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A Place to Call Home
Kanawha County
ARIANNA WHITEHAIR
Sternwheel Regatta in Charleston . Photo by Gary Wendell Photography .
Home to the state ’ s Capital City , Kanawha County is the very heart and soul of West Virginia . To keep up with its fast-paced , bustling way of life , the most populated county in the state is continuously expanding its horizons through exciting new technological , economic , recreational and educational developments with the goal of bringing the community together like never before .
Economic Impact
From annual festivals to local events , Kanawha County offers numerous events that bring in large amounts of revenue for the state .
One of the county ’ s most popular events , the Sternwheel Regatta recently made its grand debut after a nearly 14-yearlong hiatus . The summertime festival , which began in 1971 , includes live music , rides , food trucks , a distance run , fire-
YakFest in St . Albans . Photo by Adam Bryan . works and so much more . This year ’ s Regatta brought in an astounding $ 31.5 million , the city of Charleston ’ s largest economic impact from a single event in over a decade .
While Charleston ’ s Sternwheel Regatta was a massive success , YakFest , one of St . Albans ’ most popular events , encourages people to get outside and enjoy West Virginia . With vendors , art , craft beer , music , kayaking and fishing , this festival has brought in adventure-seekers from as far away as Texas .
“ In 2018 , the first year of YakFest , the attendance was estimated to be 8,000 people between Friday and Saturday ,” says St . Albans Mayor Scott James . “ The 2019 YakFest brought approximately 10,000 people to Olde Main Plaza between Friday and Saturday . While the third year was cancelled due to COVID , this past year , the attendance was estimated to be 12,000 people . Each year there have been 40 to 45 vendors on the street , and each year we have had 10 bands that played live music .”
In its very first year alone , YakFest was voted by StepOutside . org as the number one outdoor festival in the state of West Virginia . Despite being located in a small city , YakFest continues to make a big economic impact .
“ To the best of our knowledge , the economic impact is approximately $ 2 million . Having events in St . Albans that bring people to our community is of utmost importance — once they visit , they keep coming back ,” says James . “ Our population in 2019 was under 10,000 and in the 2020 Census , we were at 10,861 . From the 2010 Census to 2020 Census , St . Albans lost less than 1 % of the population , whereas the state of West Virginia lost approximately 3 %.”
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WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE