2024 Bearfootin' Auction Countdown Celebration

Name: 2024 Bearfootin' Auction Countdown Celebration
Start: 2024-10-26T16:00:00-04:00
Location: 160 6th Avenue E, Hendersonville, NC, United States, North Carolina 28792

Schedule

Sat Oct 26 2024 at 04:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

160 6th Avenue E, Hendersonville, NC, United States, North Carolina 28792 | Hendersonville, NC

22nd Annual Bearfootin' Art Walk Auction
Since 2003, the Bearfootin' Art Walk has helped raise funds for Friends of Downtown Hendersonville and a variety of local nonprofits. The bears showcase the community's talented artists, as well as provide a window into the good work being done by nonprofits and community organizations in Henderson County.
Until 2020, the Bearfootin' auctions were hosted in traditional style with a live auctioneer. Then, in response to the pandemic, Friends of Downtown Hendersonville pivoted to a virtual format for the 2020 auction. The virtual bidding format allowed people to bid over the course of a month until a scheduled bidding cutoff. This turned out to be a big success, with the 2020 auction raising more than $84,000. The Friends continued the online auction format raising over $100,000 for local nonprofits every year since.

The 2024 Auction will be completely virtual again, with a countdown celebration at the Courthouse Plaza on Saturday, October 26.
All bidding will be virtual and will start on Thursday, September 26 at 10am EST, continuing over the course of a month. Bidding will come to a close with an in-person celebration on Saturday, October 26 from 4-6pm, with bids ending at 6pm. NEW THIS YEAR: All bidders will have the opportunity to outbid AFTER the auction ends at 6pm. Bidders all have 60 seconds to continue to outbid each other. Each bear auction will CLOSE after there are no new bids within the 60 second bidding time period.
The in-person event is open to the public and will take place at the Historic Courthouse Plaza in downtown Hendersonville, however ALL BIDS ARE MADE VIA TEXT OR ONLINE ONLY.

About the Bearfootin' Art Walk Program:

The Bearfootin’ Bears arrive as blank slates before local artists transform each in a spectacular fashion, with creative themes ranging from Mona Lisa to Blue Ridge Mountain scenery. After the “Reveal” event in early May, the bears then take up residence in downtown Hendersonville for the duration of the summer and fall, up until auction. Participants bid at the live auction to raise funds for local non-profits and the coordinating organization Friends of Downtown Hendersonville (a 501c3 nonprofit). Winning bids up to $3,000 are split evenly between the Friends of Downtown Hendersonville and the nonprofit chosen by the sponsor, while bid amounts exceeding $3,000 are directed entirely to the nonprofit.