Whether it was the rhododendron gardens, different types of music, delectable food or the handmade arts and crafts, it is safe to say the weekend was a success for the Roan Mountain Citizens Club.
The organization was able to reap the benefits of the 71st annual Rhododendron Festival at Roan Mountain State Park as thousands took in the different activities throughout the two-day affair.
“Everything has been great,” Brian Tipton, Citizens Club president, said Sunday. “We’ve had great cooperation with the weather, good crowds and the vendors have done very well. We’ve also had a lot of compliments on the uniqueness of the event with all the different vendors. It has been a tremendous success.”
Weather may have deterred a few visitors for Saturday near the late afternoon hours, but early in the morning — and all day Sunday — the festival welcomed thousands from across the country into Carter County.
With any event, parking could prove to be an issue, but Tipton commended the efforts of staff and volunteers that helped ease the movement of the event.
“The state park is invaluable to us,” Tipton said. “We couldn’t do this event without them. They’ve helped a lot with traffic, parking, on site at the facility talking with people, it’s been great. The Carter County Sheriff’s Office has also been very great helping us with parking and security.”
After documentation started around 10 years ago by individuals, over $200,000 has been pumped back into the Roan Mountain community due to the efforts of the Citizens Club. The Rhododendron Festival is the organization’s top fundraising initiative to provide ample opportunities for improvement and growth for different businesses and groups in the area.
“All the money we raise from this festival goes directly back into the community,” Tipton said. “We are able to things with the money through the scholarships, through community beautification projects and then we do $1,000 back to the Roan Mountain State Park, the Roan Mountain Volunteer Fire Department and to each of the schools in Roan Mountain.”
The Citizens Club also sponsors a variety of events during the year, including the Appalachian Trail Designation Celebration, the Roan Mountain Christmas Tree Lighting and Halloween in the Campground. During the event, the Club also sold festival shirts to benefit the projects. Each shirt, designed by Tipton, highlighted the different attributes that make Roan Mountain a highly sought after destination for the community and tourists alike.
As the crowds started to subside near the conclusion of the event Sunday, Tipton was quick to mention the Citizens Club is already preparing for 2018.
“We’re aren’t going to take too much of a breather,” Tipton said with a laugh. “We’re jumping right back into it. We’ve already started planning for next year’s festival. Actually before today we did. We’re constantly wanting to improve on the festival. We want to make sure the vendors are lined up in the best place plus we’re always looking at adding vendors when possible.”
For more information on the Citizens Club or to contribute to their causes, visit roanmountain.com or the Roan Mountain Citizens Club Facebook page online.