White Squirrel Festival – 2010

Go Nuts at the 7th Annual White Squirrel Festival: May 29-30, 2010 (Memorial Day Weekend)

Voted “Best Spring Music Festival in Western North Carolina” by Asheville Citizen Times News Poll 2008

White Squirrel Festival Receives Honor: Top 20 Event for the month of May 2009 by the Southeast Tourism Society

Thousands of fan go nuts in Downtown Brevard on Memorial Day weekend, in Brevard, North Carolina!

You don’t want to miss our free, live concerts. Jupiter Coyote, Bone Pony, and Patrick Smith Band headline this year.

For those who prefer warming up early Saturday morning, run in 3rd Annual 5K/10K White Squirrel Race!  Check out Brevard Rotary’s website for more information.

We kick off the 7th Annual White Squirrel Festival with our 3rd Annual Memorial Day Parade, which is organized by the American Legion and VFW. This crowd-pleasing event will take place on Saturday at 9:00am, followed by a “Presentation of the Wreath” ceremony at our county War Memorial.

For safety reasons, dogs are not allowed on festival grounds.

No alcohol is allowed at festival, except for approved designated area. Thanks!

No dogs allowed on festival grounds…Pet Sitting could be available for out of town guests. Questions? Call Pure Pets. 828.884.7333

Our 2010 White Squirrel Festival – Check out whitesquirrelfestival.com

2010 Festival Sponsors

West Main Street Stage Venue Sponsor:

Steve Owen & Associates

Squirrel Box Derby Finish Line Sponsors:

Brighter Day Coffee

Co-Ed Cinema

The UPS Store

Platinum Sponsors:

Comporium

Think It Studio

United Community Bank

Gold Sponsor:

White Squirrel Shoppe

Silver Sponsors:

America’s Satellite

Brevard Music Center

Gutter Guard

Transylvania Regional Hospital

Festival Friends:

The Hampton Inn

Platt Arcitecture, P.A.

Vulcan Materials Co.

Media Sponsors:

Transylvania County Real Estate & Buyers’ Guide

The Transylvania Times

WNCW 88.7 Radio

WSQL 1240 Radio

Festival Partners:

Mountain Song Festival

Tungsten Marketing

Recycling Sponsored by:  Going Green Builders

2010 Musical Performances

7th Annual White Squirrel Festival Music Headliner:

Bone Pony

performing 9:00pm (Saturday)

Jupiter Coyote

performing 9:15pm (Sunday)

White Squirrel Festival Music Schedule

Our musical line-up is one of the region’s best, and no where else can you hear 16 spectacular concerts for free. John Felty (of Looking Glass Entertainment and of Jupiter Coyote fame) continues to bring in some up and coming, as well as some established, performers who know how to get their audience smiling, dancing, and clapping.

Saturday May 29, 2010 Sunday May 30, 2010
Performance Time Performance Time
Davidson River Taiko 12:00-12:45pm Lynn Goldsmith 12:00-12:45pm
Randy Joe Galloway 1:00-1:45pm Woody Pines 1:00-1:45pm
Tom Fisch 2:00-2:45pm John Hamilton 3:00-3:45pm
brotherbrother 3:00-3:45pm Marc Yaxley 3:00-3:45pm
Moses Atwood 4:00-4:45pm Dehlia Low 4:00-4:45pm
Carolina Blue 5:00-5:45pm Uncle Mountain 5:00-5:45pm
Nikki Talley 6:00-7:00pm Jonathan Scales Fourchestra 6:00-6:45pm
Jeff, Ike, and Mike 7:15-8:30pm Sun Domingo 7:00-7:45pm
Bone Pony 9:00-10:00pm Patrick Smith Band 8:00-9:00pm
Jupiter Coyote 9:15-10:30pm

This is a rain or shine event

Your chance to help with the White Squirrel Festival !

As one of the 2009 TOP 20 music festivals in the southeast, we are pleased to be able to offer 18 live concerts, free to the public.

But even with many of our performers adjusting their fees, it takes a lot of money to produce a festival of this quality.

There are opportunities for businesses to participate at several sponsorship levels. We even have a special music fund program for individuals who wish to make a tax-deductible donation.

