CONWAY — Locals chatted with their neighbors and visitors traveled from across Franklin County and beyond to understand the big fuss about Festival of the Hills on Sunday.
According to Sue MacDonald, treasurer and secretary of the Festival of the Hills organization behind the big day, the annual celebration takes about 120 volunteers to put on each year.
“Everybody in Conway wants to support the festival,” longtime festival volunteer Ernie Manes said at the raffle booth packed full of local prizes.
“This is just a contribution to Conway being Conway,” volunteer and proud Conway resident Ira Band said before waving another car into the parking area. His fellow parking volunteer called him “the king of the parking lot.”
When the drivers donated before parking, Band told them through the window, “You’re helping Conway kids.”
Each year, the festival raises money for nine scholarships to Conway high schoolers. According to MacDonald, organizers raised about $8,700 last year to support high school seniors with the next chapter of their lives. These scholarships not only benefit college-bound high school seniors, but also those planning to be entrepreneurs or enter the workforce.
At noon, Greenfield Community College student Leila Bosman of Conway received the Tricia Donovan Scholarship, an award named after the longtime chairperson of Festival of the Hills that typically supports a student who values volunteering, according to MacDonald. Bosman has volunteered at the festival with her family for several years. Festival attendees also listened to Bosman sing and play the keyboard on Sunday and checked out her artwork in the Field Memorial Library’s exhibit.
“It’s a community effort,” Rena Moore said at the organization’s homemade candy booth. Moore has volunteered at the festival for about 20 years, selling her and other locals’ signature sweets, including her favorite pick, her peanut butter fudge.
Paul Horton and his family traveled all the way from Phoenix, Arizona for the festival. His kids saw colorful fall leaves for the first time on Sunday.
“We come from a big city of lots of people. To see a small community event like this is awesome,” Horton said before he and his family headed to the ballfield for food, crafts and contests.
Spuds with Love, a food fixture at the festival, sold fries of many flavors, including chicken bacon ranch and garlic parmesan. Owner Rob Hicks said he and his crew typically use 12 bags of potatoes each year for their fries
“It’s a lot of fun,” Hicks said. “The whole community gets involved.”
Dan Ross and his team sold fried dough with maple cream on Sunday. His first year at the festival, Ross said, “It’s a beautiful thing to see a community come together.” And with the 80-degree heat, Ross added, “It’s a good day for dough to warm up.”
Past the food trucks and booths, vendors sold crocheted crafts, jewelry, soap, honey and other local creations.
The day’s events got a running start at 10 a.m. with the Covered Bridge Classic 10K Road Race. Runners took off at the Burkeville Covered Bridge and finished at the Field Memorial Library.
Newlywed runners Sarah and Mike Richard of Northampton raced for the first time as a married couple on Sunday. Instead of the fastest time, they aimed to enjoy the course and make it to the finish line.
“It’s the perfect balance of hills and shade and scenery,” Sarah Richard said. The couple said they ran past foliage and spectating horses and dogs.
Runner Danielle Clough from Huntington even spotted wooly brown caterpillars watching the flurry of fast feet on the trail.
The physical challenges continued with the log-splitting contest at 11:30 a.m. and the skillet toss at 2 p.m.
A festival regular, Cait Anderson of Conway traced the contests’ appeals to their peculiarity. “These are things unique to Festival of the Hills,” she said as she and her mom watched competitors hurl axes into log stumps. “I like the small community feel of it.”
“It feels rare to have a moment of, ‘Let’s focus on Conway,'” Conway native Anna Meyer said. Meyer, founder of Hart Farm in Conway, greeted visitors on their way to the ballfield with fresh fruits and veggies.
“It’s nice to come together,” Meyer continued. “I feel proud of our town.”
