Mark your calendars in advance and plan to attend another crowd pleaser at Ferguson Memorial Park on Saturday, August 1st. Plans are set for Shinnston’s “Shindy 2026” at Ferguson Memorial Park. SHINDY, by the way, is a Gaelic term for “party”, and this will be the 4th year for this event, which has been successful in the past.
While most small towns are often branded as being rather dull and lifeless, with very few entertainment options, Shinnston does not fit that description at all! From springtime until fall arrives, there are typically free entertaining events of some kind planned each and every month to draw the community together and welcome visitors as well.
Brendan Gallagher, owner of Born & Bred Studio, located at 413 Pike Street in Shinnston, explained that the Shindy events originated to replace Shinnston’s long-running annual Frontier Days celebration, which floundered during and following COVID.
“The COVID pandemic really affected our social climate and, to be honest, finding fair/ carnival companies interested in coming here became difficult; they seemed to prefer to book gated festivals where admission fees were charged,” Gallagher stated. “That is when we initiated the Shindy event, and it has flourished, with noticeable growth each year. Attendance is not limited to just folks from our community either; we’ve had visitors from throughout north central West Virginia and even some from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana and Tennessee! It has done so well that it too has become an annual event.”
Gallagher is the Economic Developer and Event Planner for the City of Shinnston, and thanks to his many contacts with Mountain State artists through Born & Bred Studio’s dealings with WV artists and musicians, finding talent has not posed a problem.
Shindy 2026 will feature regional artists from WV who enjoy touring, performing, and offering a great mix of musical genres. Headlining this year’s Shindy festival will be Dalchord, a four-piece group that hails from Charleston and offers folk/rock selections. Others performing will include Grace Campbell (pop rock), Trevor Cooke (hip hop), Emmalea Deal & The Hot Mess (rock & country), Hello June (Americana/folk), Maximus (country), and Gallagher himself (acoustic pop).
“While this is kind of a celebration of the music culture of our state, it is not strictly music,” Gallagher added. “There will also be inflatables and a few rides for kids, plenty of food and drink trucks, a tap beer truck, a mini-market offering seasonal vegetables along with a mix of craft vendors. The pool will also be open with its regular hours that day, so there will be plenty of activity at our park!”
Attendees are encouraged to bring their outdoor chairs, blankets, canopies, etc. and enjoy a hopefully beautiful day at the park. Shindy 2026 begins at 1 p.m. and will shut down around 9 p.m.
Gallagher concluded, “We enjoy being able to bring people together in a festival-like atmosphere! For a small community, and despite having a limited budget, we offer a lot of activities for people to take part in, and we’re proud to offer these opportunities.”
Don’t forget that Shinnston will also host ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ (also admission-free) on July 19th, (beginning at 7 p.m.) with The Rustic Mechanicals performing A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, its city-wide yard sale on July 25th, its final Wind Down Wednesday event on the Green on September 2nd (beginning at 6 p.m.), and Fall Fest in October!
Please watch for upcoming details in the News & Journal about the annual “Party on the Green” hosted by Shinnston High School alumni in the very near future – another August event open to the public!
