A big shout out and thank you to Eric Lee and Cheat Canyon Adventures for capturing this year’s Down River Race using a drone! Check out the resulting video and article below. Click Here for Original Article by Cheat Canyon Adventures

A Message from long time frined of the Cheat, Jim Snyder

Well- the Fest site is pulling itself together.  It’s been mowed, the dumpster is here and yesterday I spent most of the day enjoying the cool breezes and steady sunshine of a typical Preston County day while stringing up the lights.  Gives you a lust for life!  Lots of cool mellow folks stopped by to see how things are going,- Mike Petticord brought some ice by, Rick Chaney asked if I needed any help,  Amanda came to check on things.  I wish I could just take a nap at the site-  so peaceful.  Oh wait!  This is the calm before the storm!  The energy will just crank up from here.
The roof over the stage goes up today.  Soon, Chip Mefford will show up and answer our electrical questions and fix a hundred other small last minute issues.  We’ll laugh a lot and solve some of the world’s problems by pontificating and musing and quipping.  Maybe he’ll tell some stories about his good olde daze as a roadie.  Or tell heroic stories about his Surly cargo bike.

There’s so much entertainment to be had at Fest time.  And it just shows up.  The river is at an incredible level and is so clean.  The race will be perfect- ideal conditions.
And I’m not going to even mention the weather they are calling for (brilliant!!) because I won’t jinx it.  Although I’m sure a segment of the crowd will be disappointed if it doesn’t rain….

So-  for all you Festy types-  there’s  a flurry of readiness paving the way for your party.  And I love the focus of it all.  Making the Cheat a better river.  A river with real “Friends”!

Get your Cheat Fest fix early!  Black Bear Burritos is partnering with Friends of The Cheat this Thursday to host a warm up party called the Cheat Fest Soundcheck. Head over to the Downtown location on Pleasant Street to join in on the festivities.

The evening will feature live music with The Josh Daniel/Mark Schimick Project, great food and drink, raffle prizes and a whole lot more. You’ll also have the opportunity to grab your festival tickets or buy the new festival t-shirt. And, if you purchase a FOC Klean Kanteen Steel Pint Cup, you will get your choice of one $1 fill of select Big Timber or North End Tavern hand crafted brew.

Black Bear worked hard to get a great spread of raffle prizes, and all proceeds will be donated to FOC! Winners will be drawn and announced that evening. Prizes include:

• Gift certificates from Chestnut Brew Works, Atomic Grill, The Apothecary Ale House & Cafe, Pathfinder, WV Brewing Company, The Real Juice Bar, and The Iron Horse Tavern.
• Locally produced crafts and edibles
• Art work by amazing local artist Ryan Lincicome

As if that weren’t enough, $5 from every sale of the Thursday Dinner Special will also be donated to Friends of the Cheat. So come chow down on “the Porking Authority” and you know you’ll be eating for a good cause!

 “The Porking Authority”

                Feed your porking meter with this meal as your choice of a giant nacho or flour wrapped burrito:  Pulled pablano pork that was dry roasted in a house spice rub and tossed with a mildly spicy pablano pepper sauce. We “ticket” this with crunchy lettuce, fresh tomato, homemade pickled jalapenos, red pepper queso, diced red onion and a dollop of sour cream.  (burrito version served with chips). Meal cost is $12 with $5 of each special ordered going to FOC.

Hope to see you there!

Cheat Fest is less than 1 week away, and things are kicking into high gear. Check out some of the ways Cheat Festarians are getting ready for festival weekend!

The river is up and the sun is out – there is potentially no better way to get your mind right for Cheat Fest than by getting on the water, especially if your planning to test your stuff against some of the speediest paddlers around.

Local paddler, Bily Brown has been training long and hard for the highly prestigious Cheat Canyon Down River Race, which is set to take off this Friday evening before the festival. This unique training style, dubbed the “Flight of the Phonenix” by paddling legend Jim Snyder, has proven to be transformative for those athletes committed to its rigorous and unorthodox methodology.

Love to compete but paddling isn’t your bag of beans? Join the many Cheat Festarians who wake up bright and not-that early Festival morning to run the Cheat Fest 5K. If the joy of trotting around for 3.1 miles isn’t enough to convince you, do it for the awards! Local artist Gail Anderson (Cheat Fest Art Market Coordinator) is at it once again making her highly prized hand made Medallions, stained with an iron oxide glaze made from Acid Mine Drainage.

Curious as to what keeps me, this year’s Festival Director, up at night? Nightmares about compost-recycling-trash cross contamination!! Do not judge. In an effort to sleep better, and reduce confusion from cans conspiculously labeled “TRASH RECYCLING”, we’ve been at it repainting & labeling all of the waste bins. How many paddlers does it take to decide which colors scheme will produce the best results come festival day? Exactly: 3. That said, do a girl a favor and take a second look before you throw your half-eaten hot dog in the plastic bottle bin.

