City Departments Preparing for Forest Festival

City of Elkins departments are busy preparing for the 2026 Mountain State Forest Festival. As usual, this year’s Festival will bring thousands of visitors to Elkins, along with changes to city services, street closures, altered traffic and parking patterns, and increased demands on city, county, and state resources. There is a change to Friday trash collection during Festival week.

A Multi-Department, Multi-Agency Effort

Preparing for the Forest Festival requires work from multiple city and utility departments, as well as public safety agencies and other partners from Randolph County and the State of West Virginia. That work includes preparing streets, parks, and other public spaces, coordinating closures and traffic control, maintaining city services, collecting the massive volume of additional trash generated during the Festival, and providing police, fire, and emergency medical services for Festival-related incidents while continuing to respond to calls throughout the service area as usual.

Carnival Street Closures

Some of the first changes will begin Saturday, September 26, when the carnival starts setting up. Third Street, part of Davis Avenue, and part of Railroad Avenue will be closed through the following weekend as a result. Other street closures and traffic changes will occur later during Festival week.

Parking

Free public parking will remain available at several downtown locations during the Festival, although spaces will be limited. The number of spaces available at City Hall will be significantly reduced because of ongoing construction and the staging of public safety resources. Additional public parking is available in the Seneca Mall parking lot and in the lot near Sweco Furniture. Both lots contain both first-come-first-serve spaces and reserved spaces, so drivers should pay close attention to signs before parking.

Expect available spaces in all of these locations to fill early each day. Businesses and civic organizations may offer paid parking in various locations as well.

Parade Street Closures and Parking

The Firefighters Parade begins at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 2.

On Saturday, October 3, the Antique and Classic Cars Parade, Log Truck & Equipment Parade, and Grand Feature Parade will follow one another beginning at 1 p.m.

Both the Friday and Saturday parades follow the same route, traveling up Davis Avenue from 12th Street, across Fifth Street, and down Randolph Avenue past the Randolph County Courthouse. Parade staging also requires the use of multiple blocks south of 12th Street.

There will be no parking along the parade route for either parade. To avoid being towed, vehicles parked along the route should be moved no later than one hour before the parades step off.

People attending the parades are encouraged to arrive early, park outside the affected area, and walk to the parade route. Drivers should avoid unnecessary travel through downtown during parade staging and the parades themselves. Street closures and the volume of pedestrian and vehicle traffic will make driving through downtown nearly impossible during these periods.

Changes to Friday Trash Collection and Other City Services

City Hall will be closed Friday, October 2.

Trash collection will operate on its regular schedule Monday, September 28, through Thursday, October 1. Customers whose regular collection day is Friday will instead have their trash collected beginning at 6 a.m. on Thursday, October 1. Friday-route customers should have their trash out by 6 a.m. Thursday.

The City’s sanitation crew is work a double route Thursday to free up capacity for the large amount of garbage collection required during the final weekend of the Forest Festival.

Follow City Channels for Ongoing Updates

Additional street closures and temporary traffic changes will be necessary at various times during Festival week. The City will provide reminders about closures, parking restrictions, sanitation service, and other changes as they approach. Visit our Alert Center for more information about how to stay informed: https://cityofelkinswv.gov/alert-center.

Please be careful, look out for each other, and have a great Mountain State Forest Festival.