Carnegie Hall’s 40th Taste of Our Towns (TOOT) celebrates four decades of community, creativity, and culinary tradition

PRESS RELEASE

Lewisburg, WV – Carnegie Hall’s 40th and final Taste of Our Towns (TOOT) proved once again why it remains one of West Virginia’s most cherished community festivals. On Saturday, October 10, thousands of residents and visitors filled the streets of historic downtown Lewisburg to savor food and drinks from dozens of regional vendors, enjoy live music, explore hands‑on activities in the Kids’ Zone, and experience demonstrations from Carnegie Hall’s teaching artists. The City of Lewisburg’s Public Works Department continued its beloved tradition by installing a handmade Cornucopia of Taste and Tradition in front of Carnegie Hall which offered festivalgoers a perfect backdrop for photos and memories.

Guests enjoyed a cool and comfortable autumn day while raising funds for Carnegie Hall and supporting area nonprofits and small businesses. For the third year in a row, TOOT remained token‑free, allowing visitors to pay vendors directly by cash or card. This streamlined approach supports local businesses, shortens lines, and gives festivalgoers more time to enjoy the flavors, music, and fun that define TOOT.

“By keeping 100% of their profits, our TOOT vendors can preemptively manage their costs and make decisions that truly support their businesses. It’s a model that will better support the downtown economy in the festival’s bright future under the LDBA ownership.” explains Development Director Kit Lindsey.

The 2026 Taste of Our Towns featured a vibrant array of food and beverage vendors, each offering a delicious glimpse into the region’s culinary creativity. This year’s lineup included: The Asylum, Paragon Fine Art, Stardust Café, Learning Hub, Our Thyme Tavern, Greenbrier County Schools, Mimi’s Kitchen, Twisted Chef, Smooth Ambler Whiskey Wagon, Yarid’s, Greenbrier Valley Pickleball, The Humble Tomato, Carnegie Hall, The Rolling Creamery, Food And Friends, Davis Stuart Culinary Class, Wooton, Davis, Hussell, & Johnson LLC, Resort At Glade Springs, Greenbrier Sporting Club, The Greenbrier, Valley Dance Studio, The Schoolhouse Hotel, The Briergarten, Almost Heaven Smokehouse, Tibbenham Chocolates Of WV, Public House/Wild Vittles, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and The Wild Bean.

From comfort classics to inventive Appalachian‑inspired dishes, these vendors helped make another TOOT a joyful celebration of local flavor and hospitality.

The arts and crafts were a true crowd‑pleaser this year, with visitors exploring an incredible range of live demonstrations and handcrafted work. Guests loved meeting the artists stationed throughout the festival — from the West Virginia Woodturners Association shaping elegant wooden forms, to Connie Gottshall creating handmade jewelry, and Debbie Rapp sharing her fiber arts from Holler Farm. The Greenbrier Artists painted on site, the Southern West Virginia Basketweaving Guild showcased intricate basketry, and Thomas Ruggiero and Jill Spencer of 365 Art brought printmaking to life. Bennett Life’s live blacksmithing drew steady crowds, while ceramic artist Sean O’Connell captivated audiences of all ages with wheel‑throwing demos. Haley Clancy of The People’s Poem Place delighted guests with original poems made to order, and the Fiber Arts Network offered hands‑on fiber demonstrations. Carnegie Hall’s Artist Demonstration Tent stayed lively all afternoon with watercolor, jewelry‑making, needle felting, lino cut, and gouache sessions, and Lynda Wyschowsky’s Ginkgo botanical printmaking project invited visitors of all ages to create their own nature‑inspired art. From leather goods by Luke Davis to clay, baskets, painting, woodturning, and more, the arts at TOOT were a vibrant celebration of Appalachian creativity — and festivalgoers absolutely loved every moment.

Entertainment at the 2026 festival unfolded beneath crisp October skies. The day opened with the West Virginia Jazz Orchestra, followed by female acoustic duo MA’AM. Richard Hefner and the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys closed the event with traditional bluegrass.

Nestled beneath the golden ginkgo tree, the TOOT Kids’ Zone transformed the Carnegie Hall and New River Community and Technical College lawn into a lively landscape of creativity and connection. Families enjoyed marionette performances, kid-friendly temporary Ta-TOOTS, friendship bracelet weaving, and an inflatable obstacle course. Sponsored by Valley Pediatric Dentistry, the Kids’ Zone offered a full day of imagination, art, and fun.

The 2026 Official Beer & Cider Garden, sponsored by The American Beer Co. and The Runyon Family, added a refreshing touch to the festival. Guests enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the freedom to stroll through the event with a drink in hand, savoring local brews and ciders as they explored vendors, music, and artisan booths.

Carnegie Hall extends heartfelt thanks to the volunteers, partners, and organizations who made the 40th and final TOOT possible:

• Volunteers from the Carnegie Hall Board of Directors, TOOT Committee, WVSOM, Almost Heaven Habitat for Humanity, and dedicated community members

• The City of Lewisburg Police, Fire & Public Works, CAMC/GVMC Family Medicine Residency Program, Gillespie’s Flowers & Productions, Greenbrier Valley CVB, Greenbrier County Health Department, Greenbrier County Humane Society, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Lewisburg United Methodist Church, Mountain Valley Pipeline, New River Community and Technical College, The Lewis Theatre, and WVSOM

The 2026 TOOT Committee included Jill McIntyre (co-chair), Jennifer Orr (co-chair), Kim Beard, Mary Cole Deitz, Kim Estep, Harmony Flora, Christian Giggenbach, Lee Ann Gillilan, Mary Leb, Kit Lindsey, Jill McClung, Stella Neeley, and Cathy Rennard.

As Carnegie Hall concludes its role as host of Taste of Our Towns, we celebrate four decades of community, creativity, and culinary tradition. TOOT has been made possible by the generosity of the Greenbrier Valley and the thousands of people who have supported it year after year.

Carnegie Hall President/CEO Cathy Rennard expressed her gratitude – “Over the past forty years, TOOT has been shaped by the people who showed up — the vendors who cooked with heart, the volunteers who gave their time, the performers and artists who shared their talents, and the thousands of guests who filled downtown Lewisburg with joy year after year. Thank you for making TOOT a celebration of community, creativity, and connection. We are deeply grateful for every person who has been part of this remarkable tradition.”

To learn more about Carnegie Hall’s programs or how to support future initiatives, please call (304) 645‑7917 or visit carnegiehallwv.org.

Carnegie Hall is a nonprofit organization supported by individual contributions, grants, and fundraising efforts such as TOOT and The Carnegie Hall Gala. The Hall is located at 611 Church Street, Lewisburg, WV.  For more information, please call 304.645.7917 or visit www.carnegiehallwv.org.