As ‘spooky season’ comes to a close, preparations begin for Helvetia’s traditional Fasnacht celebration

By Vanta Coda III, RealWV

As the Halloween season comes and goes, this Marlinton couple begin their preparations of elaborate costumes for a festival that falls far out of  “spooky season”. Instead of focusing on Halloween costumes, they are stretching their imaginations for Fasnacht, an event hosted in February. Meet Casey Horton and Derek Trull, whose creativity have brought excitement and intrigue to the Fasnacht festivities in Helvetia, W.Va. for the past two years.

“So three years ago, I heard about Fasnacht, and Casey couldn’t go and so I went on my own,” said Trull. “It was a cold one that year, but I saw all of the masks and everybody in the promenade around in the circle, and learned a lot about the history of what it was in its Swiss roots. I’ve always loved Helvetia, it’s just like a little gem set in the middle of nowhere, so I wanted to participate the next year, and then we kind of started researching more online about Fasnacht and saw all kinds of masks and the different festivals that they held around the world. So we decided to create our own story line, deep rooted in Appalachian folklore.”

In 2024, Horton and Trull made and wore their first Fasnacht costume, launching their own tradition of creating original folklore characters and stories for the event. For the upcoming 2026 Fasnacht, Horton shared that he and Trull will design a new character based on the role of a hunter.

In 2024, Horton and Trull made and wore their first Fasnacht costume, launching their own tradition of creating original folklore characters and stories for the event. For the upcoming 2026 Fasnacht, Horton shared that he and Trull will design a new character based on the role of a hunter.

Although they are in their first few years of immersing themselves into the culture and celebration of this event in small-town West Virginia, they have envisioned storylines and created future plans to remain involved for years to come.

“I just want to create a little niche world of these little creatures that come out of the Appalachian Mountains,” said Horton. “Our first year was kind of like a priest. Our second year was like a more of a gatherer, so somebody that would work. Then this year we’re going to be a hunter. I’m trying to create this sort of a world of all of the Appalachian creatures we come up with. My big plan is, I hope that by year five or six, I want to have a court of our creations where we all come together and wear them.”

Horton and Trull’s costumes and elaborate life-like masks are so intricately detailed that many at Fasnacht event attendees assume it takes the couple a full year to make them. In reality, Horton and Trull begin each November after Halloween, and complete their costumes in just three months before Fasnacht in February.

“This year it will be November 1 when we get started,” said Horton. “This whole downstairs turns into like a factory, we work normal jobs, so I can come home at five and I can work four hours and then go to bed. Collectively, it’s hundreds of hours of work.”

Horton and Trull prioritize reusing and recycling materials for their costumes, such as using PVC pipes for staffs and repurposed chicken wire for mask bases.

“The evenings consist of sewing, sourcing, finding and using reused and recycled materials,” said Horton. “The hair I have to purchase and resin to make things. If there’s a fabric on them, it’s reusable material. Derek knows how to sew.”

About 95% of their costumes are made from recyclable or reusable materials sourced from their home or community.

“I used to be an art teacher, and so I always collected things, kept a stash,” said Trull. “So a lot was found in the house when we moved here. It’s just all repurposed.”

“We have a super creative bone. I think we’re both really artsy, and so it’s a major drive for us,” said Trull.

To read more about the history, lore, Swiss-origin, and cultural-significance of Fasnacht, read RealWV’s previous coverage HERE. To enjoy the RealWV’s gallery from last year’s event, please click HERE.