The Mountaineer Days committee in conjunction with the city of Thomas share, with great sadness, that all events for the annual 4th of July celebration for 2020 have been canceled. This difficult decision was made for the safety and well-being of the local residents and community as well as visitors during these challenging times.
This popular event brings thousands of visitors to the small town and region. An incredible amount of time, financial resources and effort go into planning the event. Currently Gov. Jim Justice’s restrictions prohibit all large gatherings including fairs and festivals and it is uncertain if and when these rules will be lifted. In addition to the Governor’s order we are following local health official’s regulations and recommendations.
Mountaineer Days was created by the owners of the former “Hoagie Hut”, Bernie and Mary Stilley, in Thomas in the 1970’s. It was established as a ‘homecoming event’ and as a means to encourage business during the 4th of July.
The Mountaineer Days homecoming event worked in conjunction with the already established Thomas Volunteer Fire Department’s annual fireworks display to create an entire weekend for families to enjoy. In its early days the event included a pet parade, Miss Mountaineer pageant, a bicycle parade and a variety of music and dancing. Over the years the event has evolved and grown to include, live entertainment, a parade, pancake breakfast, cake walk, food and craft vendors, fireman’s water battle and 5k race.
With all the shops on front street open, food and craft vendors set up along the railroad grade, entertainment and live music filling the air until dusk and thousands of families, friends and visitors packed into the tiny town. The grand finale light show is the icing on the cake and truly a fan favorite event with a long standing tradition.
Although this year’s events will be deeply missed, the Mountaineer Days Committee and the city of Thomas encourage residents to keep your spirits high as we look forward to better days in 2021.
The Mountaineer Days Committee commends the Thomas Volunteer Fire Department for all their years of service and 62 years of spectacular fireworks displays. Each year the fireworks are put on with the donations from the public that the fire department receives specifically for the fireworks as well as through their roadblocks on the day of the event and their door to door donations.
The Mountaineer Days committee is looking forward to a fantastic and long awaited 4th of July Celebration in 2021. We ask that you consider a donation to Mountaineer Days or to the Thomas Volunteer Fire Department. You can keep up to date with plans for the event in 2021 at www.thomasmountaineerdays.com
