Core attractions, new ideas behind success of Covered Bridge festival

Photo by Erica Yoon This year’s Covered Bridge Celebration will be held June 8-12. C. Keith Young is coordinator of the festival.

  By Greg Miller
star staff
gmiller@starhq.com
  Core attractions and new ideas are important aspects of the success of the Covered Bridge Celebration.
  "I think what we've been able to do over the years is to maintain its core...and add new ideas," said C. Keith Young, coordinator of the festival for several years. "New people in the community have ideas, interests, and things they want to include as part of the celebration, because the festival, after all, is a celebration of our community.
  "There are so many different things going on, different initiatives, different interests that people have. There are so many different things about our community that are kind of like hidden treasures that we get to bring out this time of the year.
  "We've been able to add a lot of things from just the basic arts and crafts to incorporating the downtown, getting participation with them. The car cruise-in has expanded. We've got the Sports Car Club Association, which started with us last year, to come back this year. We've got new bands, new groups, new performers. People are constantly asking for opportunities to be a part of the festival, and we're working them in any way we can."
  With this year's festival, Sunday's activities will expand. "Sunday afternoon has been pretty quiet for us, so we're looking for new activities, exhibits and performances that will take place throughout Sunday afternoon," Young said. "We're looking at broadening our performance base so there will be more groups, more opportunities for performers, dance groups, musicians and people to perform.
  "We're looking to expand Kid's Island, make a little more room for it, get new rides and games for the kids and try to find some more space for arts and crafts."
  The Covered Bridge Celebration, Young says, makes a positive impact on the community. "There's an attitude change that takes place when the festival kicks in," he said. "We draw people from all around the region. We advertised through the Blue Ridge Magazine last year, and that drew people from North Carolina to Georgia to Kentucky. People from all over were coming here either as exhibitors or to visit the festival. We started getting phone calls in December, saying, 'When is the next festival going to be because we want to come back and bring our folks here.'"
  The economic impact on the community is also significant, according to Young. "We draw people to the downtown merchants and our sponsors who wish to take advantage to this influx of visitors, and are able to increase their sales," he said.
  Young believes that the completed Elk Avenue Bridge renovations will enhance this year's festival. "It's a beautiful bridge," he said. "I love what they've done with that."
  A large number of volunteers help with the festival, including about 20 on the committee. "...We have a host of volunteers that are recruited to stand by," Young said. "The businesses who are sponsors provide people from their businesses to help with the activities in the evenings to meet and greet folks." Young estimates that about 60-70 volunteers assist with the festival.
  This year's festival will be held June 8-12.
  For more information, call (423) 547-3850 or e-mail ckyoung@northeaststate.edu.