The 2nd Annual WV Makes Festival will take place on Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Heritage Farm Museum and Village to celebrate local creators of all ages.

The Festival includes a design challenge and booths with both modern and historical crafts. The festival aims to showcase both local artists and entrepreneurs, as well as inspire the community.

Participants of the design challenge will include students, inventors, artists and hobbyists. The challenge will feature many different types of creations.

“Our festival celebrates makers,” Robert C. Byrd Institute Director and CEO, Charlotte Weber, said. “It taps into the inventive community of entrepreneurs and innovators so they can interact with likeminded makers.”

Public Information Specialist at RCBI for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing, Mike Friel, has had a hand in creating the festival and bringing opportunities for the community to showcase their talents.

“It is a celebration of creativity in all forms, participants will include people from all walks of life,” Friel said. “Just getting together in one location and showing off innovative products, inventions and artistic creations of all sorts. This year we are having the Heritage Farm Museum and Village here in Huntington. We’re having the event here to join together the inventors of yesteryear with the inventors of today. So, at Heritage Farm there will be re-creators of pioneer artisans demonstrating out there demonstrating their crafts as well.”

The festival and design challenge are free and open to everyone. Contestants can apply until Friday.

Kelsie Lively can be contacted at [email protected].