Friends of the Cheat's annual Fundraiser and Outreach event for river enthusiasts, families, musicians, and artists!
25 years ago, a mine blowout on Muddy Creek devastated the life fighting to live in the Cheat River main steam, overwhelming the river with the polluted water known as acid-mine-drainage. For the first time in a quarter century, the pH of Muddy Creek is neutral. Next year, the ICF World Cup, which hasn’t been held […]
By Chris Norbury The Cheat Canyon Downriver race this year will be an International Canoe Federation Ranking race. There are only 9 ICF ranking races in the world in 2019, in addition to 4 World Cup races and a World Championships. The designation as an ICF ranking race allows individuals to enter, without the need […]
Registration for this year’s annual Down River Race – one of the largest mass-start whitewater races in the country – is open! On Festival Friday, racers cruise down 10 miles of gorgeous rapids through the Cheat Canyon; a remote and technical section of the river (paddlers should be confident navigating Class IV rapids with no […]
Thank you Rachel Griffith for all of your dreaming and scheming towards this year’s kid’s tent! Check out her Dino-themed day of crafts, games, stories, and more! This year the famed Kid’s Parade will end at the river in time to watch the DUCKY RACE!!! Kid’s 12 and Over get free festival entrance – Big Kid’s […]
We are so grateful for the support of long time Friend of the Cheat, John Victor. He has once again created a beautiful design for the festival. Welcome, for the 25th Annual Cheat River Festival: the Bear! Tickets & Festival Tees are on sale online now! Get yours today 2019 Fest Tickets & Merch
Click to donate to Friends of the Cheat for a chance to win a custom built paddle by Cheat River local Jim Snyder of RivrStyx! With a donation of $5 you will get 1 chance to win a custom 25th Anniversary Cheat River Festival wooden paddle, hand crafted by Jim Snyder. With a donation of […]
Tickets on sale beginning early March, 2019. Show your support for Friends of the Cheat today and donate to win a custom paddle from Cheat River Local Jim Snyder. DONATE TO WIN!
by Amanda Pitzer A quarter century of Cheat Fests. Now that’s something. We’ve done something. What is that “something”? What has the Cheat River Festival’s impact been on Friends of the Cheat? The Cheat River? The community? Me? Those are some big questions. Especially for someone like me who has been embedded in the weeds […]
With the new year, we’ve really starting to kick into festival planning gear! Sign-up early for the Cheat Fest 5K Foot Race. All funds raised support the Preston Rail-Trails Committee, who, with support from FOC, have implemented 38 miles of new rail-trail in Preston County. Runners start and finish at the Preston County Country Club, cruising […]
Did you know that Cheat Fest is the primary annual fundraiser that supports the work of the environmental non-profit group Friends of the Cheat (FOC)? FOC has worked to restore, protect and promote the health of the Cheat River Watershed for over two decades. From monitoring water quality and remediating the polluted run-off from abandoned […]