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Spring on Main Brings Festive Atmosphere to Hurricane

Hurricane’s Main Street spring festival was held last Saturday, May 1st. The event had a hero theme, which both celebrated fictional superheroes and honored real life ones as well.

Because of COVID, there was no spring festival last year. The community was especially excited for this year’s event, and it is estimated that over a thousand people attended throughout the day. There were many activities for children, as well as food trucks and over twenty-five craft and vendor booths.

The Hurricane Police Department hosted a K9 demonstration with Corporal Adam Robinette and police dog Reaper. Robinette put Reaper through his paces, showing off the strict obedience training which police dogs undergo. Patrolman Justin Rakes acted as a criminal, pretending to threaten Robinette so that the audience could see how a police dog can take down an aggressor. Reaper, a three-year-old Belgian Malinois, can track objects or missing people, seek out narcotics, and protect his assigned officer.

Children could have their photos taken in a police car, explore a fire truck, tour the inside of an ambulance, and visit the fire safety trailer. Emergency workers taught children what to expect in the case of a house fire, how to alert authorities, and how to escape from a burning building.

Causeplayers, a cosplay group that specializes in charity events and community outreach programs, had a booth in the gazebo, where costumed characters posed for photos with children. The Causeplayers also hosted raffles, memorabilia sales, and gave out free comic books.

Batman was among the superheros in attendance. He posed for photos with the Batmobile and spoke to children in the audience about empowerment and never giving up.

Gordie Parker, caricature artist, had a booth in the Fire Department building. A resident of Cross Lanes, Parker has been drawing caricatures since the 1970’s.
Dudding Avenue was closed to traffic during the festival so that a work station could be set up for children to color and do different crafts. These activities were hosted by The Grove, a business which specializes in creative projects for both children and adults.

“Spring on Main is about celebrating superheroes,” said Mayor Scott Edwards, “not just the ones like Batman and Superman, but also focusing on real life superheroes – police, EMS, firefighters.”

The 2019 Main Street festival had a Star Wars theme, inspired by the popular “May the 4th Be With You,” an unofficial Star Wars holiday on May 4th.

Patrolman C. B. Burton shows curious onlookers the inside of a police car. (Photo by Betsy Allen)
Aubre Newhouse and Clinton Simmons of Hurricane pose for a photo with Batman. (Photo by Betsy Allen)
The Causeplayers, a group of cosplayers who participate in charity events, had a booth at the festival. Shown above, from left to right, are Nikki Toney (Batgirl) and Orion Minor of Kanawha City and Jessica Toney of St. Albans (Wonder Woman). (Photo by Betsy Allen)
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