Shinnston Frontier Days Family Festival

About Us:

Established in 1953, Frontier Days is Harrison County’s Premier Family Festival.

It’s impossible to describe Frontier Days without first discussing Shinnston’s origins, beginning with the establishment of the Levi Shinn family in 1778. Throughout the years the community continued to thrive and was incorporated in 1852 by an act of the Virginia legislature. Frontier Days began in 1952, spearheaded by former police chief and mayor, Matt Kidd, and a few others, as a celebration and commemoration of the city’s 100th birthday. “Centennial Days” was so successful, it returned the following year with a new name, Frontier Days.

From 1953 through the late 1980's, Frontier Days played host to thousands of people in the community and from surrounding areas, with some people even planning their vacations around the festival. After a hiatus of several years, the festival was brought back to life in September of 2007.

Today, Frontier Days serves as a celebration of the past, present and future of Shinnston. At the time of the city’s founding, the frontier was attractive because it represented hope and the promise of an optimistic future. Now, when we think of the frontier, we think of the growth of our country. We think of the pioneers that developed our country out of pure resiliency. While Frontier Days began as a celebration of the founding of Shinnston and it’s sustainability over the span of 100 years, is has become a celebration of Shinnston’s humble beginnings, it’s ability to flourish through the changes that come with multiple generations, and the hope and promise of an optimistic future.

This four-day celebration kicks off on Wednesday and concludes Saturday. The City of Shinnston works alongside the Shinnston Volunteer Fire Department, the Lions Club and various other volunteer groups to provide the community with a festival full of family-friendly entertainment and activities. With daily musical guests, carnival rides, two parades and much more, Frontier Days is proud to be Harrison County’s premier family festival.

This year, the festival will take place August 21-24th in downtown Shinnston and will truly have something for everyone to enjoy. Attendees will enjoy streets filled with local food trucks that offer a variety of cuisines. Kids will have the opportunity to play on carnival rides, get their faces painted, and meet some of their favorite characters. Music enthusiasts will delight in daily performers from jazz to southern rock and country. And of course, shoppers will be able to peruse and purchase from a wide variety of vendors.