The Martinsburg Picnic will return for its 123rd year this weekend for two days of fun as the community prepares to go back to school.

Gene Albur, the Martinsburg Area Community Betterment Council historian, dreams up a new theme every year. This year, she chose “Home of the Free Because of the Brave.”

Albur always sets up a display in the Modern Woodman Hall next to the Martinsburg park.

“This year, the display will be a salute to the veterans (and) help welcome Martinsburg Area veterans,” said Molly Deimeke of the Martinsburg Area Community Betterment Council. “Everyone is welcome to view veterans’ photos and other memorabilia at no charge.”

Deimeke said the inspiration for the theme came from Albur’s desire to put the photos she had of veterans sitting in storage on display for all to see.

In addition to its veterans, Martinsburg will also be recognizing Cordia Mahaney who was bestowed the title of Grand Marshal.

Deimeke explained that Mahaney has lived on the south side of the park “forever.”

“She marks her calendar every year for the picnic to make sure that she is home for the picnic,” Deimeke said. “When we found that out, we decided to honor her.”

Mahaney has a reputation for “extending the park” into her yard, keeping the party going with her friends and family.

Friday Festivities

The picnic will commence at 5 p.m. Friday with Country Kickers Line Dancing followed by the baby contest and Little Mr. and Miss contests at 6 p.m.

The Martinsburg Area Community Betterment Council will be bringing back the look-alike contest and are adding a longest beard contest to the fun.

“I think I am going to have to recruit people out of the beer garden to come be in the beard contest,” Deimeke said. “We will see who we can find.”

The frog and turtle races are another Friday night tradition that will return for another year before the evening wraps up with the Super Farmer Contest in cooperation with the Community R-6 FFA.

Sign up is at 7 p.m. and will include a stick-horse race for junior teams and a wife-carry for adults, an egg scramble, grain shoveling, hay stacking and more.

Friday will come to a close with entertainment provided by Greg Widner who will be performing from 8-11 p.m.

Saturday’s Schedule

Little Mr. and Miss winners will get their moment of fame during Saturday morning’s parade which starts at 11 a.m. at the stop sign on Highway 19.

Throughout the day there will be carnival rides and games scattered around the park and the Martinsburg Area Community Betterment Council will be bringing back the bounce-house, rock wall and mechanical bull.

New to Saturday’s scene will be a dunk tank provided by the Martinsburg Area Fire Protection District.

“I think it’s going to be hot enough that day the people will be happy to get a little dunk,” Deimeke said.

After the parade, it will be time for pedal tractor pulls followed by more kids games at 3 p.m.

If there is one thing Deimeke looks forward to each year, it’s the greased pig wrestling that starts at 5 p.m.

“The greased pig has gone over really well so I’m happy to keep that going as long as possible,” she said.

Saturday’s entertainment headliner is local band Sun Down Shot. They will be performing from 8 p.m. to midnight.

With so much to do, it’s no wonder the Martinsburg Picnic has come back year after year for more than a century, which Deimeke said would not be possible without the generous donations from the community.

“Just the kids games alone are so expensive in 2025 that we barely break even on throwing the event,” she said.

But it is all worth it for what Deimeke calls “one big family reunion.”