Area’s first ever ‘Off-Grid Living & Homesteading Expo’ comes to Lewisburg next weekend

By Matthew Young, RealWV

FAIRLEA, W.Va. – Outdoor enthusiasts, homesteaders, survivalists, farmers, and those with an interest in any of the above are invited to attend next week’s three-day “West Virginia Off-Grid Living, Homesteading & Preparedness Expo.” 

Taking place October 3 through 5 on the grounds of the State Fair of West Virginia in Fairlea, the expo will feature a wide array of vendors, food trucks, informational seminars, family-friendly entertainment, and activities for the kids. And as organizer Todd Longanacre explains, “This event is another opportunity for WV’s small businesses to showcase their awesome products and services.”

“We want to shed light on the lifestyle of off-grid living and homesteading,” Longanacre said. “Off-grid living can mean everything from ‘I live in the middle of Charleston, but I love to go mountain biking on the weekends,’ or ‘I love to go camping through the summer – just get off-grid and go RVing or hiking.’”

“It’s not just about homesteading, it’s about the off-grid lifestyle,” Longanacre added. 

Approximately 80 vendors are confirmed for the event, Longanacre told RealWV, with more still being added. 

“We also have bouncy-castles for the kids,” Longanacre said. “We have homestead-livestock that the kids can come look at and pet, and we have celebrity guest speakers lined up. It’s turning out to be a pretty diverse and interesting show.”

The celebrity guest speakers Longanacre mentioned include “The Lunatic Farmer” Joel Salatin, star of the Discovery Channel’s “Naked & Afraid” E.J. Snyder, and star of the hit survivalist show “Alone,” Isaiah Tuck. The lineup of expert speakers includes photographer and wilderness-skills instructor Jake Trent, the United States Army’s retired “Maverick Officer” and former WV DNR Park Ranger “The Major,” living history re-enactor and historian Scott Womack, medicinal-plant expert and former President of the WV Herb Association Barbara Volk, and wildlife damage control agent Steven Hudnall. 

“Our seminars and expert speakers will cover everything from modern and primitive bush craft skills, to livestock predator control, to medicinal plants, essential oils, wild edibles – all that stuff,” Longanacre explained. “We have America’s most famous farmer Joel Salatin, he will be there on Saturday only, so a lot of people may want to buy their tickets for Saturday.”

“Joel Salatin will be speaking at 2 p.m. on Saturday, but I believe he will be there for most of the day,” Longanacre added. 

Tickets to the expo are available for individual days only, at a cost of $12 in advance or $15 at the gate. Admission for children 17 and under is $5, with children 12 and under admitted at no charge. Advance tickets may be purchased by visiting wvoffgridexpo.com.

“We’ll have off-road RVs, food-canning and preservation seminars – any kind of products or services related to off-grid living that you can think of,” Longanacre said. 

While the indoor space is fully booked up, Longanacre said that a limited amount of outdoor vending spaces remain available. Vendor-space pricing ranges from $100 to $360, depending on table size. 

“This is not a flea market,” Longanacre noted. “This is for vendors who have new product. It can be farm-to-table, or forest-to-table. Any kind of equipment or supplies that deal with homesteading, or hunting, fishing, camping – anything like that.”

According to Longanacre, advance ticket sales have been steadily increasing as the event draws closer, And with the majority of the money raised from ticket sales going to support several local and national non-profit organizations, Longanacre hopes to see that increase continue.

Longanacre said that there are two local non-profits he hopes to provide funding-support to through ticket sales, but wants to keep the identity of those non-profits a surprise for now. 

“The public non-profit is the Tunnel to Towers Foundation,” Longanacre noted. “Over the course of this past summer, they’ve delivered 21 new smarthomes all across the nation, to catastrophically-wounded military veterans or first responders.”

“97% of the money that Tunnel to Towers takes in goes to victims of violent episodes, or accidents while on the job – it’s the victims of these incidents and Gold Star families,” Longanacre added. “It’s a real good foundation, and I’m happy to be in partnership with them on this event to try and raise a little bit of money.”

The expo will be dog-friendly. However all dogs must be leashed, and pet owners are responsible for cleaning up any waste left behind. On-site camping will be available. Those wishing to book a camping space may do so by visiting statefairofwv.com. 

The West Virginia Off-Grid Living, Homesteading & Preparedness Expo will be held rain or shine. For more information, including a full schedule of speaker-times and events, or to purchase tickets, visit wvoffgridexpo.com.