All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Bouquets of berries and beauty: Strawberry Essences Florist & Fruit Creations offers both traditional, edible bouquets in downtown Buckhannon

Geanna Sabatelli, co-owner of Strawberry Essences Fruit and Floral Creations.

BUCKHANNON – Need more fruit or flowers in your life?

Lucky for you, Strawberry Essences Florist and Fruit Creations opened June 29 on Main Street in Buckhannon.

Co-owner of Strawberry Essences Florist and Fruit Creations Geanna Sabatelli said her family is from Buckhannon and decided to add a new kind of business to the area.

“We wanted something close to home, and it was perfect. It’s right around the corner and we love being artsy and crafty,” Sabatelli said. “We both fit in really well and we just thought it needed the edible fruit arrangements, because there wasn’t anything like that around here.”

She said her and her husband were the perfect duo for a fruit arrangements shop because she is a trained florist, and he is trained in the culinary arts.

“It was the perfect combination,” Sabatelli said. “Our main thing is going to be our chocolate-covered strawberries, and our strawberry shortcake, which is going to be really nice, and we’re going to have a couple tables up front where you can actually sit and enjoy it so you don’t always have to just take out. And then of course, we have a bunch of different varieties of the edible arrangements.”

The shop offers several already conceptualized edible arrangements on their menu with various fruits like pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, melon balls, oranges, apples, grapes and chocolate-covered fruit, but customers can also come up with their own arrangement by selecting their fruit of choice.  

“I think a lot of people, including myself, are into more healthier things, more organic, more things that are more good for you,” Sabatelli said. “Of course, it does have the chocolate, but the rest is fruit.”

To celebrate Fourth of July, the shop has been offering red, white and blue strawberries and apples.

They will be available at the shop and down at Jawbone park during Festival Friday, today, Friday, July 5.

“We’ll also be doing the red, white and blue fruit trees, which will have blueberries, strawberries, and white pretzels on it, just the red, white and blue colors,” Sabatelli said.

The shop will also create floral bouquets, and some examples of all their arrangements can be found on their website, www.strawberryessences.com and they have a Facebook page called Strawberry Essences Florist & Fruit Creations.

Orders may be placed by calling 304-439-2559. Located at 34 E. Main St. (beside Chase bank), the shop is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Share this story:

Local Businesses

RECENT Stories

Westfall reaches 1,000-point milestone as Bucs roll past Wheeling Park, 67-57

Senior Jerin Westfall scored a game-high 34 points, reached the 1,000-point career mark, and hauled in 15 rebounds as Buckhannon-Upshur defeated Wheeling Park 67-57.

Strawberry Festival Queen Kourtney Jones crowned 2026 WV Association of Fairs and Festivals Queen

Wesleyan nursing student and 2025 Strawberry Festival Queen Kourtney Jones was crowned the 2026 West Virginia Association of Fairs and Festivals Queen on Jan. 10 in Charleston. She’ll serve as the statewide ambassador for fairs and festivals throughout 2026.

Skinner delivers hopeful State of the City on Buckhannon’s 210th anniversary

Mayor Robbie Skinner marked Buckhannon’s 210th anniversary with an optimistic State of the City address highlighting progress across city departments. He emphasized major infrastructure work, including a $47 million water treatment project, and looked ahead to continued improvements and the 84th WV Strawberry Festival.

Buckhannon Mayor Robbie Skinner’s full 2026 State of the City address

In remarks delivered Jan. 15, 2026, Mayor Robbie Skinner marks Buckhannon’s 210th anniversary and outlines the city’s progress in 2025. He highlights major water, sewer, street, engineering, police and fire initiatives—plus what’s ahead for 2026.

Larry Dale VanGilder

Larry Dale VanGilder, 77, a French Creek native, Army veteran and former mine security guard who loved hunting, fishing, sci‑fi and his pets, died January 15, 2026, and will be memorialized by family and military honors.

Local Rotary club expands soft-plastics recycling drop-off sites in Upshur County

The Rotary Club of Buckhannon-Upshur has added more drop-off locations for its soft-plastics recycling project, keeping thousands of pounds out of local landfills. The effort helps fund balers and inclusive playground equipment made from recycled materials.

WVWC Center for Community Engagement & Leadership Development to host Community Labs on fundraising, marketing

WVWC’s Center for Community Engagement & Leadership Development is hosting free Community Labs to help local nonprofits, mission-driven groups, and businesses strengthen fundraising and marketing.

Upshur County Board of Education Agenda: January 20, 2026

The Upshur County Board of Education will hold a meeting January 20, 2026, and this notice outlines the agenda for that session.

Upshur County Convention & Visitors Bureau seeking executive director

Upshur County Convention & Visitors Bureau is hiring an executive director to lead tourism development, marketing and community engagement.