This past May, the inhabitants of Parkersburg flooded the streets covered in colored powder all for a good cause. The Color Me Fun Run, sponsored by the WV Credit Union, took place on May 28 and had over 700 locals either running or walking to help benefit the West Virginia Children’s Miracle Network. While the Color Me Fun Run is not to be confused as the Color Run, both events had the same goal in mind – raising awareness about a cause and having a great time doing it.

Photo by Steve Spencer

The goal of the original Color Run was doing an event to promote healthy and happy lifestyles. Since the beginning of the Color Run in 2011, other races such as the Color Me Fun Run have popped up in cities all across the nation and internationally as a way to help benefit local charities and businesses and their contributions to society.

2014’s Color Me Fun Run in Parkersburg had 700 people participate and raised almost $16,000 for West Virginia Children’s Miracle Network. The race started in downtown Parkersburg and went through key places around Parkersburg such as Market Street, the Historical District and the Bureau of Public Debt. Volunteers stood alongside the road to shower participants in color powder in all colors of the rainbow and handed out free water at the two water stations during the three mile race.

The volunteers and other members of the community cheered racers on as they crossed the finish line at Point Park. Kelly Martin, a walker in the event, said she enjoyed the race that Parkersburg hosted. “I enjoyed the evening walking with friends, getting a little dirty and seeing the community rally together to raise money for a good cause,” she said.

No plans have been officially announced for a Color Run next year, but for as successful as the past two runs there’s no doubt that Parkersburg likes to get down and dirty for charity.

The post Color Me Fun Run appeared first on Clutch MOV.

“It’s the perfect size festival. Any bigger and you’d lose something.”

Andrew Bird’s quote perfectly encapsulates the whole vibe of Nelsonville Music Festival. The four day event which took place in the heart of southeastern Ohio, in the city of Nelsonville, from May 28-31 drew a crowd of about 6,000 who came to experience a festival unlike any other. With versatile musical acts such as Elephant Revival, St. Vincent and Mavis Staples, NMF brought together music fans of all genres for the 2015 lineup.

On Friday afternoon, could listen to folk inspired cellist, Ben Sollee, and experience an incredible, alternative set by St. Vincent on Saturday night.

One of the things that makes the music scene at Nelsonville so articulate is the experience of the No-Fi Cabin. Set about a five minute walk from the main stage into a line of cabins among a series of trees decorated with twinkling lights, this cabin allowed fans to watch performers with only their instruments and voices, creating a unique atmosphere for anyone in attendance.

Another amazing musical aspect of NMF was the picturesque Porch Stage where some of the rawest talent was displayed. From the all girl rock band, Good English, to guitarist Ryley Walker, the Porch Stage offered fans the same experience of a live performance but not as intimate as the No-Fi Cabin or mainstream as the Main Stage. It was the perfect in between.

The Flaming Lips wowed the Main Stage audience Friday night with a luminous light show, while a 28 foot robot made of balloons surged from the back of the audience and attacked front man, Wayne Coyne. Performing some of their hits such as “She Don’t Use Jelly” and “The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” attendees swayed along and sang in perfect harmony.

The overall influence the music has on a festival is excruciatingly important for the people coming. There has to be enough to accommodate everyone’s different tastes and NMF did a sharp job at getting all the angles of the different genres simultaneously together. If festival goers weren’t there for the music, they were most likely grabbing a beer from the Jackie O’s vendor (with valid ID of course) or a hot dog from O’Betty’s, both located in nearby Athens. The importance of supporting local businesses is an ideal commonly shared among the Nelsonville crowd.

Seeing the love and support of local businesses makes the uniqueness of Nelsonville Music Festival all the more special. While support for local businesses is persistent at NMF, the festival also wanted to tackle a problem that is affecting everyone globally. In a sponsorship with Rural Action, the Zero Waste program is on a mission to disperse materials both recyclable and compostable and ways to reduce and reuse natural resources throughout Appalachian Ohio. Zero Waste made this happen by setting up recycle stations and cute “Eco Facts” signs all over the festival on how recycling is better to do than throwing materials away in the trash.

This year, with 6,000 festival goers in attendance, Zero Waste was able to collect 96% of recyclable materials which will not be going to landfills. With the implementation of the Zero Waste program, the goal is for people who attend Nelsonville Musical Festival to embrace the beauty of the Earth, starting with the lush forests of southeastern Ohio.

The festival is a celebration of music, friends, beer, but most importantly good times. Until next summer, Nelsonville!

The post Nelsonville Music Festival appeared first on Clutch MOV.