Preparations are now underway for the 13th Annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival's Live Country Auction, which will be held Friday, April 17. The preview of auction items will begin at 5:30 p.m.; the Georgia Mudcats, a premier old-time string band from North Georgia, will provide music starting at 6 p.m.; and the auction will get underway at 7 p.m.
Melanie Pruitt, who is auction chair again this year, said, "Please note the new time for the event this year. As usual, we need the support of our local merchants, businesses, and community to make this auction a success. We will begin accepting donations Monday, March 23 with a deadline for receiving donations on Monday, April 13.
"Feel free to contact me if you wish to donate an item for the auction," said Pruitt, who can be reached at 706-864-0374 or contacted by email at melanie.pruitt@windstream.net. "We can pick up your donation or you can drop it off at Cranberry Corners, our donation headquarters, and we ask that you include a brief description of the item and its approximate retail value. Your continued support is what keeps this festival going year after year, and we want to thank you in advance."
The Live Country Auction is one of the most eagerly-awaited events of Bear on the Square weekend each year. It takes place in the large MainStage Tent in Hancock Park on the opening night of the festival.
Each year, the auction features the work of area folk artist Billy Roper, along with the work of other talented local artists and juried artists taking part in Bear on the Square's Mountain Marketplace, including artists from the John C. Campbell Folk School, this year's marketplace sponsor. Among the items will be a piece of pottery which features the 2009 bear design created by Deanne Freeman of Etowah River Pottery, as well as an exquisite Bear on the Square jug made by Pat and Janice Shields of Georgia Mudcats Pottery and a painting by local artist Bill Lawson. There will also be bidding on gift baskets, services and other products from the local business community.
Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Inc., which stages the festival each year, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit cultural arts organization whose mission is to preserve and celebrate the culture of the Southern Appalachians through the presentation of music, traditional craft, and folkways. Tax deductible donations are welcome and can be sent to P.O. Box 338, Dahlonega, GA 30533. More details about the 2009 Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, including information about music performances, the juried artists marketplace, and workshops, can be found at www.bearonthesquare.org.
