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Fayetteville, W.Va. (October 6, 2026) – Hinton Outfitters, co-owned by sisters Lee Ann Goins and Kathy Mills, will be featured at the West Virginia Hive Booth during the 46th annual Bridge Day 2026 on October 17.
Goins said Hinton Outfitters will showcase original design T-shirts, Possum Pageant merchandise from its first-ever Miss Possum Pageant event in Hinton, original stickers, and posters of Hinton, Summers County and West Virginia. They will also bring coasters, hats, mugs, and books by local authors with a focus on Hinton and Summers County.
“We are thrilled to showcase and expand our brand to a wider audience and share our love for our hometown and for West Virginia,” said Goins. “We want people to know what’s on the ‘quieter’ side of the Gorge. However, we want to make some noise about our annual Railroad Days event and will have railroad-themed shirts at the booth.”
Hinton Outfitters launched in 2022 and opened its popular brick-and-mortar store in downtown Hinton in May 2023.
“Our business is growing and evolving as we are incorporating more products and ideas into our brand,” said Goins. “We love the increase in our followers on Facebook and Instagram, which helps promote Hinton Outfitters. We not only want to be a store, but an experience,” said Goins.
Hinton Outfitters was the recipient of the AMEX Shop Small Grants Program in 2026, an award that empowers small businesses to grow, innovate, and support their local communities. Mills said “As part of that grant, our community event was the inaugural Miss Possum Pageant in Hinton, which was a sold-out event. This idea came from our T-shirt design in 2025 based on a Beverly Hillbillies episode. The public expressed interest in a real pageant, and we made it happen.”
Goins and Mills both emphasized the positive role the West Virginia Hive, the entrepreneurial program of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority, has played in the growth and success of Hinton Outfitters.
“The [WV] Hive has provided us with social media technical assistance, which has helped our brand increase followers and awareness,” said Goins. “Winning the Hive-sponsored Pitch Southern West Virginia Business Idea competition also gave us extra money in the early stages of our business.”
More information about Hinton Outfitters is available on its website: www.hintonoutfitters.com Goins and Mills also host a podcast: https://www.hintonoutfitters.com/the-podcast
The West Virginia Hive will also showcase five other clients at its booth – The Wooly Gorge in Oak Hill; Sunbeams & Moonshine Creations in Talcott; Kraken Glass N Crafts, also in Talcott; Mariposa Hollow in Glen Morgan; and Wild & Untamed Things in Alderson.
Devon Fitzgerald, Regional Business Advisor with the West Virginia Hive, invites Bridge Day visitors to stop by the WV Hive booth to meet the entrepreneurs and learn more about their unique products and services. Booths are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during Bridge Day 2026 at the New River Gorge in Fayette County.
The WV Hive Network serves Raleigh, Fayette, Summers and Nicholas counties. To learn more about the WV Hive or become a client, visit https://wvhive.com.
