A fried chicken dinner will kick off the 55th Annual Gwynn’s Island Festival on Friday, June 27th. Take out dinners with all the fixings will be available beginning at 4:30 with "dine-in" meals available at 5:00 at the Cultural Center for $7.00 a meal. 

     The festival will continue Saturday, the 28th, at 9:30 with a day of entertainment, exhibits, arts and crafts booths, food, and music. The arts and crafts will offer a wide variety of hand-crafted gifts, home accessories and art work by members of the Mathews Art Group. There will also be food booths offering hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ, crab fritters, soft crab sandwiches, crab cakes, funnel cakes, home baked goods , ice cream from Schwann‚s and much more. 

     A pet parade will begin at 10:00 with registration at 9:30 and fun and prizes for everyone. "Buttons" the clown will be there to help with children‚s games for all ages. A golf putting contest will be available throughout the day with the final prize for most putts presented at 4:00. Festival tee shirts will be on sale with original design by our own Gwynn‚s Island artist, Gib Pulley. Other items of interest will also be on sale when you visit our Gwynn‚s Island Museum-free admission-open 10:00 to 5:00. The Museum is open Friday, Saturday, and Sundays 1:00 - 5:00 May through October. 

     Special exhibits for the Festival will include Coast Guard Safety Booth and Information, Mathews Sheriff Office Safety information station, Mathews Rescue Squad ambulance, Mathews Fire Dept. New Gwynn‚s Island Fire Engine on display, free blood pressure checks by Riverside Home Health Care, and the Mathews Friends of the Library Bookmobile. Tom Hunley will be there with his antique gas engine exhibit and David Crockett and his friends with antique cars on display. A flyover at noon by the Southeastern Va. Ultralight Association‚s Club #6 will be an added attraction. Local music by various groups and square dancing by the Stepping Stones will occur throughout the day. Added attraction will be the Va. Cooperative Extension Agent with parenting and child care information. GRAND PRIZE FOR putting contest will be two rounds of golf at Piankatank River Golf Club. 

For more information call CRICKET 804-725-7577