The Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce will host the 22nd Annual Autumn Harvest Festival and 17th Annual Road Kill Cook-off Saturday September 27, 2008 in downtown Marlinton. Autumn provides the perfect setting for an old-fashioned harvest celebration. The colorful sights, sounds of toe-tappin' music and smell of apples will take you back in time.

Highlights of this year's festival will include dozens of West Virginia craft and gift vendors, music, an auction, the Road Kill Cook-off, and agricultural exhibits at the Opera House. There will be plenty of fun for the kids with harvest games and soccer at Stillwell Park.

The Miss Autumn Harvest Festival Pagent starts the festivities Friday night, 6:30 p.m. at the Pocahontas County High School.The "Hillbillie Hollow Mud Bog" begins at 1:00 p.m. at Stillwell Park, and at 7 p.m. the Red Cross will have music by "Hot Master Gravy and One Pick Short" at the Opera House.

The West Virginia RoadKill Cook-off, as it is now called, coupled with the coinciding event, Autumn Harvest Festival is one of the region's highlights during the month of September.

Last year's winners were a group from Central Virginia, the Coal Hollow Brothers. It was their first win after placing in the top three for several preceding years. "We've made many friends in the county and in Marlinton since we've been coming to the Cook-off the last eight years," said Ed Blackford a cook from the winning team."People around Marlinton are fun folks and we get a real kick coming and visiting with them year after year."