Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022 - 17

OUR BLUE RIDGE TOWNS
April through September. We did a plein air event in late
June, with 25 artists painting throughout the downtown
and a 'wet sale' of their work at the end of the weekend, "
Bentley says. " Basically, we did micro-events to keep the
crowds down and the businesses open. "
Jerome, a Brevard native who was hired in March of
2020 to do events for Heart of Brevard, spent the early
part of the pandemic focusing on growing their online
presence. Facebook Live arts and crafts demonstrations. A
YouTube channel. A 2020 Virtual Halloween Fest.
All of it worked. Downtown Brevard has a 98% occupancy.
Even mid-week, it's hard to find a parking place
on Main Street.
DeeDee Perkins, owner of DD Bullwinkel's Outdoors
and Moose Tracks shoe store (both must-shops), is married
to a Brevard native. She's lived in town for 36 years
and served on numerous community development and
downtown boards. She can tell you the history of every
building in the downtown, and was a crucial player in
successfully recruiting businesses to fill 14 empty store
fronts. " I'm a relationship builder, " she says. " This is
home, and I want to see it flourish.
" Both Transylvania County and the City of Brevard
were just recognized for their sustainable tourism, " Perkins
says. " We're really proud of that. " (As well they
should be: they were one of only five North American
recipients of the Global Top 100 Sustainable Destinations
award, and the only one in the eastern U.S.)
The vibrant Brevard downtown is cradled by mountainous
forests: Pisgah National Forest, Dupont State Recreational
Area, Gorges State Park, Headwaters State Forest,
and a small piece of Nantahala National Forest. In addition
to the fabled waterfalls, there's some big history to
be learned in these woods: the Cradle of Forestry (the first
forestry school in America and now a visitor destination);
the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute-PARI (a former
NASA satellite tracking station); the Setzer State Fish
Hatchery (the largest in North Carolina); the Southern
Highlands Reserve (a native plant arboretum).
It's all there-the arts and the culture; the civic pride
JOAN VANNORSDALL
ADOBESTOCK
and investment; the endless outdoors. A world-renown
music center and nationally recognized Brevard College.
How does that happen, in a small mountain town
off the beaten track? I can take a few guesses-persistent
creative placemakers; a clearly imagined and well-sloganed
identity; strong cooperation among stakeholders.
But Clark Lovelace says it best. " We are an authentic
town. We value what is. We're warm and friendly
without airs. We have the warmth of a small town and
the amenities of a larger city. We're small-but we come
across as bigger. We are one of a kind. "
Lovelace is the Executive Director of the Brevard/
Transylvania Chamber of Commerce and the Tourism
Development authority. He grew up in Brevard, and remembers
when two industries-Ecusta paper mill (which
manufactured paper for cigarettes, Bibles, and dictionaries)
and Dupont (photographic film)-provided jobs for
the majority of Transylvania County residents.
" Tourism was always present in our county, " he says.
" But when both of our industries shut down within 18
months of one another, we refocused on tourism. We're
more intentional about it now. " (Their rack booklet,
" The Heart of Adventure " is proof positive of that-it's
the best I've ever seen.)
" We have 17 summer camps in Transylvania County.
People come to camp here, come
back to visit as adults, and retire
here. People who are choosing to
live here-they're really choosing to
live here. "
Go to Brevard for the art galleries
and restaurants and the summer
music festival. The hiking and
biking and outdoor history. The art
and food; the bookstore and the toy
store. Go to Brevard because it hasn't
been overdone. Because it knows
what it is...and where it's heading.
And because the white squirrels
are mighty cute.
BELOW LEFT: The
longstanding Brevard
Music Center brings
musicians and music
lovers from all over the
world to Brevard every
summer.
BELOW: The imposing
1881 Transylvania
County Courthouse
sits in the center of
downtown Brevard-
and yes, that's a white
squirrel decoration on
the lightpost.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 17
Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country January/February 2022
