Mariel Williams
editor@mitchellnews.com
Approximately 3,000 ticket holders are expected in downtown Spruce Pine Saturday for the first stop on musician Oliver Anthony’s Rural Revival Project tour.
After expenses, proceeds from the show will go to help with storm recovery. As of press-time, tickets for the concert were nearly sold out. All attendees age 13 or older are required to have a ticket.
Anthony’s company, Oliver Anthony Music, is in charge of most of the preparations, with assistance from the nonprofit Downtown Spruce Pine and other organizations.
The event will require blocking off both Oak Avenue (Upper Street) and Locust Avenue (Lower Street) all day Saturday, with activities and music from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
In addition to Anthony and several opening musical acts, the event will feature food, drink and craft vendors.
On Oak Avenue, City Drive-In and Lakeview Mercantile & Gardens will be hosting a “pre-show family fun” event, with inflatables, face painting, live music and local craft vendors. These activities, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will be free to the public.
Spruce Pine Police Chief Kasey Cook said he believes the downtown area is ready for the concert crowd. He plans to have between 25 and 30 officers at the event providing security, and there will be bag checks at two points of entry.
“I am very confident that this event will be very successful for the town of Spruce Pine and we will do everything we can to keep it safe and enjoyable for everyone — we plan for the worse and hope for the best,” Cook said. “I have several agencies helping and look forward to this Saturday.”
The main stage for the concert will be on Lower Street at its junction with Topaz Street.
Considerable effort has gone into improving the storm-damaged downtown area before the show. At last week’s Town Council meeting, Spruce Pine Interim Manager Richard Canipe praised CSX Transportation for cleaning up debris and mud alongside the railroad.
A number of downtown businesses have washed their windows and storefronts, and Downtown Spruce Pine has spearheaded efforts to paint murals on the boards covering businesses that are still in the process of repairing flood damage.