Geraldine Hupp of Grantsville is the 71st WV Folk Festival Belle which will be held in Glenville June 17-20, 2021, she appearing in the Wood Festival Parade.
The West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville was initiated in the 1950s by Dr. Patrick Gainer "to preserve the remnants of West Virginia traditional life and culture to the end that citizens may appreciate and respect the achievements of their forebearers."
Calhoun has had an illustrious list of "Belles" across the years.
Belle is French for beautiful and here are Calhoun's beautiful Belles across the years:
1957 Fannie Yoak
1958 Stella Ferguson
1959 Della Kelley
1960 Berta Francis
1961 Cora Dye
1962 Mrs. L. J. Morris
1963 Myrtle Marshall
1964 Orma Burns
1965 Alice Wease
1966 Luerna Robinson
1967 Hattie Kight
1968 Grace Hathaway
1969 Della Bennett
1970 Mabel McEndree
1971 Mary Black
1972 Gene H. Kight
1973 Donnie Riddle
1974 Delphia Harris
1975 Fannie Parsons
1976 Thelma Poling
1977 Edna Smith
1978 Martha Vannoy
1979 Elsie Vannoy
1980 Hazel Brannon
1981 Maybn Bailey
1982 Mae Offutt
1983 Vera Bailey
1984 Jaunita Hall
1985 Cora Alfred
1986 Edna Kight
1987 Esta Jones
1988 Pearl Vanhorn
1989 Chloe Alfred
1990 Laverne Powell
1991 Fae Cox
1992 Oleta Lamp Hill
1993 Glenna Fleming
1994 Vesta Arnold
1995 Margie Evans
1996 Grace Adams
1997 Jean Yoak
1998 Donna Cain
1999 Osa Fowler
2000 Oleta Kelley
2001 Irene Conrad
2002 Ella Elliott
2003 Ruby Shock
2004 Katheryn Burrows
2005 Sally Hashman
2006 Evelyn McCormick
2007 Freda Yoak
2008 Patricia Radabaugh
2009 Evelyn McCormick
2010 Mary Umstead
2011 Grace DeLorenzo
2012 None
2013 Ann McCartney
2014 Helen Morris
2015 Loretta Stevens
2016 Patty Cottrell
2017 Carol Sloane
2018 Jean Simers
2019 Karen Yoak
2020 No Festival
2021 Geraldine Hupp
