Behind the scenes: The months of planning and hands involved in making the Morganton Festival happen

Months before thousands of visitors fill downtown for the Morganton Festival, hundreds of volunteers and city staff work behind the scenes to bring the two-day event to life.

This year’s festival — set for next weekend — will feature 270 vendors, including 30 food booths, interactive attractions like caricature artists and gem mining, and performances from The Jack Wharff Band, Chapel Hart, The Phoebes, and Vegas McGraw. About 20,000 people are expected to attend, but festival organizers say the crowds are only possible because of the months of planning that begin each January.

From the streets division of the public works department, which installs banners and signage, to the public safety department, which ensures a safe environment for thousands of festivalgoers, Main Street Manager Makenzie McGinnis said the event wouldn’t be possible without their support. She added that recreation, CoMMA, and the electric department also play key roles in making the festival a success. Each department oversees its own logistics, festival staffers and volunteers are found in all areas of the festival — from logistics to the information booth.

PLANNING STARTS IN JANUARY

Preparing the online portal to receive vendor applications begins in January. McGinnis said online applications are available no later than early February. She also mails out applications. Only a limited number of vendors are approved in each category to ensure the festival has a variety of food, crafts, and other retail.

The first category to reach capacity is nonprofit-information only, which typically maxes out in mid-spring. Then, shortly after, the business and commercial booths fill up. This year, the category was sold out in July.

This year will feature about 30 food vendors, more than in previous years, McGinnis said. Among the offerings are food vendors like Hot Dogs For All and Ono Poke Bowl, both of which were also at the TGIF Summer Concert Series. A hand-spun cotton candy vendor will also be part of the lineup.

“Even next year, I have a goal to look for even more options for different kinds of foods,” McGinnis said. “People come looking for fair food, but it’s cool to introduce different things to people to try.”

This year will also include more interactive vendors, which will be set up on the courthouse square facing Brown Mountain Bottleworks. McGinnis said there will be a caricature artist, a face painter, and two different gem mining vendors.

The Main Stage performers must be booked months in advance of the festival. Musical acts — like this year’s The Jack Wharff Band, Chapel Hart, The Phoebes, and Vegas McGraw — are secured no later than April, McGinnis said.

Securing contracts with vendors for amusement rides, portable toilets, sound systems, and inflatables happens throughout the year, she said.

By July, McGinnis begins to map out where each vendor will be located. Many vendors want the same spot each year, she said, and estimated about half of the vendors return year after year.

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

The week before the parade, banners start appearing around town, signaling that the festival is just days away. During festival week, volunteers receive a detailed rundown of their responsibilities, and McGinnis said the Main Street department provides food to thank them for their help. On the Thursday before the festival, the recreation department sets up tables and chairs, and festival streets are closed and chalked to mark vendor spaces.

Festival morning begins with an all-hands effort as volunteers assist with setup. Starting at 8 a.m. Friday, road guards will be posted at each entrance to direct vendors, and volunteers will help them set up their spaces.

“Thankfully, it’s been going on for 43 years and it’s pretty much clockwork,” McGinnis said.

McGinnis said that the Main Street office also works to communicate with downtown businesses so that they are aware of any inconveniences, including street closures, that might come with the festival.

“We recognize that this isn’t necessarily the best thing for every business, but it’s really good for some, so if they can have their door open or have a booth on the street we definitely encourage that,” McGinnis said, adding that “there’s thousands of people downtown and so it’s an event that gets people to Morganton, see Morganton, to kind of be that hometown event where people take pride in their community.”