Thirty years of putting on the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival is a lot of hard work for folks behind the scenes, but it's those people who make the festival such a great tradition.

Thirty years ago Senator Joe Minard and Honorary Council Chairman Jimmy Mazzie got involved in festival planning, and of course thirty years later they're still here.

Senator Minard talked about the memories and work behind it all, He says the main purpose they've continued the festival is because it's like a huge reunion.

Families that left Clarksburg can come back to remember why their ancestors came to this country, and that's where Jimmy Mazzie comes in.

He runs the Honorary Council which consists of seniors citizens who were either born in Italy or are first generation.

Mazzie says if it weren't for them we wouldn't have a council, or even a West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival.