NEW MARTINSVILLE, W.Va. (WTRF) — People are calling it the best music festival in the Mountain State. 

It draws thousands of new people to the area, as well as a crowd of homegrown West Virginians.

It’s time to pack up the car and make the trip back home! 

The small town of New Martinsville will host the big event, and in just a few short weeks the streets will be 

flooded with over 20,000 people.

It’s all for the 5th annual Back Home Festival featuring award-winning musicians, mouth watering food and retailers galore.

It draws people from all over the nation to West Virginia.

New Martinsville mayor Sandy Hunt says it is the biggest free music festival in the state. 

“Wetzel County lead the state in direct tourism spending, and that is because of the Back Home Festival, so that should tell you what a good time it is and how many people have experienced it. People come back every year, and that was the goal, to come back home. Come back home to Wetzel County. Come back home to New Martinsville. Come back home to West Virginia.”

Sandy Hunt, Mayor of New Martinsville

Hunt says the rush of people downtown helps the city’s small businesses.  

She says they rely on the boost of sales during a season where business is typically slow. 

If you are coming from out of town, they have camping spots available at the Wetzel County Fairgrounds so you can stay all weekend long.  

John Yevuta is a long-time New Martinsville resident, and he has been attending the event since the start of it all.  

They just keep tweaking it and making it better. Making it more accessible to people. The logistics that the important part and they have the logistics down. But they don’t rest on their laurels.

They just keep making it better. I love the diversity of the crowd. You have an influx of people that we don’t get to see all the time. People are having a good time and how can that not bring you together?

John Yevuta, Community Member  

He says he will never miss a Back Home Fest and in fact the same goes for his daughter, who now lives in Minnesota.  

He says she always makes the trip and this year she is bringing friends.   

If that’s not enough to convince you, Hunt says, “First of all, you should come to the Back Home Festival because it’s a freaking good time! I don’t know how else to say that.”

The Back Home Festival takes place June 24 and 25. You always find your way back home.