Locals keep the festival running

Bluegrass musicians and fans across the country and around the world are arriving for the 8th Annual Red, White and Bluegrass Festival, but it’s time for the locals to shine as they prepare for the influx of visitors.

As the festival grows each year, the number of volunteers has increased too, festival coordinator Gary Leonhardt said.

A larger crowd is expected this year, so that means more shuttles will be running within Catawba Meadows Park, Leonhardt said.

About 175 volunteers will help out this year with those shuttles and to help work gates into the festival area, Leonhardt said.

Bill Hutchins helps organize a group of volunteers from the local AARP chapter. The group grows each year and has been helping out since the festival moved to Catawba Meadows Park.

The volunteers help check for bracelets on people walking through entrance gates, Hutchins said. They work in two-hour segments.

Despite the heat, the volunteers keep coming back, Hutchins said. This year there are enough volunteers to staff two gates.

“My biggest thrill is working with the people,” Hutchins said, “just meeting with them coming through and joking with them.”

Hutchins has met people from Germany, Mexico and Canada while volunteering at the festival.

“You talk with the people. Before it’s all over with, they know you, they talk to you,” Hutchins said. “And on top of that you got some good entertainment.”

Blue Ridge Sound is helping bring that entertainment to the crowd.

The Morganton-based sound company has been providing the sound services since the founding of the festival, owner John Holder said.

“As the festival has grown, we’ve continued to try to grow and expand with them to get better and better,” Holder said.

The sound company provides services to bands of all genres, but it specializes in acoustic music, Holder said.

The Red, White and Bluegrass Festival is the sound company’s largest event, Holder said. Planning starts a couple months in advance, with set up occurring a day or two before the festival begins.

“One of the things we’re doing this year that has started happening in the last couple years is we’re actually able to control our sound systems from an iPad,” Holder said. “We can walk around on the stage and make adjustments as needed while we’re sitting there talking to the artist.”

Holder said three engineers are on site at all times and Philip Zanon of Kruger Brothers joins the team this year.

“We enjoy the music. We enjoy what it has done for our city and just being able to be a part of it and seeing it grow,” Holder said.

The number of vendors grows with the festival, too.

About 60 vendors are expected at the festival this year, Leonhardt said. Vendors in recent years have sold food, Bluegrass music and instruments, jewelry and books.

One vendor has provided some local flavor since the festival’s beginning.

Local restauranteur Phillip Scarboro said his business offers barbecue, hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken tenders at festival events.

“It’s pretty nice to see old friends that you don’t see from year to year,” Scarboro said.

As for making new friends, Scarboro said, “Every year is kind of an adventure as far as who you meet.”

In the beginning, he participated for one day of the festival, but the past three years he’s offered food throughout the entire festival.

And last year was a particularly good year for the vendor, Scarboro said.

“It’s gotten better for us each year,” Scarboro said. “On our end, it’s a very busy weekend and it gets busier closer to the (Fourth of July).”

It’s the people and a chance to show off what Morganton has to offer that bring back the volunteers, vendors and sound crew each year.

“You just sit back and watch people,” Hutchins said. “And people make the world go round.”