Brevard – For 21 years, the White Squirrel Festival has taken place in Brevard over Memorial Day weekend. This small town, with fewer than 8,000 residents, hosts a vibrant street festival that celebrates the city’s unique charm and community spirit. More than 30,000 people often come to enjoy a full array of vendors, food trucks, and craft beer companies. Attendees indulge in delicious barbecue, tasty baked goods, gourmet popsicles, Kilwin’s fudge and coated apples, cotton candy, Nothing Bundt cakes, beer, wine, cider, and seltzer in the Beer Garden.Wrist banks are required for the Beer Garden for $3.00 and are good all weekend. Lovely music wafts through the air, with many stellar musical groups scheduled to perform—from exotic Japanese drumming by the Hellbender Taiko to the Appalachian sounds of the Holler Choir and the touring group Shovels and Rope on Saturday. Then, on Sunday evening, Grammy-award winner Woody Platt and the Bluegrass Experience will take the stage.
There is an area designated for Family Fun, featuring activities such as balloon tying, a hula hoop jam, and a ten-minute pirate ship Escape Room. This will undoubtedly be a favorite spot for younger attendees. Heart of Brevard sells official event t-shirts, posters, stickers and a hat bar with patches/hats for a custom look. A wide variety of food trucks can be found near the Beer Garden and Music Stage.
Brevard is home to a number of white squirrels, often seen on the Brevard College campus. The distinctive animal was reportedly acquired from a carnival after a wreck back in 1949. Surprisingly, the white squirrel is not an albino but a variant of the eastern gray squirrel. At the White Squirrel Festival, there is a costumed mascot, Sammy the Squirrel, all dressed up and ready for photo opportunities. Some visitors even wear hats with a white squirrel perched on top. In fact, a variety of white squirrel souvenirs can be found at the White Squirrel Shoppe at 6 West Main Street, including cups, glasses, pins, hats, tote bags, and any decoration or ornament featuring a white squirrel.
Vendors from many categories will participate in this White Squirrel Festival. Many long-time sellers are returning, such as Paris Festival, along with new vendors. Local books describing the incredible waterfalls around the Brevard area can be found at Highland Books. Numerous local potters and craft artists will showcase their merchandise. Nancy Wahl’s art will be exhibited; JustGenna Designs will present her one-of-a-kind cloth items featuring some of her favorite quotes; Petrichor Pottery will bring new gorgeous pottery creations, including charming birdhouses and flower containers; truffle products from Wild Goods Store will be available; and all-natural handcrafted lotion candles and soaps from Delta Glow Asheville will also be offered. It will be hard to resist purchasing items from these vendors.
A VIP area and pass are now available, allowing you to relax in a reserved space with excellent stage views, drinks, and more, located in the Quotations Parking Lot. The passes are priced at $150 for a three-day pass or $65 for a one-day pass. With the VIP pass, you can enjoy access to a shaded Private VIP Tent that offers a relaxed atmosphere close to the action, preferred stage viewing for enjoying the music, two drink tokens per day redeemable at any WSW beverage location, a private VIP cash bar without lines, and light snacks provided by Brevard Pizza Works. Additionally, you’ll have access to private restrooms to skip the lines, the option to bring your own chair starting at 4 PM each day, and exclusive wine tastings with Key Falls Estate on Saturday and Sunday evenings, along with surprise treats and raffles throughout the weekend.
The weekend festivities start on Friday from 5:00 to 10:00 PM on May 23; continue on Saturday, May 24th from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM; and conclude on Sunday, May 25th from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Parking options are available at several locations: the W. Main St. Parking Lot located just past 217 W. Main at the corner of W. Main St. and England St.; the Depot Parking Lot at 390 Railroad Ave.; the Transylvania County Library parking lot at 212 S. Gaston St.; the Transylvania Public Health parking lot at 106 E. Morgan St.; and the PAY LOT at the First Baptist Church parking lot at 94 Gaston St.
Memorial Day is May 26. This national holiday honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Ceremonies are held throughout the USA, and people visit cemeteries to decorate graves with American flags and flowers. Thus, on Monday following the festival, Brevard will hold a remembrance ceremony at 11:00 AM on the front lawn of the Transylvania County Courthouse. This event includes a wreath-laying ceremony, presentation of colors, remarks, and a reading of the names of the fallen.