History

The Preston County Buckwheat Festival is a beloved annual event held in Kingwood, West Virginia that celebrates the rich history and heritage of buckwheat farming in the area.

In the late summer of 1938, members of the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department hit upon the idea of sponsoring a sort of homecoming celebration to mark the autumn harvest of buckwheat, a crop for which Preston County had already become famous. Within six weeks, thanks to a lot of hard work by the volunteer firemen and the enthusiastic cooperation of various civic groups throughout the county, the First Annual Preston County Buckwheat Festival took place.

The success of the festival created unusual interest throughout the state and led to an invitation the following summer for a group of Preston County buckwheat cake experts to visit the New York World’s Fair to bake the cakes as a feature of the West Virginia Day program.

The Buckwheat Festival has since grown into a five-day event that attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. The festival is a gathering place for our community, where we come together and enjoy a variety of activities, including live music, carnival rides, parades, arts and crafts, and of course, plenty of buckwheat cakes and sausage. We are proud to offer a family-friendly environment where everyone can create cherished memories and form lasting connections with one another.

The Preston County Buckwheat Festival is organized and sponsored by the Kingwood Volunteer Fire Department with the help of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to make each year’s festival a success. We are grateful for the support of our volunteers, sponsors, vendors, and visitors who make it possible for us to continue this beloved tradition.

We hope to see you at the Preston County Buckwheat Festival which starts the last Thursday in September.