Photo by Drew Parker Suzanne Park, left, director of the Moundsville Economic Development Council presents honorary flags to Fire Chief Noel Clarke, center, and Police Chief Thomas Mitchell in preparation for this weekend’s Elizabethtown Festival.

MOUNDSVILLE — The Elizabethtown Festival will pay homage to local first responders Saturday as the nation prepares to mark the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Moundsville Economic Development Council and members of the Elizabethtown Festival Planning Committee will host an opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday outside the former West Virginia Penitentiary, recognizing those who put their lives on the line each day as those in New York, Washington and in the Shanksville, Pa., area did on 9/11.

“The committee decided this year since it was the 15th anniversary we wanted to do something special that was going to honor our first responders here in the community,” said Suzanne Park, director of the development council. “It didn’t seem right to do a parade or anything celebratory. We will honor 30 different units of hometown heroes.”

According to Park, the program will honor each first-responder unit in Marshall County with a special presentation, including an individual recognition for each emergency service personnel member. Moundsville Police Chief Thomas Mitchell and Fire Chief Noel Clarke accepted two honorary flags for their perspective department Thursday.

A Sept. 11. flag including the names of those lost 15 years ago Sunday was also displayed outside the penitentiary’s Moundsville Center, where the 18th-annual Elizabethtown Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s nice to be recognized for what we do,” Mitchell said. “There is talk of it being a thankless job, but there are a lot of people who appreciate us — they’re just not always in the forefront expressing that.”

Clarke said the event is significant to all emergency personnel.

“This makes the guys feel good about what they do,” he said. “It’s not often they get to take part in a ceremony such as this and what happened on that day (9/11) means a lot to us. It was a day with no beginning, middle or end. We still live it.”

The Elizabethtown Festival, a celebration of America in the 1800s, will include more than 60 craft vendors, artisans and food providers. According to Park, the weekend event will also include basket-making, quilting, sewing, weaving, local blacksmith work and more.

Children can also participate in checkers, painting, doll-making, clothesline art, a marble tournament, a pie-eating contest and games, such as “wash day relay.”

In addition to the opening ceremony at the Elizabethtown Festival, there are several other events planned around the Ohio Valley this weekend to mark the 15th anniversary of 9/11. They include:

∫ A ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday at Union Local High School, Morristown;

∫ A memorial concert/ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday at WesBanco Arena, Wheeling;

∫ The annual Blue Mass, at 10 a.m. Sunday at St. Peter Catholic Church, Steubenville;

∫ A special Mass at 7 p.m. Sunday at St. Michael Catholic Church, National Road, Wheeling; and

∫ A candlelight vigil outside the Follansbee City Building on Main Street at 7 p.m. Sunday.