Folk artist Billy Roper of Talking Rock, who said he wants to do "something special" for this year's Live Country Auction during the 13th annual Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, is currently working on a marble carving which he is contributing for the Live Country Auction on the opening night of the festival.

Roper, who is the festival's Heritage Sponsor, is also providing three of his paintings for the bidding.

Bear on the Square committee members are already in the process of collecting items for the auction, and merchants and individuals interested in supporting the event by contributing items or services are asked to contact Melanie Pruitt, auction chair, at 706-864-0374 or at melanie.pruitt@windstream.net. Deadline for submitting items is Monday, April 13, and contributors can drop off their items at Cranberry Corners in Dahlonega or work out a pickup of their item by an auction committee volunteer.

On all contributions, the committee needs a brief description of the item and its approximate retail value. The Bear on the Square Festival will take place in Dahlonega from Thursday through Sunday, April 17-19, and complete details about the festival, including information about the auction, the musical performances, the juried artists marketplace, the workshops, and other activities, can be found by going to www.bearonthesquare.org.