Mariel Williams
editor@mitchellnews.com
Andi Creech was named North Carolina Rhododendron Queen at the North Carolina Rhododendron Festival in Bakersville last weekend, with Allison Fairchild serving as Junior Queen.
Hundreds of locals and visitors came out to the annual craft fair in spite of high temperatures. In addition to the pageant, the festival featured the always-popular
NC Rhododendron Classic Car Show, a street dance, live music and numerous craft vendors.
Former special education teacher Missy Bartlett came to the fair specifically looking for a homemade product that she and her students had sampled at Mitchell High.
“I can tell you what I’m hoping for is some molasses,” said Bartlett. “I just retired from Mitchell High School recently, and Mr. Huggins, the agriculture teacher that was there, paired up with — some gentleman, that does molasses somewhere around. … I’m not sure who he is, exactly, but I’m looking for him.”
Bartlett’s mother, Viola Robinson, said she had hoped to visit the festival for a long time but somehow had never made it over the county line.
“I’m just excited to be here,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to come — I just live in Yancey County and I never got here.”
Now that she’s made it once Robinson is planning to keep coming back in the future.
“Maybe we can make it a tradition,” she said.
This was the 77th annual North Carolina Rhododendron Festival. As usual, it was held the same weekend as its sister event in Roan Mountain, Tenn.
Crishelle Vaughan, 21, and her friend Lydia Smith, 16, both Bakersville residents, came hoping to see crafts and maybe find something unusual.
“I really just like to see the crafts and stuff I’m not used to seeing,” said Vaughan.
Smith said it was interesting to find out what kind of work is being done in the area.
“I think it’s kind of cool how a lot of people from around here, you don’t realize that they make so many cool things, but they do,” she said.