Arts and crafts, concerts and a car show are just a few of the activities taking place during this year’s New Hope Festival.
The festival is returning to New Hope for its second year on July 5 after being delayed in March due to weather conditions. The event, which is being held at New Hope High School and is organized by New Hope Strong, is being combined with the organization’s Peace, Love and Freedom Night of Worship, President of New Hope Strong Tony Hannah told The Dispatch.
“When we started the festival last year, our intent was to bring family-friendly fun to New Hope,” Hannah said Wednesday. “We didn’t have a lot of events going on, and so we formed a group called New Hope Strong.”
New Hope Strong is a volunteer events group that has a mission to create and promote family-friendly events. All of the funds donated to the organization go toward funding events in the New Hope community, New Hope Strong’s Facebook page said.
With the festival and worship night combined this year, Hannah is expecting a large turnout, possibly even larger than the 5,000 to 6,000 that came out to the festival last year, he said.
“I would be anticipating a larger crowd, just simply because we’ve combined it,” Hannah said. “… And hopefully everybody enjoys the music and enjoys all the fun and fireworks.”
The festivities will kick off at 8 a.m. with a 5K and fun run and will close with a fireworks show at 9 p.m. Vendors will be selling art, crafts and food starting at 8 a.m., and a car show is scheduled from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. A 5 p.m. concert will feature Kenny Gardner, Tonja Rose and David Timms.
Hannah said the 98 vendors for the event will range from woodworking and bracelet-making to shattered glass art and jewelry. Food vendors will offer an array of options including corndogs, funnel cake and snowcones, he said.
“We’ve tried to have something for everybody there so it can be a whole family fun day,” said Hannah.
There will also be a kids zone with inflatables and bungee jumpers that children can play in with the purchase of a $10 armband, Hannah said.
Adam Lux, owner of Jump-n-Bounce Party Rentals, will be bringing an inflatable obstacle course and a bouncy house for the kids zone.
Lux encouraged the community to show up to support the New Hope Strong group.
“They do a lot for the community,” Lux said. “I think everybody needs to come out (and) support them.”
Hannah said there will be cool-down zones with fans and a medical tent at the festival, given the summer heat.
The event will also have shuttles running all day to take people to the event from surrounding parking lots, Hannah said.
“Both events they had last year were awesome events,” said Lux. “… I really think it’s going to be a nice, good event for everybody to come out.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
