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The Bridgeport Insider
All the best events and activities in Bridgeport, WV
Aug 24–30, 2026 · Issue #05The last full week of August is a busy one around here. Friday night lights come back to Wayne Jamison Field, the carnival at The Bridge runs its final stretch, and our littlest students start kindergarten Monday morning. If you have been waiting for the week that feels like the season turning, this is it.
A quick programming note: Labor Day weekend and the Italian Heritage Festival are one week out, so use these next seven days to get the yard cleaned up, the freezer stocked, and the lawn chairs found.
Flood debris pickup is Wednesday, Aug 26 - one day only. Waste Management will collect flood-related debris from Bridgeport homes and businesses affected by last week's flash flooding. Everything must be curbside no later than Tuesday night, Aug 25, and the city asks that you email your address to Andrea Kerr at [email protected] so crews do not miss you. Flood-related items only.
As always, please confirm times, locations, and ticket availability with organizers before you head out. Weather and schedule changes happen fast around here.
★ This Week's Featured Event ★
BHS Football Home Opener vs. Buckhannon-Upshur
The Indians open at home Friday night, and if you have lived here more than a season you already know what that means: traffic on Johnson Avenue, the band warming up over the hill, and half the town in red. Buckhannon-Upshur comes in for the first home test of the year at a facility that has seen real upgrades since last fall.
There is a bonus reason to be in your seat early. After the first quarter, the 2026 BHS Alumni & Friends Foundation Hall of Fame class - longtime swim coach Jan Grisso, disability advocate and 2019 grad Vincent Pinti, and dance instructor Annabel Timms - will be recognized on the field. It is a genuinely nice moment and it is over quickly, so do not spend it in the concession line.
Insider tips: park in the upper lots and walk down rather than fighting the main entrance, get there by 6:30 if you want a seat on the home side, and note that Harrison County senior citizens can get a free-entry ID badge for school athletics - worth sorting out before kickoff. Reserved red seats for the season were still available as of last week if you would rather lock in a spot.
→ More infoThere is a bonus reason to be in your seat early. After the first quarter, the 2026 BHS Alumni & Friends Foundation Hall of Fame class - longtime swim coach Jan Grisso, disability advocate and 2019 grad Vincent Pinti, and dance instructor Annabel Timms - will be recognized on the field. It is a genuinely nice moment and it is over quickly, so do not spend it in the concession line.
Insider tips: park in the upper lots and walk down rather than fighting the main entrance, get there by 6:30 if you want a seat on the home side, and note that Harrison County senior citizens can get a free-entry ID badge for school athletics - worth sorting out before kickoff. Reserved red seats for the season were still available as of last week if you would rather lock in a spot.
📅 Week at a Glance
Mon · Aug 24
Bridgeport City Council Meeting
Council meets the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. With flood recovery, debris pickup, and the Charles Pointe build-out all in play right now, this is a good one to sit in on. Public comment is available if you want to speak.
→ More infoMon–Sat · Aug 24–29
Family Fun Extravaganza at The Bridge
The ten-day festival wraps up Saturday. Gambill Amusements rides and midway games, the Cartoon Headquarters inflatable Fun Zone, festival food, live entertainment, and special attractions all in one spot. This is the last week to ride the Ferris wheel in Bridgeport this year.
→ More infoWed · Aug 26 · Free
AWANA Clubs at Grace Baptist Church
Second week of the new AWANA year. Free for kids ages 3 through 6th grade, with Bible lessons, games, snacks, and verse memorization every Wednesday through May. Questions go to the church office at 304-842-4842.
→ More infoWed–Sat · Aug 26–29
Ferragosto Italian Summer Market
Clarksburg's Italian summer market runs four straight days this week as the city warms up for Labor Day weekend. Expect Italian goods, vendors, and a downtown that is getting festival-ready. Just a short drive from Bridgeport.
→ More infoFri · Aug 28 · ★ Featured
BHS Football Home Opener vs. Buckhannon-Upshur
The Indians' first home game of the season, plus on-field recognition of the 2026 Alumni Hall of Fame class after the first quarter. See the featured section above for the full rundown.
→ More infoSat · Aug 29
WVIHF Pasta Cook-Off
The best pre-festival day on the calendar. Doors at 11, canned pepper and homemade wine contests at 11:15, sauce tasting and judging at 1, the Run for the Rosé also at 1, hot pepper eating contest at 3, and winners announced at 3:30. Come hungry and pace yourself.
→ More infoSat · Aug 29
BHS Alumni & Friends Hall of Fame Banquet
Jan Grisso, Vincent Pinti, and Annabel Timms are inducted at a full dinner - chicken piccata, pasta with pink sauce, mixed vegetables, dessert, cash bar. Tickets were still available as of last week and proceeds support scholarships for BHS graduates.
→ Get ticketsSat · Aug 29
BHS Soccer Doubleheader vs. Greenbrier East
Both squads host Greenbrier East on the same afternoon. Bridgeport's soccer teams opened the season with dominant wins at Philip Barbour, so expectations are high. Bring a chair and stay for both.
→ More infoSun · Aug 30 · Free
Bridgeport Farmers & Makers Market
Peak-season produce week. Tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, and the last of the summer squash, plus makers, prepared food, and the communal dining area sponsored by The Wonder Bar Steakhouse. Outdoor season runs through Oct 11.
→ More info👪 Family Corner
Mon · Aug 24 · Free
First Day of Kindergarten
Kindergarten starts Monday for Harrison County, a week behind grades 1–12. Pre-K follows on Aug 31. Expect heavier morning traffic around the elementary schools and give yourself an extra ten minutes. Take the picture on the porch.
