Riverfest 2014

Canton's popular arts and crafts festival celebrates 30 years.

By Michelle Martin

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Riverfest Arts & Crafts Festival and the 80th anniversary of the Service League of Cherokee County (SLCC), which produces the annual event.

SLCC, the oldest service league in the area, started Riverfest Arts & Crafts Festival in 1985 in an effort to raise funds to continue to serve the community. "The goal 30 years ago was to find additional avenues for fundraising for SLCC. The needs in our community were growing and we were searching to find additional ways to meet the needs of the children and their families," says Pat Gold, who was instrumental in planning and launching the first Riverfest with the help of several other SLCC members. "I had been attending craft fairs with a friend for a few years and saw an opportunity to start something new in Cherokee County that could entertain and assist as well."

Gold says she and the other Riverfest committee members Judy Bishop, Debra Goodwin and Rebecca Johnston worked hard for two years to lay the groundwork for the future of Riverfest. "I couldn't possibly have envisioned Riverfest having the financial impact it has had in our community over the years...It is an amazing success, and I am very proud to have been there at the beginning of it all."

According to Stephanie Bagwell, who serves as the chairperson for Riverfest 2014, all of the proceeds from Riverfest will continue to help provide medical care, dental care, eyeglasses, food, clothing, scholarships and other necessities for children in need throughout Cherokee County. "It is a testament to our community's faith in and support of SLCC that we are able to celebrate 80 years of service and 30 years of Riverfest," she says. "So often, charitable organizations are unable to continue their missions due to lack of community support. SLCC has not only been able to continue its mission but also grow it as well. Celebrating these two milestones together is an honor for those of us in active membership and a tribute to all who served before us."

This year's Riverfest is scheduled for September 27-28 at Boling Park in Canton. The festival will showcase handcrafted, unique items and gourmet culinary treats from more than 150 local artisans, along with family-friendly entertainment, activities for children of all ages, a football tailgating area, food vendors, and much more. As always, copies of the SLCC cookbook and SLCC tote bags also will be for sale. "There is a delicate balance between staying innovative while not losing the 'feel' of Riverfest," Bagwell says. "Each year, we strive to make the event better for everyone, from league members to patrons, to vendors. Patrons know that they will find their favorites year after year and be introduced to new and different vendors as well." Some of the features new to Riverfest this year will include a dunk tank with local "celebrities," a zipline, and live goldfish in the children's area. The concessions area will include picnic tables sponsored and hand-decorated by local businesses; patrons can purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win their favorite table. In addition, this year's festival will include a special pictorial display highlighting 30 years of Riverfest and the SLCC's 80 years as a service organization; a T-shirt display of the specially designed Riverfest T-shirts throughout the years; and 30th anniversary commemorative cups for sale. The commemorative cups feature the Riverfest 2014 logo that incorporates artwork from the first Riverfest logo in 1985.

Becky Thrash, of Acworth, and her daughter, Tiffany Quisenberry, of Canton, have attended Riverfest every year rain or shine since it debuted in 1985. They walk the same path and visit every vendor booth every year. "We always have a lot of fun, even if we don't buy anything," Thrash says, adding that Tiffany was only a year old at the first Riverfest. This year, the faithful mother-daughter Riverfest patrons will introduce a third generation to the festival. "We are excited to continue the Riverfest tradition with Tiffany's first child, Rylee, who will be only a month old," Thrash says. "Tiffany remembers buying a ruffled umbrella with her name on it at Riverfest one year, so we hope to find one for Rylee there this year to continue that tradition as well."

Bagwell loves to see such Riverfest tradition in local families. "It is a rare thing to see a community come together year after year to support an organization," she says. "The impact of Riverfest and SLCC's work is multi-generational, and I love that my kids are growing up seeing the work of the SLCC. I am certain the SLCC's work, including Riverfest, still will be seen in this community when they are adults!"

September 27, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
September 28, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Boling Park, Canton
$5 Admission (adults and children 11+)
Dogs are not allowed per city ordinance
ServiceLeague.net