Festivals & Activities
22nd Annual Down Home Festival
May 7 and 8, 2010
Gaston County’s Most Popular Spring Festival
Presented by the City of Bessemer City
Festival Fun
The 22nd annual Down Home Festival offered visitors a chance to enjoy two days of Festival Fun. Friday night was Family Fun Night. “Summerdaze” was featured at the Street Dance on Virginia Avenue. A variety of food vendors sold concessions, including pizza, BBQ, hotdogs, and more. The evening ended with a Fireworks display by Hale Artificer. The rides and amusements were also open on Friday night.
Saturday offered an opportunity to visit many vendors, with items for sale including jewelry, food, crafts, and more. Entertainment on two stages included Loaded Mule, Preston Long and more. Local dance teams entertained. Delicious burgers, hot dogs, BBQ, cotton candy, funnel cakes, roasted corn, turkey legs, snow cones and ice cream were just some of the food offered by our vendors. A wide range of crafts was available as well as painting, bake sales, and more. Palmetto Amusements provides rides, with the Loop-O-Plane, Round Up, Up & Down Helicopter Ride, Zorro Mechanical Bull, Rio Grande Train Ride, Toddler Town and Giant Slide, to name just a few.
Jaz Alive 5K Race/Walk
The annual 5K Race was sponsored by the Bessemer City High School Student Government Association. The proceeds raised from the event were donated to the JAZ Alive Scholarship Fund in memory of Jonathan Lynn, Amber Vasquez and Zachary Elliot.
Festival Pageant
The Miss Down Home Festival Queen Pageant was held on the West Virginia Avenue stage (near City Hall) with participants from newborn to age 19 competing in various age categories. All contestants received a tiara and the winners became members of the Miss Gastonia Queens Court. For information or an application for next year's pageant, contact Delores Cox at 704-827-7277, or Todd Hagans at 704-866-6237, or visit the website at www.missgastoniapageant.com. The Miss Gastonia Scholarship Association sponsors the pageant with proceeds benefiting the Miss Gastonia scholarship fund.
Cornhole Tournament
The Bessemer City Cornhole League hosted a Cornhole Tournament which was open to the public. Cornhole is a lawn game, similar to horseshoes, played in teams of two. Players pitch corn filled bags onto raised platforms to score points. The first team to reach 21 points wins. Teams competed and advanced to the final championship.
History & Arts Museum
The Bessemer City History & Arts Museum is located at 209 West Washington Avenue. The museum was open during the festival.
To see photos of the 2010 Down Home Festival, click here.
Entertainment:
Top quality music, entertainment and fun for the whole family.
Friday
6:00 PM, Summerdaze Band
9:30 PM, Fireworks by Hale Arctificier
Sponsored by Piedmont Paving
Saturday
10:00 AM, Opening Ceremonies
Featured Entertainment:
Don’t miss a full schedule of entertainment including;
Loaded Mule
Ronald McDonald
Whetstone Mountain Boys
Magician Chastain Criswell
Local dance teams and talent
ELVIS
Preston Long
Crowders Mt. Fire/Rescue Smoke House
DJ Music
Cornhole Tournament
The Bessemer City Cornhole League will be hosting a Cornhole Tournament. It will be open to the public. Cornhole is a lawn game, similar to horseshoes, played in teams of two. Players pitch corn filled bags onto raised platforms to score points. Team reaching 21 points wins. Teams compete and advance to a final championship.
Registration will be on site the day of the event, Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on East Virginia Avenue. For more information contact Jo D Franklin at 704-629-5111.
Cornhole is a great spectator sport, be sure to check it out as you visit the festival.
