May 15, 2014 By Erin Hayes for The 2 min read

The village of Hopwood is once again gearing up to do its part in providing festivities for this year’s upcoming National Road Festival, slated for Friday through Sunday.

Hopwood will kick off its celebration of the nation’s first multi-state, federally funded highway that helped forge the frontier and fostered commerce along the modern-day Route 40 on Saturday, with a carnival opening around 10 a.m. and offering an array of rides.

“Last year was the first year that we had a carnival,” said Lawren Dunn, president of the Hopwood Village Committee, adding that the event “gets bigger every year.”

The village has hosted an annual celebration as part of the National Road Festival for more than 20 years, Dunn said, with local organizations such as churches and the fire department doing their part to make the event a success.

A parade will proceed through the village around 1 p.m. Saturday.

In addition to the carnival, vendors and crafters will line the stretch of the National Road through the community, from Adrian’s Market to the Hopwood Fitness Center, where a wagon train, which has become a permanent fixture of the festival over the years, will stop around noon.

“The wagon train comes down out of the mountains and will stop there for lunch,” Dunn said. “People can stop by and meet with them.”

“Hopwood always has a big crowd; They do a good job in Hopwood,” said Doc Sherry, wagon train master and president of the National Pike Wagon Train Association.

Last year’s event was “very well attended” and organizers are hoping for good attendance this year, Dunn said.

“It was a beautiful day last year, the weather was great and it was very well attended.

For more information on the Hopwood celebration, call 724-439-5391.