Incredible 35th Anniversary Roadkill Cook off and Autumn Fest

It was an absolutely beautiful and sunny weekend`hat greeted visitors to the 35^th Annual Roadkill Cookoff and Autumn Harvest Festival in Marlinton on Friday, September 24^th and Saturday, September 25^th.

Speaking with Malinda Meck of the Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event, there were five teams entered into the roadkill cookoff this year. Meck also said that their best guesstimate is that there was a record fifteen to twenty thousand attendees this year, as well as a record number of craft and food vendors. She added that the crafts at the event are required to be items actually created by craftsmen, not items bought from a store unless they are significantly added to or improved by the crafts person. Meck said that the food vendors, and there were many of them along both sides of 9^th Avenue and other streets, were required to be either non-profits or members of the Chamber of Commerce. When we were speaking to Meck, we were joined by USA Today Reporter Jack Gruber who was also conducting an interview. Gruber told us that this event has been national news for many years. He was also curious about the lack or rowdiness and the friendly attitude at the Roadkill event, despite the large number of people. Meck told him that is because of both the lack of alcohol sales and use at the event and because of the naturally peaceful nature of Pocahontas County residents.

Five organizations entered their roadkill recipe dishes in this year’s event:

1. The Dolly Possums, whose recipe was called “Jolene Don’t You Take My Deer Cake.” The head cook; Emmet Doolittle spoke with us. “We care a lot about using local ingredients, that’s why we’ve tried to pull as many of the items on this menu from all of our partner farms, and from High Rocks’ farm as well. And with fresh ingredients -humble ingredients -made well is what we are trying to do. So, this is a marinated venison on top of a traditional corn hoecake, then over the venison is a cranberry chow-chow, which is a sweet vinegary pepper mix with onions, and then its topped with beats that are pureed down into a cream…”

The Dolly Possums were the 1^st place winners of this year’s Roadkill Cook off.

2. Jakes Route 66 Wrecking Crew whose recipe was called “The Route 66 Head-on Harvest. Samuel Swartz was the head cook. We spoke briefly with their Assistant Cook, Reagan Swartz. “It’s our second Roadkill, what are we cooking?… it’s a stag-boar stew, so it’s venison and boar with mixed vegetables, so its carrots, onions, lima beans and Okra in it.” Head Cook Samuel Swartz. jumped in to say what the menu is based on. “It’s the myth of the Stag-Boar on Route 66 where the stag and the boar came off the mountain and collided right at the yellow line, and a new beast was born the ‘Stagboar’”   “Yeah, true roadkill,” added Reagan.

Jake’s Route 66 Wrecking Crew was the 2^nd place winner of this year’s Roadkill Cook off.

3. The PCB Buck Busters, whose recipe was called “Road Hard Ruttin’ Buck with Skunk Cabbage.” The Head Cook spoke with us. “I’m Kendall Beverage with the PCB Buck Busters. We’re down here at the Marlinton Roadkill cook off. We have a delicious dish for you; it’s a Road Hard Ruttin Buck with Skunk Cabbage. It’s a delicious venison with banana peppers, jalapenos- we got a nice little sweet glaze on there to cut down on some of that heat, ginger, soy, and honey. We just love this event; we’ve been a member of the Chamber for many years.”

The PCB Buck Busters were the 3^rd place winners of this year’s Roadkill Cook off., and were also selected by the attendees who tasted at the event as the “People’s Choice Winner.”

4. The Coal Hollow Brothers, whose recipe was called “Pirate Ship Pork.” Chris Sachs, their head cook described their recipe: “Today we are doing what we call Pirate Ship Pork, it’s a pork and apple stew that’s simmered with onions, and herbs and spices and slow-cooked in our Dutch Ovens. Let me tell you, it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever cooked, and I’ve been cooking for a long time.”

The Coal Hollow Brothers were awarded the “Showmanship” award for this year’s Roadkill Cook off.

5. The Ditch Divas, whose recipe was called “Mac of the Ditch,” and consisted of Black Bear meat, macaroni noodles, cheese and various spices and mixed with barbeque sauce. Kayla Kuh was the head cook, and she added: “It’s our Mac of the Ditch, it’s our Black Bear found on the road off or Route 42. This is a pretty cool event, we’ve been here… this is our fourth year and we hope to come again.”

The judges for the event were:

• Hunter Berry, a Grammy winning musician that’s been playing professionally since the age of 11, who has toured in the US Canada, Mexico and Europe since he was 15 years old. He is a connoisseur of good food.
• Nikki Bowman Mills, the founder of and President of New South Media, Inc., the publisher magazines, including WV Living, WV Weddings, and Wonderful WV.
• Karlee Holley, age 16, from Milton, WV, and daughter of Lacy and Rex Holley. She is a student at Hannon Junior/Senior High School and is the current Queen of the Cabell County Fair. Karlee is also the 2025 Roadkill Cook-off Teen Queen.

All-in-All, the 2026, 35^th Anniversary Roadkill Cook off and Autumn Harvest Festival was an incredible event with a record number of craft and food venders as well as attendees. Just walking up 1^st Avenue from 6^th Street to 9^th Street, we observed parked cars bearing out of state tags from Maine, Texas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and Illinois.