Lydia Darrow, master paint mixer works along side Bily, who is once again practicing yet another strangely effective kayak racing technique.

Wondering who made that Thrillseaker you saw cruising class V the other day? It was probably Chris Jenkins. In addition to being the best inflatable maker this (and that) side of the Mississippi, it turns out he is also a wiz at doing everything else. Thanks Chris for processing the online pre-orders, fixing all of the walkie-talkies, walking up and down the FOC stairs 300 times with loads of Cheat Fest supplies, and always being available for a post-work narrows paddle.

Well, that’s what we’re up to. I hope YOU are  ready for yet another fantastic festival weekend on the Cheat River. If you haven’t yet gotten your tickets, hop to it! Today is your last chance to save $5 on Cheat Fest Tickets and to pre-order your festival t-shirt. Click here to get your’s online now, or visit one of our satellite ticket sales locations below!

Tickets will continue to be on sale at these satellite businesses while supplies last!

Back Bear Burritos | Downtown Morgantown
Black Bear Burritos | Evansdale Campus, Morgantown
Morgantown Brewing Company | Morgantown
Little Sandy’s Truck Stop | Bruceton Mills
Waterstreet Cafe | Friendsville
Friends of the Cheat | Kingwood
Foxfire Cafe | Kingwood

Tickets are $20 at the gate; Kid’s under 12 enter for free!

Please note: tickets purchased online will be redeemable at the festival gates via will-call, listed by the purchaser’s name.

Pathfinder WV has very generously donated a DAGGER GREEN BOAT to Cheat Fest! How cool is that?? We are very excited.  DONATE NOW!  $5 donation for 1 chance to win, or $20 donation for 5 chances to win.  

All proceeds support Friends of the Cheat to protect, preserve, and promote the Cheat River!

The Green Boat

“What started as a dream has become a reality…the Green Boat is a longboat that defies categorization. Fast enough to win the most competitive whitewater races in the world, with enough performance to navigate any waterway, the Green Boat has truly limitless potential. Stiff edges that offer the performance of a slalom boat, with a narrow hull that carries speed while still giving stability and consistency, the Green Boat can run the steepest creeks, the most volumous rivers, and anything in between. Also regarded as a superior multi-day kayak, the only thing that can hold you back is your imagination. “

More about the Green Boat Here

And a HUGE Thank You to Pathfinder!

Pathfinder is a small-town, outdoor shop. They originally opened in Morgantown in 1973 on Wiley Street, just a few blocks from their current High Street location. They offer many services, including a full service bike shop, full service ski and snowboard shop, custom car rack system mounting, bike fitting, & proper ski and hiking boot fitting. They like to stay engaged with the local community and support several clubs and organizations, including of course, Friends of the Cheat.

Next time you’re in need of a fresh piece of outdoor gear, or some guidance on which bike will make the perfect fit, swing by their shop and say hello! Store hours are: Mondays: 10am-7pm, Tuesday through Friday: 10am-6pm, Saturdays: 10am-5pm, Sundays: Closed. They are located in downtown Morgantown at 235 High Street.

This Earth Day, show your love for mama earth and learn how you can help us reduce Cheat Festival’s environmental footprint!

Cheat Fest Carpool Contest
Save on gas money & cut your carbon footprint by carpooling to Cheat Fest. Vehicles with 4 or more people will be eligible to win prizes like Cheat Fest Swag and VIP Access!

Dirt -> Food -> Dirt
This year we’re upping our recycling game to include composting!  Any plates or utensils  distributed by one of our food vendors, along with all food scraps, can go in the compost bin!

Bring Your Own!
What’s better than your single use fork decomposing into fresh soil? Using a real fork! This Cheat Fest, considering bringing your own dinnerware. A great place to start is with a cup and utensils.

We Need More Volunteers!

Want insider access to Cheat Fest? Become a Volunteer and we’ll treat you right! Free festival access, on-site camping, food & beverage (so long as you bring your own cup!), and lots of love. Call or E-mail Kelli today to learn how you can help make Cheat Fest a success!

Kelligeswein@hotmail.com  (304)379-8719

This year we’ll see you at the intersection of music and the visual arts with Mounir Afrangi, who will be sharing a large format painting performance inspired by the music and the energy of Cheat festival. Mounir Afrangi is a Washington DC-based abstract artist who works with mixed media on canvas and furniture to evoke emotion with his curvilinear strokes. 

Afrangi exhibits regularly in the DC area as well as overseas and has been featured in many publications. In 2010, The Smithsonian, AANM, acquired an Indian ink on paper drawing that he completed when he was 19. It is now part of its permanent collection and travels across the United States. The signature design furniture he makes, that focuses on comfort, energy, as well as aestheticism, has traveled the world from North America to Asia.

