Rotary event draws people to Spruce Pine
People came to the 9th Annual Spruce Pine BBQ and Bluegrass Festival for a variety of reasons Saturday morning.
Crafters came hoping to sell their wares on a cool autumn day. Food trucks came to delight the tastebuds of the young and old with homemade lemonade, ice cream and barbecue. After a year-long hiatus for many bands, it was the chance to dust off their fiddles, stretch their vocal cords and see toes tap and heads nod in tune to their music. For downtown businesses and local hotels, the festival provided an opportunity for the streets to be packed with people exploring the town and contributing to the local economy.
A filled parking lot at the Blue Ridge Boutique Hotel and long lines awaiting breakfast at D.T.’s Blue Ridge Java early Saturday morning attested to the economic impact of the festival. For Asheville residents Aileen Bourne and Merle Love it was a beautiful day to explore another small town in Western North Carolina. “We’re best friends,” said Bourne. “We go to church together; we live in the same community, and we like to explore Western North Carolina. We enjoy traveling together.” Saturday’s trip took them to the OOAK Art Gallery in Micaville, to lunch in downtown Spruce Pine, and on a stroll through the vendor booths at the festival. “It’s a good day to be out,” said Bourne. “We’ve loved every minute of it. We’ll be back.”
For the Mitchell County Fireman’s Association, the day was all about the barbecue. “We’ve got the best barbecue here,” said Hudson Boone of the Spruce Pine Fire Department. And the proof of that claim was in the ‘sold out’ sign indicating that barbecue lovers would have to settle for something other than ribs at the fireman’s booth.
The annual BBQ festival feeds a lot of needs in Mitchell County. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Spruce Pine, it is Rotary’s only fundraising event of the year. But it is also big for participants such as the Fireman’s Association according to Boone, who said the festival benefits the association and fire departments that serve Mitchell County.
Colby Boston, community relations director for Blue Ridge Regional Hospital said the festival is a great opportunity to talk to residents about services at the hospital. “I’m talking about stroke awareness but I’m also answering a lot of questions about services the hospital provides,” said Boston. “It’s a good opportunity to reach out to people.”
With more than 26 different services and treatments Blue Ridge Regional Hospital serves a lot of needs in the community. “A lady was just asking about our rehabilitation center,” said Boston. “She didn’t realize that we had a rehab center at the hospital in Spruce Pine.” Boston was also reminding people that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Over the past year many women have chosen to forego having annual mammograms, avoiding hospitals due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. Health care providers throughout the region are reminding patients to schedule annual checkups, including mammograms.
For four-year-old Emma Goldsmith ice cream took center stage at the festival – not barbecue. Emma and her parents Michael and Julie drove over from Burnsville to enjoy the autumn day and the family-oriented festivities. “We saw the festival on theevents listing online,” said Michael Goldsmith. “It’s a great day to be outdoors so we thought we’d drive over and check it out.”
The festival, which was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 and state-wide restrictions on events is normally held in August. Rotary Club of Spruce Pine President Marvin Walker said this year’s festival was pushed to October due to COVID-19 but it may well have found it’s home in the autumn month. He was pleased with Saturday’s turnout. “It’s great out here today,” said Walker. “And the weather is much more predictable in October.”