It’s Crazy Time STUFF TO DO this weekend as your humble blogger will be out of town just as FestivALL and YakFest and a bunch of other things are happening.  First I’ll tell you where I’ll be…

This blog will once again be running on autopilot for a few days because the Marx Toy and Train Collector’s Show is happening again this year, and the dates are this Friday and Saturday at  The Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum in Wheeling.  Your PopCulteer is thrilled to be going back to this toy show, which is one of the most enjoyable in the country and something your humble blogger and his lovely wife look forward to every year. This is the 25th year for the big show, and it will be a blast!

This year, we’re running up for the first day of the show (and the evening before), and then we’re bypassing the second day so we can go have some kind of retail misadventures involving FiestaWare and Sir Troy’s Toy Kingdom.

I’ve been covering the Marx Toy Convention for almost fifteen years, and you can find an index to most of that coverage HERE. You can see our coverage of 2021’s show HERE and HERE. 2022’s coverage was spread across a few posts, HERE, HER E, HERE, and HERE.  Last year’s photo essays on The 2023 Marx Toy & Train Show can be seen  HERE and HERE.

You can expect a lot of photos and video next week in PopCult.

Anybody who grew up with Marx Toys, or anybody interested in West Virginia industries, or just folks who love toys, should make it a point to go to this show and check out the wonders of The Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum. It’s a real gem.

Here’s the video from last year’s show…

For those of you interested in less toyetic types of fun, there’s still plenty of STUFF TO DO in Charleston and all over the Mountain State and beyond as we plunge headfirst into festival season.

FestivALL, complete with a zillion related events, begins this weekend. You can find the full schedule of FestivALL STUFF TO DO HERE.

YakFest happens in Saint Albans. I had no idea that Yak were indigenous to West Virginia, but there is an entire festival devoted to these mighty domesticated wild Oxen. Details are here…

As I have been copying and pasting of late, this a good time to remind you that THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS.  It’s just a starting point, so don’t expect anything comprehensive, and if you feel strongly about me leaving anything out, feel free to mention it in the comments. There’s like, a helluva lotta stuff happening.

Live Music is on tap at Taylor Books. There is no cover charge, and shows start at 7:30 PM.  Friday it’s Woodbine. Saturday Real Fake Flowers take the stage at the beloved bookstore/cafe/art gallery.

The World Famous Empty Glass Cafe has some great stuff this week  to tell you about.  Thursday at 5:30 PM Swingstein and Robin return with music for a cause. Later Thursday, at 9:30 PM, Johnny Spolarich takes the stage, Friday, Tim Courts plays during happy hour.  Friday at 9 PM The Vans host an open jam.  Saturday there’s a really cool show that has a grahic below. Sunday the post Mountain Stage Jam, hosted by the Carpenter Ants, happens at 10 PM.

Please remember that the pandemic is still not entirely over yet. It’s a going concern with the ‘rona still lurking about. And now there are nasty seasonal allergies, Yaks visiting from all over the country, stalking corn, electrified shark and other damned good reasons to be careful. Many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding  while you’re out.

Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Here we go, roughly in order…