For more information, contact us at (828) 884-3278 or heartexec@comporium.net

2010 White Squirrel Festival Schedule

SATURDAY – May 29

Memorial Day:  Parade                                                                      9:00am
“Presentation of the Wreath” 10:00am (Gazebo)
3rd Annual 5K/10K White Squirrel Race                                   8:00am
(Brevard Music Center)

Squirrel Box Derby (Jailhouse Hill)                                          9:00am – 6:00pm
(Races begin at 1:30pm)
White Squirrel Guided Tours (Brevard College)                        11:00am, 2:00pm, 5:00pm
White Squirrel Exhibit (TC Heritage Museum)                           10:00am – 5:00pm
Squirrel Feeder & Photo Contests
White Squirrel Dance Off (Music Stage) 3:00pm
*meet at intersection of Main/Broad St. 2:30pm

Street Festival:  10:00am – 6:00pm
Food Court (West Main, between Caldwell/England)
Street Vendors (Gazebo block, South Broad)
WSQL Live (West Main)
Pisgah Pete (real white squirrel on the Gazebo block)
Jennifer Burgin, Wildlife Rehabilitator

Zero Gravity Skate Park Festival Activity:

Open Skate/Finger Board                                                       9:00am – 10:00am
Skateboarding 101/ Finger Board                                       10:00am – 10:30am
Open Skate/Finger Board                                                        10:30am – 11:00am
ZG demo/Finger Board                                                            11:00am – 11:45am
Finger Board                                                                                 11:45am – 1:00pm
Open Skate/ Skate Church/Finger Board                          1:00pm – 3:00pm
Game of SKATE                                                                            3:00pm – 4:00pm
MMA Demo/clinic                                                                      4:00pm – 5:00pm
Open Skate/Finger Board                                                        5:00pm – 6:00pm

SUNDAY – May 30

Squirrel Box Derby (Jailhouse Hill)                                     10:00am – 6:00pm
(Races begin at 1:30pm)
White Squirrel Guided Tours (Brevard College)                    2:00pm and 5:00pm
White Squirrel Exhibit (TC Heritage Museum)                      12 noon – 5:00pm
Squirrel Feeder & Photo Contests
Street Festival:  12 noon – 6:00pm
Food Court (West Main, between Caldwell/England)
Street Vendors (Gazebo block, South Broad)
WSQL Live (West Main)
Pisgah Pete (real white squirrel on the Gazebo block)
Jennifer Burgin, Wildlife Rehabilitator

Zero Gravity Skate Park Festival Activity:

Open Skate/Finger Board                                                       12 noon – 1:00pm
Skateboarding 101/ Finger Board                                       1:00pm – 1:30pm
MMA Demo/clinic                                                                      1:30pm – 2:30pm
Open Skate/Finger Board                                                        2:30pm – 4:00pm
ZG demo/Finger Board                                                            4:00pm – 5:00pm
Open Skate/Finger Board                                                        5:00pm – 6:00pm

For more information:
Heart of Brevard  828-884-3278

WHITE SQUIRREL FESTIVAL PRESENTS NEW TASTE

Celebrating this year’s 7th annual White Squirrel Festival in Brevard, NC will bring old and new excitement.  One such feature is the launching of a new beer–the White Squirrel Summer Lager– created by a Brevard College Alumnus, Jonathan Cort.

Cort is a “beer pusher” at Craggie Brewing in Asheville.  The White Squirrel Summer Lager is a light beer with an orange savor and a pale yellow color, made of only 4.2% alcohol.  Cort wanted to give back to the community with the unique opportunity for Brevard to showcase the White Squirrel Summer Lager.

Cort first discovered his appreciation in beer through a biology lab class at college.  His lab professor let students randomly pick a lab to work on for a project.  This random pick happened to be fermentation which was for an end-of-the-year project.

Learning about fermentation augmented his interest and desire to go into the brewing business.  He eventually obtained his own fermentation equipment, creating pumpkin ale for Thanksgiving Dinner.  Ten of his family members at Thanksgiving each invested $85 for his idea.

Through his studies at BC, he did research on breweries and wrote a business plan for his own brewery one day.  One of his professors, Dr. Michael Quigley, told him to run a brewery he would need “profound knowledge of the business”, which Cort did not have.

In order to gain knowledge of operating a brewery, Cort worked in one of Asheville’s breweries washing and delivering kegs.  When he decided to leave, he was told that if he stayed he could be in marketing and sales within 5 years.

Six months later, in 2007, he went into partnership with Bill Drew to create Craggie Brewing Company with no experience in sales/promotion.  Later Simone Seitz joined the Craggie family to handle the marketing aspects.  Craggie Brewing Company now has 7 different styles of ale.  One of the main aspects of drinking these ales is that you remember what happens by the next morning.

“One way to meet your goals,”  says Cort, “ is to steer away from it but keep at it; keep yourself at a company to gain experience, and grow forward yourself.”

It turns out beer-making may be more than just a passing fancy.  Cort discovered in his family’s attic that in 1933 his family owned Old South Brewing Co. in Statesville, N.C. and found a business plan for the company.  There was also a note from a great-grandfather in 1840 of a recipe for ale containing spruce, molasses, and ginger.  Molasses was used as a base for ale in the American Civil War instead of grain, since grain went towards food production.

Now, Cort is giving back to the Brevard community by honoring the White Squirrel with a  summer lager named after it.

