Festival marks milestone
25th fall event brings crowds, business to downtown
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The opening day for last weekend’s Clinch River Fall Antique Festival, on Friday, was busier than usual, downtown merchants reported. - G. Chambers Williams III
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Pictured, waiting for the judges’ verdict, are the contestants in a Dolly Parton look-alike contest. Winning for children was C.J. McCulloch, at left, who said, “I have a heart of gold.” Winning first place for adults was Kimberly Lee, third from right in denim and orange boots, who said she had a “smile that lights up a room and other assets.” Winning second place for adults was Brittany Lett, who said “I have a big heart and a lot of bling and butterflies to match it.” Her dog, Piper, won first for animals for his butterfly costume. - G. Chambers Williams III
Even with some light rain early on Saturday and occasional sprinkles throughout the day, this year’s 25th-annual Clinch River Fall Antique Festival was called a great success by its organizers.
Showcasing the recent $5.9 million in downtown renovations, the festival took over Market Street and part of Main Street on Friday and Saturday, hosted by Historic Downtown Clinton.
Merchants reported what may have been a record crowd on Friday, under clear, sunny skies, while attendance may have been down a bit on Saturday because of the forecast of rain.
“We had so many businesses and vendors tell us how incredible their sales were with the huge crowds, [with] Friday being much bigger than anyone expected,” said Katherine Birkbeck, executive director of Historic Downtown Clinton.
Some highlights of the event included a Dolly Parton tribute concert on Saturday, followed by a Dolly look-alike contest.
“From dancing and singing and horse-drawn carriage rides, to the fun and silliness of the Dolly look-alike contest and honoring a true icon, there were a lot of moving parts, and we had so many hands in the work it takes to get it all done,” Birkbeck said.
“Creating an environment for memories to be made and businesses to grow and thrive is hard, hard work, but always something worth doing.”
Activities began at noon on Friday, and ran until 7 p.m., then continued at 9 a.m. on Saturday, concluding at 5 p.m.
The local group WestWend presented “Coat of Many Colors: A Tribue to Dolly Parton” on Saturday.
WestWend consists of Clinton city Councilwoman Wendy Maness, her husband Jonathan, David Whitaker, David Becher, and, for this concert, steel-guitar player Ronnie Chauvin, who has performed extensively at Dollywood, Wendy Maness said.
Saturday events included artists set up mostly along Main Street. Also on Saturday, there were horse-drawn carriage rides available down Eagle Bend Road, pulled by Clydesdales.
Market Street reopened in August after being closed to vehicular traffic for about 15 months while a $5.9 million downtown improvement project was underway, including new sidewalks and upgraded utilities.
“I’m so proud of what we put together for this community, especially in terms of the kids we had involved in this event this year,” Birkbeck said on Sunday. “[Anderson County Career & Technical Center] students built our décor; we purchased pumpkins, mums, and cornstalks from [Clinton High School’s] FFA.
“ … The AC Fairest of the Fair volunteered all weekend, and the Clinton City Schools choir sang ‘Coat of Many Colors’ to open the Dolly tribute, and there was not a dry eye to be found,” she added.
“Watching kids run through the street, laugh, and make memories was so special, and every reason why we spent countless hours putting on this event.”