PICKENS — Even though Memorial Day is the official start of summer, plenty of people might consider the true kick off to be the
fun-packed Blue Ridge Fest coming up this weekend. While the favorite event will be celebrating its 12th anniversary, marketing representative for Blue Ridge Electric Co-Op, Amy Childress, is hoping to top last year’s outcome. “This thing has grown to enormous levels since the start in 1998,†she said. “The entertainment is quality fun and the cruise-in cars are always just as amazing.†While the festival will go on in the warm sunshine or during a possible rain shower (the bands perform under a covered pavilion), Childress said it’s an event many people enjoy attending because all proceeds go to local charities. Last year, the festival and its attendees raised $145,000 for 12 charities in Pickens, Anderson, Greenville and Oconee counties. The total amount of money that has been raised over the festival’s lifespan amounts to a whopping $810,000. And while always difficult, Blue Ridge Co-op appoints an employee selection committee to determine which charitable organizations will be receiving funding from the event each year. “Having a limited number of slots to fill is never easy,†she said. “Especially during these difficult economic times. Every organization is deserving.†Employees devote their “off the clock time†to make the festival as successful as possible, and Childress said it wouldn’t have taken off without that very devotion.
“From working the concessions to parking to planning, this family-fun community staple certainly wouldn’t be a possibility. It’s really amazing to see how hard everyone is willing to work in order to bring Blue Ridge Fest to life each year.â€