Lucas Adcock
Staff Writer
Saturday was a special day for Makinsey Poeppel and her mother, Brenda Cochran, as they celebrated the grand re-opening of – Mountain Echo Souvenir and Gift Shop right on Main Street in Marlinton.
Poeppel and Cochran spent countless hours over the last six weeks preparing the shop for opening day, occasionally running into hiccups due to the building’s age.
“It’s been on and off because we’ve been on hold a lot,” Cochran said, explaining some of the work that it took to get the plumbing and power squared away. Their aim isn’t to modernize, it’s to preserve the very building that houses the shop.
Walking into Mountain Echo feels like a dream, and if you’ve got kids, it’s even better. For visitors coming in and out of the area, it’s the perfect spot to stop and grab one last souvenir for the trip – a T-shirt, hoodie, hat, or even something for the kids, such as unique stuffed animals and other crafty items. If you live in the area, you may want to pick up a raincoat, or a hat, or some chocolates by Lauren Bennett at Creekside Candy.
Stretching nearly the length of the wall is a beautifully painted mural, created by Poeppel’s friend, Katie Gibb.
Katie had been given the task of completing the mural, finishing it in just three days.
The mural was also inspiring to see amidst the celebration of the Marlinton Art Walk. This year, the participating vendors were set up inside the Pocahontas County Opera House with live music emanating from the stage, played by Jim Snyder. Some of the vendors included Marlinton’s own, “In Bloom” flower shop, with a display where owner Adrienne Cedarleaf and her mother, Pat, provided flowers for creating intricate wreaths. There were Blacksmithing talks with Mike and Bonnie Johnson, who showed off their impressive collection of forged tools for sale.
A booth over, and the kids can paint with watercolor and make sock kites with Jacque Minarik. Across were painted gourds-turned-birdhouses.
Later that evening, Dan Freeman took the stage, as well as live music from the Discovery Junction stage with tents and a cooler full of sidewalk chalk for anyone to create some sidewalk art.
The Marlinton Art Walk happens every year. The more vendors there are, the more exciting it becomes.
If you missed it this year, be on the lookout next year and join the event. Don’t forget to drop into Mountain Echo to please the senses and for gifts and candy.
