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Downtown Spruce Pine group pitches inaugural Hellbender Festival, seeks vendors and sponsors
Summary
Spencer Boss, downtown organization executive director, asked the board for outreach help and described plans for a free Hellbender Festival in Spruce Pine on Aug. 30 expecting ~3,500 attendees.
Spencer Boss, executive director of Downtown Spruce Pine, told Mitchell County commissioners he will host the first annual North Carolina Hellbender Festival in downtown Spruce Pine on Saturday, Aug. 30, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and asked the county and local businesses for sponsorship support.
Boss said the festival celebrates the Eastern hellbender, a native mountain salamander, and will feature live music, local art, river-science exhibits, outdoor recreation and hands-on workshops. He said vendor applications are open and that organizers expect about 3,500 attendees based on past events. Vendor spaces are $70 and food-truck spots $100, according to Boss.
Boss said he will coordinate with Mitchell County emergency management (he mentioned meeting with “Andrew from emergency management”) on traffic and safety planning and asked commissioners to help spread the word and consider sponsorships to keep the event free and accessible. He said the festival is intended to support downtown economic recovery following the recent hurricane and to highlight the county’s rivers and natural heritage.
The board and other meeting attendees responded positively when Boss invited the county to partner, noting the event’s long hours and potential to boost downtown activity.
