Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 9, 1991 TAG: 9104090455
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: David M. Poole
DATELINE: FERRUM LENGTH: Medium
The one-day event, which last year drew more than 10,000 people, has outgrown the Ferrum College campus where it has been held for 17 years, said Ferrum President Jerry Boone.
Boone said Monday that festival organizers would have to find a new site after this year's event scheduled for Oct. 26.
"Basically, we've just run out of space," Boone said.
Boone said Ferrum College, which sponsors the festival, will lead the search for a new site.
But some Franklin County residents fear the move will mean the death of the festival, a non-profit event that showcases and preserves Blue Ridge culture.
"I do not believe another suitable location can be found in the entire region," said Dr. J. Francis Amos, a local historian.
Roddy Moore, director of the Blue Ridge Institute, which is funded in part by Ferrum College, said staging an event similar to recent festivals would require a large expanse of open land with electricity, water, several large buildings and a lake.
Moore said the festival could lose some of its unique features - such as the coon-dog swimming race or authentic craft-making exhibits - if not all these features can be found.
"We deal with a lot of older craftsmen who do not do festivals," he said. "They are used to being in the gym, and I don't know if they would come if we put them in tents."
Boone, who came to Ferrum College four years ago, said construction of new buildings has cut parking and exhibition space available on campus.
"We've been so successful that it's hard for us to stage it here anymore," he said.
Boone said another concern was wear and tear on the Ferrum campus, particularly when it rains. "It takes us nine months to recover from the last one," he said.
Moore said he has looked for sites in Franklin County and Roanoke, but so far has not found anything suitable.
Russ Merritt, executive director of the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, said merchants were concerned the festival might leave the county.
"It's one of the best ways to bring people into the county," Merritt said.
Amos, who was chairman of the county's 1986 bicentennial celebration, said he hoped that Ferrum College officials would reconsider.
"The Folklife Festival has become a regional and statewide tradition," he said. "Ferrum College has taught us about our heritage and our values. It's been a teaching mission that has taught tens of thousands of people."
by CNB