Children dance around a miniature maypole with their parents at Earth Fest on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — The second annual Earth Fest was held at Morgan’s Grove Park on Saturday.

The festival served as fundraiser for the Shepherdstown Community Club (SCC), as a way to raise funds to build an open-air stage at the park — one of the two historic properties it owns and maintains. According to SCC President Carrie Blessing, the attendance at this year’s festival was much heavier than in its inaugural year.

“Last year, we had a pretty good turnout, even though it was cold. I was surprised by that. But we’ve got a huge crowd this year, compared to last year,” Blessing said, noting that overflow parking had to be set up in one of the park’s fields.

This year’s festival included moon bounces and face painting for children, along with vendor booths, live music, art demonstrations, a clothing swap, an art and craft supply swap, a plant and seed swap, an instrument donation drive for the Eastern Panhandle Community Band and catered food, including organic ice cream, barbecue, hotdogs, vegan burgers, chicken ramp pesto sandwiches, shrimp salad, vegan sausage, orzo, apple crisp, lemonade, beer and ale.

“It’s going to grow and it’s going to change every year. Right now, we’re still figuring ourselves out,” Blessing said. “We’re just seeing where it goes.”

A mother picks up a piece of lemon poppyseed bundt cake from off of its wooden sword carrier, for her son to enjoy, at the May Day celebration during Earth Fest on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

One major addition to this year’s festival was the inclusion of the town’s annual May Day celebration, which had previously been held by McMurran Hall on the first Saturday in May.

“This is the original home of the May Day celebration in Shepherdstown from back in Danske Dandridge’s time — there are writings that say it was held at Morgan’s Grove,” Blessing said. “So, while it’s not been decided if it will be a permanent collaboration or not, I do hope they will return again and celebrate it here. It’s such a beautiful celebration.”

Shepherdstown Music & Dance Director Joanie Blanton, who led the organization of the May Day celebration, said she could see this partnership continuing in future years, whenever Earth Fest is held on the first Saturday in May.

“It’s a nice combination, Earth Fest and May Day. It worked well here today,” Blanton said. “It makes their event bigger, better and beautiful.”

For Martinsburg residents Susan and Miriam Thompson, the festival was a fun way to celebrate the earth and spend time with friends.

The Ladies in White dance together around the maypole at the May Day celebration during Earth Fest on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

They spent several minutes playing a recycled objects matching game at the River & Trail Outfitters booth, manned by assistant sales manager Patty Miller.

“There’s a lot out there that we just don’t think about. But you can see, things last a lot longer than you would think,” Miller said, noting people are always surprised to learn that cigarette butts take five years to decompose and disposable coffee cups take 30 years to disintegrate.

The couple nodded their heads in agreement.

“If each one of us did one small thing to help the earth, it would make such a huge difference,” Susan said, noting she avoids single-use plastics and spends a significant amount of time gardening and planting chestnut trees. “My advice is to just pick one thing and do it.”

For Shepherdstown resident Phil Baker-Shenk, the heavy turnout at the festival filled him with a sense of hope.

The Outpatients perform on the music stage at Earth Fest on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

“In the midst of a dark and foreboding time, the fact that so many people have come out on a weekend to celebrate the earth, is a wonderful antidote to despair,” Baker-Shenk said. “That’s what community’s all about. We’re not in this alone. We’re in this together — for better and for worse.”

Audryn Kesecker, left, paints fellow Shepherdstown resident Lizzy Gorsuch’s face to look like a clown’s, in between serving customers at their free face painting booth, during Earth Fest on Saturday. Photo by Tabitha Johnston