BEX Oddities and Curiosities Fair to Be Held in Downtown Beckley September 24

9/21/2022

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Contact: Jack Bailey
(304) 766-4109
jbaile19@wvstateu.edu
   
BECKLEY, W.Va. – The third annual BEX Oddities and Curiosities Fair will be held at Word Park in downtown Beckley on Sept. 24 from 5–9 p.m. The fair is a popular event in Beckley and is specially designed to celebrate all things curious, bizarre, peculiar, fantastic, extraordinary, offbeat and eclectic.
                       
The BEX Oddities and Curiosities Fair was created by West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Educator Christine Kinder, Saja Montague, Jared Kaplan and Shane Pierce.
                       
"BEX Arts Week and the BEX Oddities and Curiosities Fair are the two main events of BEX. When the first annual Oddities Fair exceeded expectations, it separated from BEX Arts Week to become its own standalone event," Kinder said. "BEX Arts Week and the Oddities Fair serve as two of our creative community engagement projects, which are made possible through the technical assistance and expertise of WVSU Extension Service. Both events have contributed to an increase in local community pride and collaborative spirit."
                         
This year's celebration will feature an open-air marketplace with more than 40 artist vendors, wandering performers, mystics, readers, live music, interactive installations, film screenings, ghost hunters, podcasters, featured Fright Nights ghouls and a Costume and Cosplay Contest judged and sponsored by Causeacon.
                       
Music performances will take place from 5–9 p.m. and will feature The OYB, Jordan Shorter, Hannah & Lily Moore and Pink Casino.
                       
Local food trucks will be present, including Tea Time, Black Circle Bistro and That's All Fowlkes.
                       
Fire performers will begin at dusk, and interactive booths and media tents will be open throughout the entire event.
                       
The Haunted Beckley downtown ghost tour begins at 9:30 p.m, starting at the Word Park water fountain.
                       
"This is a unique gathering unlike any other in the area. We are thrilled about the support we have received from the community," said Kinder. "This event has grown steadily over time, and we think this will be the biggest and best year yet."
                       
Interested parties can pay at the event or register at this link: https://fb.me/e/23Q8KYpwD. The cost is $15 per ticket.
                       
The event is sponsored by Appalachian Screen Printing & 93.5 The Buzz Radio.
                       
Event details can be found on the BEXwv Facebook page or by emailing Christine Kinder at beckleybex@gmail.com.
                       
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West Virginia State University is a public, land-grant, historically black university, which has evolved into a fully accessible, racially integrated, and multi‐generational institution, located in Institute, W.Va. As a “living laboratory of human relations,” the university is a community of students, staff, and faculty committed to academic growth, service and preservation of the racial and cultural diversity of the institution. Its mission is to meet the higher education and economic development needs of the state and region through innovative teaching and applied research.
 
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