The White Squirrel Summer Lager will be launched on May 29 at the White Squirrel Festival Beer Garden in downtown Brevard.  The garden is only open from 12 noon – 9:00pm and beer must be consumed within the designated area.

2010 Annual White Squirrel Photo Contest

It’s springtime and all your backyard white critters are scampering about.  If you’re able to catch them in some of their high flying acts or their persistent appearance at what you call a bird feeder, now is the time to bring out your cameras.

Enter our 7th Annual White Squirrel Photo Contest.  Photo entries must include at least one local white squirrel.  Submit your entries to the Heart of Brevard office (175 East Main Street, Suite 200) on or before May 26th.  Call beforehand to make certain staff is on hand to receive your photo (884-3278).  Entry forms are available at the office.

Prizes are award for first place ($50), second place ($25), and third ($10).  There is a $5 entry fee to help generate funds for the prizes.

All photos will be displayed during the White Squirrel Festival (May 29-30).

Download entry form now!

Contest rules:

  • No more than 2 photos per person can be submitted.
  • Photo(s) must be taken by the entrant.
  • Photo(s) must be mounted or framed  (no larger than 8”x10’ print; frame no larger than 11”x14”)
  • Photo(s) must have on the back of the photo entrant’s name, contact information, and name/title of the photo

Judges will make their determination based on: subject, composition, technique, lighting, creativity, attractiveness, impact.

2010 Annual White Squirrel Feeder Competition

Make your feeder at home and bring it to the Heart of Brevard.  The public can vote for their favorite squirrel feeder during the White Squirrel Festival

Call Heart of Brevard for feeder competition details 828.884.3278

Download entry form now!

Other 2010 white squirrel festival weekend activities

Brevard’s 4th Friday Gallery Walk

May 28th 5:00 – 9:00pm
Enjoy an evening of art, wine, food in downtown Brevard.

Third Annual White Squirrel Twirl (The Sylvan Squares Dance Club)

May 28th 7:30pm
St. Timothy United Methodist Church
$7 per dancer
Call 828.884.6428 for more information or email

Street Vendors Application:

Applications for the 8th Annual White Squirrel Festival can be downloaded mid-February 2011!  Applicants must fall within the following categories:
  • food
  • craft (hand-made only)
  • non-profit

White Squirrel Festival Music Fund

The Heart of Brevard announces the creation of the “White Squirrel Festival MUSIC FUND.”  This is a fund through the Community Focus Foundation that will allow for tax-deductible donations by individuals to support the festival concerts.

This is your chance to be part of the only White Squirrel Festival in the world and showcase the talents connected to Transylvania County!  Show your support for these fine musicians and the warm hospitality of this mountain community.

Donations can be mailed to the:

Community Focus Foundation
c/o Heart of Brevard
175 East Main Street, Suite 200
Brevard, NC  28712
(Memo:  White Squirrel Festival Music Fund)

For your tax-deductible donation, you can receive:
(Please indicate preferable tee shirt size)

$50 Level

White Squirrel Festival 2010 Tee Shirt

$100 Level

-White Squirrel Festival 2010 Signed Poster
(2010 band signatures)
-White Squirrel Festival 2010 Tee Shirt

$250 Level

-Private Tour of Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility
(home of Elliott, the festival white squirrel)
-White Squirrel Festival 2010 Signed Poster (2010 band signatures)
-White Squirrel Festival 2010 Tee Shirt

$500 Level

-CD Box Set of either 2010 headliners
-Private Tour of Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility (home of Elliott, the festival white squirrel)
-White Squirrel Festival 2010 Signed Poster (2010 band signatures)
-White Squirrel Festival 2010 Tee Shirt

$1,000 Level

-Two CD Box Sets of both 2010 headliners
-Private Tour of Wildlife Rehabilitation Facility (home of Elliott, the festival white squirrel)
-White Squirrel Festival 2010 Signed Poster (2010 band signatures)
-White Squirrel Festival 2010 Tee Shirt

For more information, please contact the Heart of Brevard at 828.884.3278 or email

4 Responses to “White Squirrel Festival – 2010”

  1. [...] nice pair of races held in conjunction with the Brevard White Squirrel Festival held over Memorial Day Weekend in Downtown Brevard. The races start and finish at the Brevard Music [...]

  2. [...] as you want it to be. Home to the white squirrel, Brevard hosts the nation’s only annual White Squirrel Festival, held over Memorial Day weekend. Come to enjoy the festivities: a parade, a 5K/10K race, guided [...]

  3. I know where the first white squirrels really came from,and who spread them over to lake Glenville.

  4. [...] Dianne took our 9 year old granddaughter, Emilie, to the annual White Squirrel Festival in Brevard. They had a blast. Emilie came home with her face painted and all excited about the [...]

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