Sisters Fest Invades Sistersville
If you saw grown women dressed as pirates, princesses and faires last weekend bustling around the city, they weren’t confused on their holidays. It was most likely they were here in town celebrating Sisters Fest!
This year’s theme was Dizney (Disney), and it brought with it all the wonder that magical name holds for children and adults. The festival marked its 25th anniversary and was held Friday, March 15th and Saturday, March 16th. Well known in the area as a fan favorite and held in historic Sistersville, the festival celebrates women. While the weekend highlights sisters, like the Wells sisters who established Sistersville, the event is for all women, sisters and “sisterfriends” as they are often called at Sisters Fest.
Many of the weekend’s activities took place at the B.P.O.E. Elks Lodge 333 on Charles St. in Sistersville. The Elks Club Ballroom also acted as headquarters for the festival.
Numerous events were held throughout the weekend, such as the always popular How Well do you Know Your Sister game which is very similar to the Newly Wed Game. Other events were an Appetizer and Dessert Contest, the Dizney Trivia Game, a Paint and Sip workshop, and new this year, the Sisters Fest Historical Homes Tour.
Tickets were required for entry into the historical homes and the event was open to the public. The two homes featured were one of the ornate mansions on State Route 2, the E.A. Durham house built in 1921, and the Victorian style McKay Miller house on Main Street built in 1884. Both homes are listed on the National Register of historic places.
Helen Buccella-Costa, present owner of the Durham house shared she had two groups of folks taking the tour of her landmark home. When asked how the tours went, she responded, “I always hear things like, ‘I’ve passed this house for so many years and always wondered what it was like inside.’ I wish the people who worked so hard to build it could know how its beauty is still so appreciated all these decades later.”
The Elks Lodge once again extended an invitation for all Sisters Fest attendees to visit their Riverboat Lounge Friday and Saturday night and hosted special entertainment for them. Friday night brought out a large crowd for dancing while a local DJ offered a mix of music.
The weekend was categorized as a big success, and hard-working organizers and volunteers are already making plans for Sister Fest 2025.