NO DOGS, FIREARMS, SKATEBOARDS OR BICYCLES ALLOWED IN FESTIVAL AREA. |
Festival Sponsors
2010 Festival organizers are grateful to
the following sponsors for their support:
Piedmont Paving of BC
Hunter Douglas
First National Bank
FMC Lithium Corporation
Waste Management
Hazen & Sawyer, PC
Southern Switch Gear
Advanced Drainage Systems
Jaime Family:El Lorito/El Patriot/Los Arcos
Compliance Training Associates
Electricomm Solutions
Susie’s Day Care
Sisk Butler Funeral Home
US Postal Service, BC
David Smith III, Attorney
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Lithium Federal Credit Union
Bessemer City Chamber of Commerce
Ray Mullins, Crazy Rays
Pete Hamrick, Hillbilly Hut
BC Lions Club
Sunnyside Baptist Church
Custom Marking & Printing
Pasour Auto
Carolina Cooperative Credit Union
Fundamental Baptist Home Mission
Gaston College
DentMax
STV/Ralph Whitehead & Associates
Carolina Electric Motors |
Directions & Information
From I-85 take Exit 13; follow Edgewood Road to Bessemer City. Look for festival signs. All activities will be held in the downtown area. For information call 704-629-5111 or 704-629-5542.
Carolina Cruisers
The Carolina Cruisers, a classic auto club, is headquartered in Bessemer City. The Cruisers host several car shows each year. The Cruisers send a portion of their profits each year to the Crowders Mountain Shrine Club for the NC Hospital for Crippled and Burned children.
Contact information:
Scott Jenkins - 704-867-2861
Dan Boling - 7040629-4771
Chris Hoyle - 704-629-3442
Boys & Girls Clubs of Bessemer City
401 E. Washington Ave
Bessemer City, NC 28016
704-629-5663
Who We Are and What We Do
Boys & Girls Club of Bessemer City is a development organization for youth ages 6-18 in Bessemer City. Our mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. Our youth development strategy is to promote the development of young people by instilling in them a sense of competence, a sense of usefulness, a sense of belonging and a sense of power or influence.
Boys and Girls Club Program Highlights
• Educational Enhancement – Programs enable youth to become proficient in basic educational disciplines, apply learning to every-day situations and embrace tec hnology to achieve success in a career. Programs include: Study Buddy, Computer Classes, and Baking for Success.
• The Arts – Programs help children enhance self-expression and creativity, develop multi-cultural appreciation, gain exposure to and develop skills in crafts, visual arts, performing arts and literary arts. Programs include: weekly arts and crafts as well as musical programs.
• Citizenships / Leadership – Programs help youth develop leadership skills and provide opportunities for planning and decision making, and contributing to the club and the community. Programs include: community service projects, Goals for Growth/Graduation, 4H Club and Scout programs.
• Health & Physical Education –
Activities help children achieve and maintain fitness, acquire a broad range of physical skills, develop a sense of teamwork, cooperation and fairness and use sound judgment about safety, nutrition and avoidance of risky behaviors.
• Social Development –
Programs provide opportunities for children to participate in fun group activities designed to develop social skills and self expression.
Thank You
The Boys & Girls Club of Bessemer City wishes to thank all of our donors, volunteers, local businesses and churches for your generosity, you make dreams come true for children. Because of you, we do not have to charge fees. So everyone is welcome and equal here.Your gifts, big or small, put love in action. We see it every day and never cease to appreciate all that you make possible.Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.— The staff and members of the Boys & Girls Club of Bessemer City
Get Involved
To get involved and help provide positive support for our youth, please call 704-629-5663 or come visit us at 401 E. Washington Ave, Bessemer City, NC 28016.
Other Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Gaston Unit Locations:
• West Gastonia Boys & Girls Club, 310 South Boyd Street, Gastonia, NC 28052.
Phone: 704-810-9524
• Greater Gaston Pals Mentoring Program, Gastonia NC. Phone: 704-867-5320
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| Boys and Girls Club of Bessemer City Provides: |
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A safe place to learn and grow |
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Ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals |
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Life-enhancing programs and character development |
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Hope and Opportunity |
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A positive place for kids |
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| How you can help the Boys and Girls Club. |
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Volunteer as a tutor |
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Volunteer as a coach |
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Become a mentor |
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Help with a party |
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Be a friend of the Club |
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Donate school/art supplies |
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Sponsor a child |
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Sponsor a program |
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Come and play |
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