This year's event is slated to be the best in 24 years

Reporter

rseaborn@pickenssentinel.com

PICKENS - The 2008 Pickens Azalea Festival is slated to be the best yet in the event's 24 years, said Russ Gantt, the festival's director.

"We are offering more of a variety of everything this year," he said. "We have an assortment of entertainment performing on two stages and an array of crafters from all over the southeast."

Over 20 people volunteered their time, talents and energy serving on the festival's planning committee to ensure the Azalea Festival not only grows annually, but also that it continues to offer a venue of entertainment, food, and activities for each person attending the two day event, he said.

The festival will kick off 7 p.m. Friday with its popular Classic Car Cruise-In, allowing the public to view ageless vehicles of years past, when cars were designed more for style rather than economics, he said.

In addition, The Alabama Blues Brothers will take the Main Stage in a 7 p.m. performance, and Whisky Rose will be on the Legacy Square Stage, followed by Crystal Creek, he said.

Starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, the streets will be lined with vendors offering a mixed bag of arts and crafts, Gantt said.

Throughout the day, attendees can enjoy views of the city from the ground or in the air with a horse-drawn carriage meandering through the scenic streets of Pickens and helicopter rides giving breathtaking views of the area from above, he said.

"The horse and carriage rides are back by popular demand," Gantt said. "This will be the second year they are here, but at last year's festival, the carriage ride was enjoyed by everyone taking it."

Sometime Saturday morning, the helicopter will circle high above the festival and then land at Bruce Field where anyone may choose to take a bird's eye tour of Pickens, he said.

Area churches, civic groups and non-profit agencies will be offering food and crafts in fund-raising efforts, Gantt said.

The Meal on Wheels' Chili Cook-off will offer samples of some of the best chili in Pickens created by the area's best cooks.

While the public votes on their personal favorite, the contest will be judged by local celebrities, including WYFF's Dale Gilbert, Pickens County Sheriff David Stone, and Easley Fire Chief Butch Womack, he said.

The second annual Beverly M. Smith Scholarship 5K run/walk will start at 8 a.m. at Pickens High School, he said. Money raised from the $15 registration fee will fund a scholarship which is annually awarded to a female Pickens High School student who exhibits exceptional leadership and civic skill. The event is organized by the Pickens Women's Association, a non-profit women's civic organization who raises money for a number of local charities including MARY's House, Cannon Memorial Hospital and this scholarship fund, he said.

"About 30,000 people attended the 2007 Azalea Festival, and we are expecting more people to come out to enjoy the 2008 festival," he said. "Everyone on the planning committee is excited about this event, and the key word for this year is variety.

"We are offering a variety of everything - food, entertainment, arts and crafts, rides and family fun," Gantt continued.

The festival's collectable tee-shirt, this year featuring a rendering of McKinney's Chapel, will be available for purchase.

Although a portion of Pickens' Main Street will be closed at 5 p.m. on Friday, the entirety of that street from U.S. 178 to Hampton Avenue will be shut down to traffic at 6 p.m. and remaining closed until the festival's ending on Saturday night, Gantt said.

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