball playing for awards cost is $5 per team.

Singles only play for cash or add on cost is $10 each.

Adult/youth teams play for awards cost is $5 per team.

A total of 100 percent of fees paid out and 1 in 3 teams get paid.

Follow and like “MOV mini golf group” on Facebook for more info and other events.

Really Cheap Geeks of Parkersburg has added $100 to the prize funds.

West Virginia State Parks announced North Bend State Park will participate in the first annual Tread Lightly! Day WV on Sept. 30 as part of a statewide effort to clean up public lands.

State parks participating in the event also include Bluestone, Cacapon Resort, Canaan Valley Resort, Cedar Creek, Chief Logan, Tomlinson Run, Tu-Endie-Wei, Twin Falls Resort and Tygart Lake.

“West Virginia’s natural beauty is a treasure that belongs to us all and Tread Lightly! Day WV is an opportunity for us to come together and show our commitment to preserving these lands for future generations,” said Brett McMillion, director of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, which oversees the state parks system.

A ceremonial clean up is scheduled to take place at Chief Logan on Sept. 30, but members of the public who want to do their part are encouraged to take the Tread Lightly! Do Your Part Pledge. Those who participate are asked to pack out one bag of trash on Sept. 30 during an outdoor adventure and dispose of it with their regular trash. Participants are also encouraged to post a photo to social media with the hashtag #WVTLDAY so organizers can estimate the amount of trash that gets cleaned up.

“With tourism booming, a lot of people are coming to West Virginia and we want to set an example for how to take care of our public lands,” said Jerry Bain, chairman of the Country Roads Coalition. “If people visiting our state know that we work this hard to take care of our public lands, they will respect it too and it will make more people want to come to West Virginia because they will see that we are stewarding something truly special here.”

The clean up is a public-private partnership led in part by Tread Lightly!, a national nonprofit that promotes responsible recreation through stewardship programs and ethics education. Other partners include Rodney Loftis and Son Contracting, the Country Roads Coalition, BF Goodrich and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Rodney Loftis, the state-level sponsor, is helping transfer and properly dispose of debris, the Country Roads Coalition is providing volunteers, BF Goodrich is providing funding through its Outstanding Trails Program, and the WVDEP is providing trash bags and drop offs through its Open Dump Cleanup Program.

To learn more about stewardship and conservation at West Virginia’s state parks and how visitors can help keep parks clean, visit WVstateparks.com/leave-no-trace. To learn more about Tread Lightly!’s mission and work, visit treadlightly.org.

About West Virginia State Parks
West Virginia’s state parks and forests are the vacation destination of choice for more than 7 million people each year. Made up of 36 parks, 9 forests and three rail trails, the West Virginia State Parks system provides endless opportunities for family fun and adventure. Make memories that last forever. Book your adventure at www.wvstateparks.com.

West Virginia State Parks is managed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, a division of the West Virginia Department of Commerce.

The WV Deer Association will host a Kids Fishing Derby Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023 from 3-5 pm at the Cokeley Boat Ramp at North Bend Lake for youth ages 14 and under.

Live bait provided by Andy’s Trading Post.

Two age groups of up to age 8 and ages 9-14. Prizes for most, longest and shortest. Snacks and drinks provided. Door prizes for every kid.

Sponsors include: Sportsman’s Warehouse, Andy’s Trading Post, Ohio River Outdoors, North Bend Outfitters and North Bend State Park.

Contact person is Josh Compton at 304.481.4120, www.wvdeer.org/derby.php.

West Virginia Heroes Day is a FREE CONCERT evening in honor of and recognizing our FIRST RESPONDERS! Everyone is invited and encouraged to come show your appreciation to them and then enjoy the evening's concerts at the Ritchie County 4H Grounds.

The 2nd Saturday of September is WV HEROES DAY. WV HEROES DAY is a day established by the WV Legislature (2016) and Governor Jim Justice (2017) --- a day established by our state to remember the sacrifice of the first responders from 9/11/01, but at the same time, to recognize our first responders currently serving throughout the great state of West Virginia.

The evening's opening act will be Ritchie County’s own Midnight Outlaws. Terry Lee Goffee, the Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute. This group is renowned for their style of bluegrass, not just in West Virginia, but also in Nashville, TN.

Headliner will be Terry Lee Goffee, the Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute.

Refreshments available for purchase.

Mark your calendars, and we hope to see you there!

Contact Bill Dawson at 304.771.8522.

North Bend State Park will host a Farm To Table dinner Thursday, August 24, 2023, at Shelter Number Four.

They will offer two seating times, the first at 5 pm and the second at 7 pm with a cost of $50 for adults and children ages 12 and under $35.

Reservations are required and may be made by calling 304.643.2931 or online at www.wvstateparks.com.

The Farm To Table Menu includes the following:

Starter

Loaded Potato Soup

Refreshing Kale Salad

Main Course

Farm Raised Chicken with Peach-Cucumber Salsa

Fall off the Bone BBQ Pork Ribs

Locally Raised Mexican Street Corn

Cheesey Smashed Potatoes

Homemade Rolls with Cinnamon Butter

Dessert

Summer Fruit Salad with homemade Whipped Topping

Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Apple Crisp

Prosperity Church will sponsor a FREE concert featuring “The Letners” Friday, Aug. 18, 2023 at North Bend State Park.

Those planning to attend may gather beginning at 6 p.m. at Shelter Number Three.

Rev. Ken Heiney will speak at 6:30 p.m. followed by the show at 7 p.m.