In 2010, he was awarded the first place of honors in an art competition at the Jenkins Gallery at the Arlington Arts Center. He has become a part of the several annual events and festivals as he enjoys reaching out to the community during his large format painting performance to emphasis on the connection between the surroundings and art.

Friends of the Cheat is excited to welcome Afrangi to this year’s festival. His 8′ x 8′ painting will be auctioned, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Friends of the Cheat.

See his work and learn more about Mounir Afrangi on his Facebook.

There are a lot of excellent reasons why you should carpool to Cheat Festival – here are just a few.

1. Win Prizes!
2. Reduce your carbon footprint
3. Help us maximize our limited parking space
4. Have great road trip conversations with new and old friends
5. Save money on gas

Here’s how it works – You carpool to Cheat Fest (that means 4 passengers or more) – and our parking attendants will be paying attention. During festival Saturday, attendants will select three full vehicles at random. Winning vehicles will be notified on the spot. You will revel in do-gooder  glory all year.

Prizes include:

Chest Fest VIP Upgrade: Free festival entrance, camping, food & beverage – for each passenger in the car

Free Fest Entrance for each passenger in the car

2015 Cheat Fest T-Shirts for each passenger in the car

Endless love and appreciation from Friends of the Cheat!

Cheat Festival was featured in a recent article by the Preston County News & Journal! Check it out below!

Posted: Wednesday, April 15, 2015 12:00 am
by Monica Ammons Phillips CORRESPONDENT

ALBRIGHT — The sleepy town of Albright will soon spring to life, as the Cheat River Festival rolls into the canyon on Saturday, May 2.

Cheat Fest is the largest fundraising effort for the non-profit group Friends of Cheat (FOC). FOC helps fund the restoration of waters polluted by abandoned coal mines, as well as initiatives for river access improvement, to help people gain access to the water for recreation.

“The festival is a really important education and outreach platform. It’s the best opportunity for FOC to interact with the local community. Having community support is just as important to achieving our mission as sampling streams is,” Festival Coordinator Lauren Greco said.

Greco has been with FOC for just under two years, and has experience working on the restoration side of the organization, such as helping manage the water monitoring program and some acid mine drainage projects. As with most small non-profits, everyone is asked to wear multiple hats, and Greco says she’s grateful for the experience of directing the festival.

If you’ve never attended Cheat Fest, there is something for everyone. “From the family down the road to the serious kayaker, young and old, we really try to make everyone feel welcome,” Greco said.

In addition to all-day live music, there is an art market, kids tent, 5K race, downriver whitewater race, fly casting demo, non-profit tent and many interesting vendors.

These activities bring several thousand people to the area.

“One of our goals is to make the festival experience more directly about the river, and the things we can all do to protect it — from treating acid mine drainage to adjusting personal habits in order to lesson our own environmental impact,” Greco said.

Several new and updated policies and procedures are now in place to help FOC lead the way in lessoning the festival’s carbon footprint. It’s a tall order, considering the size of the festival and its location, along the Cheat River, near Teeter’s Campground. More than 700 campers stay overnight on property or at the campground, and another untold amount throughout the canyon.

Festival goers are encouraged to bring their own reusable cups, utensils and plates for the weekend.

“Saying no to single-use items is a simple change everyone can make to reduce their own environmental impact,” Greco explained.

This year, all food scraps and bio-degradable dinnerware waste will be composted at a West Virginia University facility, then recycled into the soil. Vendors of the festival have agreed to switch from regular dinnerware to compostable utensils. On-site compost bins will be available throughout the festival grounds.

Organizers have also taken a look at the source of festival themed T-shirts.

“We’ve partnered with SustainU, a Morgantown company specializing in producing 100 percent recycled, USA-made apparel,” Greco said. “We wanted to make sure we work with companies who are making an effort to be as environmentally and socially responsible as possible.”

SustainU was started by ordinary people looking to make a more authentic and honest garment. Starting with great fitting tees and hoodies, SustainU’s clothing will always stay true to its hometown roots, with new timeless, basic styles that transcend fads and can be worn for years

Greco also said another way to lessen the carbon footprint is by offering incentives for carpoolers. Any car arriving with four or more people eligible to win prizes, like free festival entry, VIP access and “swag” festival gear.

“At FOC we spend most of our time trying to remediate pollution that is decades’ old, but environmental damage is much easier to prevent than it is to fix. So, as an organization we have a responsibility to really consider and try to minimize our own environmental impact.” Greco concluded.

More information about Cheat Fest, including where to purchasing discounted tickets, can be found at www.cheatfest.org, on Facebook or the Friends of Cheat website, www.cheat.org

Feature Correspondent Monica Ammons Phillips can be reached at (304) 329-0090 or by email at mammons@prestonnj.com