Carnegie Hall’s Taste of Our Towns celebrates 40 years — and its final festival in 2026

PRESS RELEASE

Lewisburg, West Virginia – Carnegie Hall announces that its Board of Directors has voted to transfer stewardship of the Taste of Our Towns (“TOOT”) festival to the Lewisburg Downtown Business Association (“LDBA”). After reviewing proposals from multiple interested parties, Carnegie Hall determined that the long‑term care and continuity of this beloved community event would be best supported by a not‑for‑profit entity. The Hall emphasized its commitment to ensuring a smooth and thoughtful transition as the festival enters its next chapter.

As part of the transfer, the LDBA will be formally recognized at TOOT 2026 as the successor host of the event. TOOT’s intangible brand assets and equity, including official logos, documents reflecting goodwill and operational history from the past three years, the established date and calendar slot, and the TOOT name will all transfer with the event. In addition, Carnegie Hall staff will provide planning assistance as needed to help with the 2027 event.

The LDBA brings strong experience in supporting historic downtown Lewisburg, producing more than 25,000 annual brochures, maintaining the Lewisburg website, and managing Visit Lewisburg social media content. In addition to its marketing and advertising efforts across regional publications and visitor guides, the LDBA oversees the expenses and logistics for many of Lewisburg’s signature downtown events, including Restaurant Week, Chocolate Festival, First Friday, Culinary Passport, Harvest Chills in the Hills, Magic of Christmas, and Girls Day Out. The organization also manages tourism information requests, legal and accounting needs, and partners with the City of Lewisburg and the Greenbrier Valley CVB to promote the vitality of downtown.

Carnegie Hall President/CEO Cathy Rennard adds that “while the decision to hand off such an iconic event has been difficult, it is ultimately the right one and will enable the Carnegie team to focus on the core mission of arts presentation and education. The LDBA brings great experience and renewed enthusiasm to the event, and we look forward to working with them to facilitate a smooth transition. Please join us on October 10th to celebrate the first 40 years of T.O.O.T. and welcome a new era!”

Carnegie Hall expresses deep appreciation for the generations of volunteers, vendors, performers, and attendees who have shaped TOOT into a cherished regional tradition. The organization notes the pride it has taken in stewarding the event and extended its best wishes to the LDBA as it prepares to guide TOOT into the future.

Carnegie Hall remains committed to its mission of providing world‑class arts education, performances, and cultural programming for the Greenbrier Valley and looks forward to supporting the LDBA throughout the transition.