Hometown News: » Fest was 'Unbelievable'


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Fest was ‘Unbelievable’

Event draws largest crowd in memory
BY JIM FAIR
EDITOR

Hey, Greer. Stand up and take a bow. And pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
The 25th Anniversary of the Greer Family Fest has become the new standard for festivals, arguably the best among the Upstate and Western Carolinas.
Rudy Painter, Family Fest 2009 Chairman, summed it up in a word – “Unbelievable,” as he watched Mac Arnold and the Plate Full O’ Blues
band’s closing performance Saturday night.
Standing nearby, taking video of the event was Chamber of Commerce President and CEO John Kimbrell. He was bursting with pride. “I can’t
say enough about the staff from the Chamber,” Kimbrell said. “The volunteers, city, CPW, sponsors and vendors all made the festival the best
I’ve been associated with in five years.”
There was no estimate on the size of the crowd. None was needed.
“To see the crowds and then this thing (Mac Arnold’s Band) tonight, it’s the biggest ever in downtown Greer – ever,” emphasized Painter, who has been involved in the Family Fest in some fashion for the past two decades.
“It’s always been our goal for this festival to bring the community together,” Painter said. “This year it was proven the Family Fest belongs in
Greer.”
That’s why Lexi Irby of Boiling Springs came to the Greer festival when her options were Spartanburg’s Spring Fling and the Reedy River Duck Race in downtown Greenville. “We came here because we thought it was more oriented to family,” Irby said.
Not surprisingly, Kimbrell and Painter deflected kudos. But truth be told, when the Family Fest needed leadership the most, Kimbrell and
Painter were thrust into the unenviable role of not only managing a festival with limited funds in a tight economy but ultimately saving Greer’s
most prized events.
Kimbrell and Painter asked the community to respond and it did.
Anne Helton, who created Creation Station, took notice of the more than 15 churches participating in the activities for children. When Helton
began the popular kids area, she recruited from within her church, First Presbyterian, for enough volunteers.
Saturday 15 churches were represented in a wide area offering a variety of arts and crafts for the kids.
“This is a great opportunity for a lot of churches working together,” said Tommy Hargrove, pastor of Ridgeview Church, which meets at Mountain
View Elementary.
The only hiccup during the weekend was a brief period of showers that began at 5:15 p.m. Saturday and lasted for 40 minutes.
“I watched the weather all week,” Kimbrell said. “I’m glad we missed the bad storms.”
Even Weaky The Clown, the traditional starter for the Children’s parade, weighed in.
“This festival is much better organized this year,” he said. “The churches made a big difference. Now they all volunteer, while in the past there
may have been some younger people assigned to help but may not have really wanted to be here.”
Kimbrell, when asked what he planned to do Sunday after nearly a year planning for the Family Fest, said, “Rest. Then after a couple of weeks we will review, with our committee, this year’s festival.”

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