→ More infoMon–Sat · Aug 24–29
Family Fun Extravaganza Carnival & Fun Zone
The single best kid week of the late summer. Carnival rides, midway games, the inflatable Fun Zone, and festival food. Weeknights are noticeably calmer than the weekend if your crew does not love crowds.
→ More infoWed · Aug 26 · Free
AWANA Clubs at Grace Baptist Church
Free Wednesday-night programming with games, snacks, Bible lessons, and verse memorization. Now in session and running through May, so it is an easy standing weeknight plan.
→ More infoAll Week · Free
Bridgeport Public Library Programs
The fall brochure just dropped and everything in it is already live online, so you can register now instead of waiting month to month. This week still runs the summer lineup: story times, Reading to Dogs, Hooks & Needles, tabletop gaming, and the Library Ramble at Bridgeport City Park. Fall changes start in September - Little Learners moves to Fridays at 3, new Early Explorers and Tots & Tunes programs for ages 0–5, and after-school Study Hall on Tuesdays. Reading challenges run year-round through Beanstack.
→ More infoReopening · Ongoing
The Bridge Sports Complex Reopens
The annual maintenance shutdown wrapped up over the weekend after a full slate of projects meant to keep the facility the best in the state. Confirm hours before you load the kids up, since the carnival is running on the campus at the same time.
→ More info🍻 Weekend Picks
Sat · Aug 29
WVIHF Pasta Cook-Off
Sauce tasting, a homemade wine contest, a canned pepper contest, and a hot pepper eating contest that never fails to draw a crowd. The unofficial opening bell of Italian Heritage Festival season and the best five bucks' worth of entertainment in the county.
→ More infoSat · Aug 29
BHS Alumni & Friends Hall of Fame Banquet
A proper night out with a purpose. Three inductees, a good Italian dinner, and scholarship money for BHS graduates. Get tickets ahead rather than at the door.
→ Get ticketsSat · Aug 29 · Free
Clarksburg Farmers Market
Saturday morning produce run if Sunday does not work for you. Late-August is the peak of the tomato and pepper haul, which is convenient timing with the Pasta Cook-Off happening the same day.
→ More infoSun · Aug 30 · Free
Bridgeport Farmers & Makers Market
The Sunday ritual. More than 100 vendors applied this season, so there is plenty new alongside the regulars. Grab breakfast, sit at the communal tables, and stock the kitchen before the holiday week.
→ More info📆 4-Week Look Ahead
Wed, Sep 2
WVIHF Golf Classic & Elimination Dinner
Golf tees off at 10 AM at Bridgeport Country Club, with the Elimination Dinner at the same venue at 5:30 PM.
→ More infoThu, Sep 3 · 5:30 PM
WVIHF Honorees Award Ceremony
At the Bridgeport Conference Center. This year's Distinguished Language Educator is city resident Rose A. Mazza.
→ More infoFri–Sun, Sep 4–6
47th Annual West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival
Downtown Clarksburg, West Main between 2nd and 5th. Grand Feature Parade Saturday at 10 AM, Live and Let Die featuring Tony Kishman Saturday at 7:40 PM, and Kathy Mattea closing things out Sunday at 2:55 PM. Free entertainment all weekend.
→ More infoSun, Sep 13 · 10 AM–1 PM
Library Day at the Farmers & Makers Market
Bridgeport Public Library brings the fall event brochure to Charles Pointe. Grab one while you shop.
→ More infoFri, Sep 18 · 8:00 PM
Live Duo at the Bridgeport American Legion
Three hours of live music at the Legion. Always a good crowd.
→ More infoSat, Sep 19 · 9:00 AM
FBI Jerry Dove Memorial 5K
Run in honor of the late Special Agent Jerry Dove, a native West Virginian killed in the line of duty in 1986. Starts on Jerry Dove Drive.
→ More infoThu, Sep 24 · 11:00 AM
Prime Timers Fall Fest at The Bridge
The 60-and-up social club throws its fall gathering. Open to members and non-members alike.
→ More info📌 Always Good to Know
Bridgeport Farmers & Makers Market - Sundays 10 AM–1 PM at Charles Pointe, 100 Marketplace Ave, through Oct 11. Moves indoors to the Bridgeport Conference Center for the second Sunday of each month, 11 AM–2 PM, November through April.
Bridgeport Public Library - 1200 Johnson Ave, 304-842-8248. Free programs for every age, plus notary and passport services, a makerspace, study pods, book club kits, and tech help.
The Bridge Sports Complex - 400 Forrester Blvd, 304-848-8270. Pools, courts, Clip 'n Climb, fitness classes, and youth and adult leagues. Back open after annual maintenance.
Bridgeport City Council Agendas & Minutes - Meetings are the 2nd and 4th Mondays at 7 PM at City Hall, 515 W. Main St. Agendas post ahead of each meeting.
Connect-Bridgeport Community Calendar - The most complete listing of city meetings, church programs, and community events, and the place to submit your own.
The Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center - 444 W. Pike St, Clarksburg. Touring music, theater, and family films in a restored 1913 house, a short drive down US-50.
West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival - Labor Day weekend in downtown Clarksburg, Sept 4–6, with pre-festival events running through the first week of September.
City of Clarksburg Community Calendar - Markets, concerts, and city notices for our neighbor down the road.
Harrison County Schools 2026–27 Calendar - Labor Day Sept 7, Election Day Nov 3, Veterans Day Nov 11, and the full Thanksgiving week off Nov 23–27.