Fireman’s Carnival, Gravel Springs Picnic, Happening at Star Tannery in August

Star Tannery Fireman’s Carnival

Please come out and support Star Tannery’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue (STVFR) for their annual carnival. The Carnival takes place on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at 950 Brill Road, Star Tannery, VA. Festivities are scheduled from 1 pm to 8 pm. Bounce House and games will be ongoing throughout the day. Hamburgers, Hotdogs, Fries, Mac N Cheese, Sodas, and Bottled Water will be available for purchase all day with all proceeds going to STVFR.

2023 Gravel Springs Picnic on the historic grounds of the Lutheran Church established in 1849. Courtesy Denise Orndorff.

The STVFR Fireman’s Carnival is the fire station’s largest annual event. The Carnival occurs on the first Saturday in August, every year, for the past 40+ years. A big shout-out to all the firefighters and volunteer workers who make this event the most enjoyable, family-friendly carnival.

Music provided by Allen Boyd and The Waysiders from 2 pm to 4 pm, and Five of a Kind from 6 pm to 8 pm. Seating is available but feel free to bring your own lawn chair.

With help the Strasburg and Stephens City Fire stations, Station 17 Star Tannery Volunteer Fire and Rescue (STVFR) was organized in November, 1971. The station was created from a building formally used as Roger P. Sager’s poultry processing business. Mr. Sager donated the building and one acre of land. After several years, the station was enlarged, with a social hall and additional bays to house emergency apparatus. After Roger Sagers’ passing in 1990, STVFR purchased 39 more acres of Sager’s adjoining property.

Star Tannery 2022 Pierce Saber FR cab and chassis, top mounted pumper (1250 GPM/1000 GWT). Courtesy Star Tannery’s Volunteer Fire and Rescue.

The station serves the southwestern portion of Frederick County, and the northeastern slice of Shenandoah County, Virginia.  STVFR received approximately 300 public service, fire, and emergency calls in 2023. Station 17 is the only all-volunteer fire station remaining in Frederick County.

Volunteer fire departments play a critical role in their communities, especially in rural areas where municipal fire services are not available. Raising funds is essential for STVFR to maintain and upgrade equipment, provide training for volunteers, and ensure they can respond effectively to emergencies.

Firefighters are the frontline defense, our unsung heroes, and our neighbors. Supporting your local volunteer fire department is not just a civic duty; it is an investment in the safety and resilience of the community.

151st Gravel Springs Picnic

How often can you attend an annual event dating back to 1873? So, grab your best hat and lawn chair and come out to the 151^st Gravel Springs Picnic way up in the wilds of Star Tannery. The historic event takes place on Saturday, August 10, 2024, at the famous Gravel Springs Lutheran Church Picnic Grounds, 1870 South Pifer Road, Star Tannery, VA.

Gravel Springs picnic scene circa early 1900s. Two persons identified; Hanna Funkhouser and Ms. Forney. Contributed by David Lee Brill. Courtesy Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives Room, Handley Regional Library, Winchester, VA.

The festivities are scheduled from 3 pm to 7 pm. Meals will consist of barbecue chicken halves, country ham sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, sodas, bottled water, and ice cream. Music will be provided by Five of a Kind bluegrass band. The event will be held rain or shine and proceeds will benefit the maintenance and upkeep of the Gravel Springs Lutheran Church.

It was in 1873 that Thomas Cover decided to establish an annual picnic for the Star Tannery employees and their families. Later, the Star Tannery picnic would evolve into a reunion of former employees and for residents of Gravel Springs.  The picnic would continue to grow into a major event in the Shenandoah Valley.

The picnic has remained scheduled on the same weekend for the last 150 years. After the tannery closed in the 1895, the picnic was immediately taken over by the Ladies Aid Society of the Gravel Springs Lutheran Church. The name eventually changed to Gravel Springs Picnic.

Music has always been a major component of the picnic. In the early 1890s a group of young men from the community formed the Gravel Springs Brass Band. S. Romanus Heishman and his sons were the major influence in creating the band and were gifted musicians. The roster was dominated by Heishman’s, Himelright’s and Stein’s family members. The band entertained at the Gravel Springs Picnic, church functions, parades, and yard parties.

Gravel Springs Band, 1910. Members identified as (l to r, 1st row) Allen Stine, Riley Godlove, Chain Askridge, Roy Heishman, and Arthur Orndorff; (back row) Elijah Pifer, Jesse Stine, Albert Stine, S.R. Heishman, Hessler Himelright, Fred Heishman, and Cover Himelright. Contributed by David Lee Brill. Courtesy Stewart Bell, Jr. Archives Room, Handley Regional Library, Winchester, VA.

A Winchester Evening Star article, dated August 21, 1934 stated that over 3,000 people were estimated to have attended the Gravel Springs Picnic including representatives from every section of the Valley and many other parts of the state.

This year you can expect approximately 300 people to show up for the good eats and great Country and Bluegrass music. There will be an excitement in the air come 3 pm., when folks begin waving, shouting, laughing, and soliciting the attention of friends and neighbors. The picnic spurs social interactions among town residents and nurtures a positive image of this historic community. Small town fests are the best. From year to year, many people schedule family reunions during this time, so old friends are always back in town. It is an enormous, fun packed, family filled get-together.

We enjoy this small-town festival for family, for friends and for community. We thrive on the laughs and conversations. It is about growing a next generation. A next generation is necessary for continuity to pass on the traditions for our great-grandchildren. It is what makes small towns the heart and soul of America.

About the music

Local favorite Allen Boyd and the Waysiders return to the Fireman’s Carnival from 2 to 4 pm. Hear classic Country at its finest. Listen to songs not played on today’s radio. Experience the best of Country’s finest era.

Based in Strasburg, Virginia, the Five of a Kind band’s personable and involve-the-audience approach to the music has gathered them a large following throughout the area with their traditional blend of bluegrass and classic country. The band plays at the Fireman’s Carnival from 6 to 8 pm, and the Gravel Springs Picnic from 3 to 7 pm.

Volunteer fire companies remain the heart of their neighborhoods and have overwhelming support from local stakeholders including town and county governments, citizens, and businesses in which they serve. Fire companies are always upgrading their property, equipment, and fleet as firefighting technology progresses. However, what is constant is the courage of the men and women who are called to public service to fight fires and protect their fellow citizens.