The county's biggest bash of the year takes place today through Saturday, and townspeople -- and those beyond -- are ready to celebrate, organizers said.

The 15th annual West Virginia Coal Festival will take over most of downtown Madison, as folks celebrate the region's coal-mining history.

"People plan their vacations around this," said Cindy Williamson, longtime Boone County resident. "People who used to live here come back for the festival every year.”

The Coal Festival features lots of music and free concerts, food, carnival rides, arts and crafts, a “WV Coal Festival” pageant, 5K run, fireworks, a parade, and a salute to coal miners.

Restless Heart, headlines the lineup for Coal Festival entertainment this year. Many old-favorite entertainers return this year, including the Madison Gospel Men. Also, national recording artists, the Larkin Girls, will be performing on Friday evening at 7:00 p.m.

And don't miss the fireworks show scheduled at 11:00 p.m. Saturday.

If you go, bring an appetite. Local cooks will be offering Coal Festival specials.

All in all, a busy time for a busy committee of volunteers, including officers Joy Underwood, president; Delores W. Cook, vice president, assistant director and treasurer; Larry Lodato, secretary and publicist.

"It gets bigger every year," said Lodato, a Coal Festival committee member.

This year’s Coal Festival Section of the Coal Valley News includes an interview with West Virginia native and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. The interview discusses his newest documentary, 30 Days in a Coal Mine, where Spurlock underwent Red Hat training and worked in a southern West Virginia underground coal mine.

Contact Joanie Newman at jnewman@coalvalleynews.com or call 304-369-1165.