Officials: Unicoi County Wayne Scott Strawberry Festival to return in 2021
The Town of Unicoi Strawberry festival is making a return in May after being canceled last year due to the pandemic.
Organizers with the Wayne Scott Strawberry Festival published that the event is scheduled for Saturday May 15 from 10 a.m-5 p.m at Unicoi Elementary School. More vendors including retail vendors will be eligible to participate this year and a vintage car show will also be apart of this year’s festivities.
“We’re looking forward to a brighter year for our events,” said Town of Unicoi Mayor Kathy Bullen. “Pandemic numbers are coming down and vaccine rates are going up, so we’re excited to get back in the swing of things.”
Vendors interested in being apart of the 2021 Strawberry festival should should visit ExploreUnicoi.com/events for more information and to download an application. Vendors can also register and pay through the EventBrite platform but will be charged a convenience fee through the platform itself. The registration deadline is May 12.
There is no registration fee to participate in the car show, but interested individuals are asked to contact Mike “Model-A Mac” McIntosh at (423) 743-5085 for more information. Vehicles must be more than 20 years old to qualify.
The festival will have a number of activities for children. The cow train ride will be running at regular intervals and the loading/unloading station has been moved to the Kids’ Inflatable Zone for
more accessibility. The Tennessee National Guard will be joining the Kids Zone this year and will display one of their military vehicles while giving children a chance to test their strength through push-up challenges.
Little Miss Southern Sparkle Pageants will once again host the Miss Strawberry Festival Pageant and awards will be presented on the main stage during the festival. Interested individuals may email Valerie Hendrix at director@southernsparklepageant@gmail.com or visit Little Miss Southern Sparkle on Facebook for more information.
Local musicians that would like to play at the festival can submit a request to play at either the Strawberry Festival or other town-sponsored events including the Freedom Fest in July. A link to video or audio recording is required and may be emailed to recreationaide@unicoitn.net with “Performance Request” in the subject line. Prospective bands may also complete an online application by clicking here.
If you are interested in sponsoring the Wayne Scott Strawberry Festival or volunteering at the event, you should contact the Tourist Information Center at (423) 735-0517 or email recreationaide@unicoitn.net. Additional information is available online here or on the town’s website here. Both pages will be updated with the festival map, musical performance schedule and vendor list when released.
Photo Courtesy: Town of Unicoi
