By Sarah Richardson
The White Sulphur Springs City Council met this week and discussed the upcoming first annual Dry Creek Music and Arts Festival. Local business owner and event organizer Clay Elkins said that he noticed there wasn’t really an “art-centric” festival held in the area. He thought this could be a chance to “celebrate how far town has come in the past six years. I think we’ve all heard it here a few times that town looks amazing, it’s come so far, and now we can celebrate. It’s really a good way to thank our supporters, the community, and the philanthropy that’s happening.” He adds that when business, government, and philanthropy come together “great things can happen.”
The full schedule of events is as follows:
Friday, June 17:
10 AM- Schoolhouse Hotel Dedication Ceremony
4 PM- Smooth Ambler Whiskey Wagon Opens
6:30 PM- Second Line Parade from Gum Store Studios
7 PM- Rebirth Brass Band, Big Draft Brewing Main Stage
Saturday, June 18:
7 AM- Stream Cleanup
12 PM- Smooth Ambler Whiskey Wagon Opens
12 PM- Hawk Knob Cider Tent Opens
12-6 PM, Main Street closed to through traffic
12:30 PM, Stillwater Hum, 50 East Stage
1 PM- Artisan Road Opens on Main Street
2-4 PM- Field Day at The Schoolhouse Hotel
3 PM- Nathan Seldomridge & the Whistlepig Rodeo, 50 East Stage
4 PM- Mountain Steer Meat Company Burger Truck Opens
5:30 PM- Wolfpen Branch, Big Draft Brewing Main Stage
7:30 PM, Wayne Graham, Big Draft Brewing Main Stage
9:30 PM, John. R. Miller, Big Draft Brewing Main Stage
Sunday, June 19:
4 PM- Juneteenth Celebration with Shamarr Allen, Big Draft Brewing Main Stage
A resolution to temporarily suspend ordinances related to prohibition of open containers of alcoholic beverages and prohibition of serving alcohol in a public place was passed in a unanimous vote by council. White Sulphur Springs Chief of Police Scotty Teubert explained that during the time period of the festival, attendees will be allowed to purchase an alcoholic beverage from local businesses and carry it outside on the street within the event. “This is confined to the event,” Chief Teubert reiterated, “That doesn’t mean you can go down Rt. 92 and be walking down the road drunk. This is for the event only.” He said he doesn’t anticipate there being any issues. The designated area is the same footprint of the Dandelion Festival, with downtown blocked off to Willow Street.
Councilperson Mary Collins reported that White Sulphur has had “two fabulous” weekends recently with the Dandelion Festival and the Greenbrier Valley Home and Garden Tour. “The Dandelion festival was amazing and a great success, and last weekend the garden clubs in the Greenbrier Valley did the Home and Garden Tour, and the compliments were amazing. We had over 300 people move through the four places that we had in White Sulphur Springs, and I think the restaurants did well. It was a great weekend.”
