Andrews – While early rain threated to dampen the sixth annual Spring Fling, skies cleared into a perfect Carolina blue with a gentle spring breeze as the record number of vendors unpacked for the event, which drew an estimated 5,000 attendees, according to Nola Cooper, executive director of the Andrews Chamber of Commerce.
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Started eight years ago as a celebration of Earth Day at the Andrews Public Library, the annual celebration has grown into a full-fledged street festival that closes down Main Street for the six-hour Saturday event, which grew this year from 87 vendors in 2023 to a total of 122. The Andrews Chamber of Commerce also relies on a number of volunteers to help facilitate the smooth running of this event, the unofficial kickoff to Cherokee County’s tourism season.
The Andrews Public Library – along with debuting their new Seed Library, sponsored by Modern Woodmen of America, N.C. Cooperative Extension and Friends of the Andrews Library – offered informational sessions with Marni April of Marni April Intuitive, giving samples of essential oils and discussing their inclusion in healing processes for the body. Tony Bryant was on hand with his personal collection of area Native American artifacts.
The library also hosted a special Friday event for a total of 251 local students and 25 adult chaperones, who received swag bags with items promoting Smokey Bear from the U.S. Forest Service. The Seed Library is open at the library during regular business hours.
Sidewalks were abuzz with activity, as several businesses have either opened or expanded in the last year. Local businesses were packed with lovers of local wines at FernCrest Winery, aficionados of both pizza and beer and Hoppy Trout Brewing, and for lovers of ice cream and made-to-order sandwiches there was Cups & Cones Cafe.
One of those expansions included The Tattered Tartan Pub, which held a soft opening for their gift shop in the front portion of the building next door to the original pub. It has also been expanded into a lounge area in the back.
Vendors were as diverse as real estate and insurance agents, including “Big Frank” Schuler from BIG! Realty and Steven Aft of State Farm Insurance in Murphy handing out plenty of swag bags, along with sunflower seeds from Sunshine Farms of Murphy offering a variety of plants and seedlings. There were also plenty of handcrafted and artisanal items, like pottery from Tony Betzhold and Christie Walker of Woodland Farms.
Along with the various vendors, the Ladies Homestead Gathering offered demonstration sessions each half-hour on topics such as Vermiculture, which is the use of earth worms to compost food scraps, to Making Tinctures from local wild herbs and plants, to Honey Extraction techniques for those interested in tending honeybees, to Raised and Straw Bale Gardening to prepare first-time or new gardeners as the season begins in our zone.
Included in the demonstration sessions of the day, members of the Unaka Chapter of Trout Unlimited No. 201 offered fly-tying and casting demonstrations along with a booth set up for discussion of their mission and work for stream restoration in western North Carolina.
A highlight of the festival was Chestnut Street again being cordoned off for the KIDSZONE, which featured face-painting, sno-cones, jump and bouncy houses. New activities this year included pony rides and a petting zoo with goats, bunnies and chickens, provided by first-time attendees Little Rascals Pony Rides of Franklin.
Various local social and faith groups also used the event as a fundraiser, with the Nantahala Community Development Club in attendance to raise funds for their work along with Andrews United Methodist Church holding both a bake sale outside and a rummage sale inside the Family Life Center.
The Valleytown Cultural Arts Center also had a booth this year as a fundraiser for the restoration of the hundred-year old building, raising $1,500. Along with a raffle for a handmade Amish swing donated by Tami Condit, which was won by Rebecca Hoilman, the group also offered tours led by board member Judd Cresman to share the community vision for the center of performing arts in the Valley.
Live music was held in the former A&P parking lot featuring Bill Vespasian, Betty Vaugh-Grindstaff and Friends and the Sundown band to round out the evening of local entertainment.
The Food Truck Garden was also held in the parking lot with The Ark, DragonAss Smoked BBQ and the Lions Club providing delectable treats all day.
Last, but certainly not least, was the annual Doxie Derby, featuring a three-set heat of area dachshunds in their finest costumes.
Excitement has already begun to build for next year, even as the exhilarated exhaustion of this year’s event begins to wane.
Details: Visit visitandrewsnc.com.