For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival is returning to Clarksburg. On Wednesday, the Harrison County Commission granted festival organizers $3,000 in funding. County Commissioner David Hinkle says the festival is not only a staple for Clarksburg but for West Virginia and beyond.

“It’s a very important part of our community,” Hinkle said. They’ve done a great job, and I think that the run they’ve had, there aren’t many organizations that can say that they’ve kept it together this long and kept the growth up and they do a great job with it.”