(Photo by Amy Witschey) Sisters Amanda Nichols, left, and Nancy Quinet, right, pose with their mother, Diane Myers, for a photo. See pages 2 & 3 for more photographs from Sisters Fest.

The 13th annual Sisters Fest in Sistersville was a fun round-up of sisters and friends as they got into this year’s theme, Wild, Wild West Sisters Fest.

Approximately 175 women attended the event held each year near St. Patrick’s Day in a celebration of sisterhood and friendship. The many events were enjoyed and received enthusiastic participation.

It all started with the appetizer, dessert, and best theme food contests where the women brought their creations to be tasted and judged by their peers. This year’s winners were as follows. Appetizers: first, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Maranda Huffman; second, Cowboy Hot ‘N Spicy Cheeseball, Anna Hawkins; third place tie, Olive Dip, Raechel Daniels and Nanci Bowen; Cowboy Cupcakes, Jeni Forrester. Desserts: first, Carmel Brownies, Karen Lancaster; second, Haystacks, Danielle AlAbed; third, Cowboy Cake, Sherri Hostuttler. Best Theme: Mock Rattlesnake, Jayne Baker.

The variety show included fun skits and line and square dancing, punctuated by laughter, rounded up Friday night’s activities.

On Saturday the sisters showed their crafty side in the stick horse decorating contest and the cowgirl games were almost more fun than a cowpoke could stand. The ladies then paraded in their western wear down Charles and Wells streets to the post office for a group photo and a little fun shock value as they stayed on the steps to give a “Yee Haw!” greeting to unsuspecting motorists passing by after waiting for the parade to end.

Dave Wells gave the ladies rides in his horse-drawn covered wagon to the Durham Mansion for lunch. Once again Dan and Linda Marrin graciously opened their home for this event. After lunch the “How Well Do You Know Your Sister?” Game Show got the ladies thinking, reminiscing, and bickering. For the second year in a row the Matthews sisters, Andrea Garuccio and Leah Morris, won the competition. They had a perfect score.

The weekend was capped by the banquet and a presentation of “Mad” Anne Bailey by Patty Sue Cooper of Parkersburg as part of the History Alive! program through the West Virginia Humanities Council. She certainly enthralled and entertained the “sisters” with her portrayal of the West Virginia frontier scout.

At the end of the banquet the results of the annual theme vote were revealed. Next year’s Sisters Fest, to be held March 15 and 16, will be “Sisters Just Wanna Have Fun”-a 1980’s/Cyndi Lauper theme. It is sure to be a blast.