FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2013

FRIDAY NIGHT OF BEAR FESTIVAL
BRINGS LIVE AUCTION EXCITEMENT

The Friday night of Dahlonega's upcoming 17th annual Bear on the Square Mountain
Festival will be a festive occasion centered around its Live Country Auction in
the MainStage Tent just across the street from Hancock Park.

Activities on Friday night, April 19, will include both a live and a silent
auction, music and food in the tent, to be located this year at the intersection
of North Park Street and Warwick Street. The silent auction bidding and preview
of live auction items will get underway at 5 p.m. Food service and music will
begin at 5:30 p.m. with catering provided by Shenanigans Irish Pub and the
Bourbon Street Grille of Dahlonega. As always, there will be no charge for food
or wine, but donations will be accepted to offset the cost of the event. Music
for the Live Country Auction will be performed by the Sons of Bluegrass, a group
comprised entirely of high caliber majors from the one-of-a-kind, four-year B.A.
in bluegrass music program at East Tennessee State University.

The live auction bidding will start at 7 p.m. with professional auctioneer Sam
Williamson returning to run the show. Silent auction bidding will end promptly
at 8 p.m.

Other Bear on the Square activities, including MainStage concerts featuring
bluegrass and old-time musicians, jamming on Dahlonega's Historic Public Square
by local and visiting musicians, a juried Artist Marketplace, workshops, a
Gospel Jam, an old-time Mountain Dance, an Acoustic Open Mic session, and kids
activities will take place during the weekend of April 20-21.

Glenda Pender, festival president, said the Friday night activities are actually
a kickoff party held each year "to thank the community and our sponsors for
their continued support of the Bear on the Square event." The auction features
the work of noted folk artist Billy Roper, along with the work of other talented
local artists and juried artists taking part in the festival's Artist
Marketplace. Among them are artists from the John C. Campbell Folk School, which
is Bear on the Square's Festival Sponsor. There will also be bidding on gift
baskets, individual items, services and other products from the local business
community.

Melanie Pruitt, auction chair, expressed her "heartfelt thanks" to the community
for past and continued support of the Bear auction. "My auction volunteers have
been amazing, and the donations and support from local merchants and businesses
is just superior. This support is what keeps the Bear going." The auction
committee will begin accepting donations for this year's auction on Monday,
March 25, and contributors can either bring their items to Cranberry Corners or
contact Pruitt to have a procurement officer pick up the item. In order to have
the contributing business or individual's name and donation listed in the
auction catalog, the item must be brought in by Wednesday, April 17. Any items
received after the deadline will not be listed in the public catalog.

Contributing businesses and individuals are asked to include a brief description
of their item and its approximate retail value, and they will receive a receipt
for tax purposes. Those having questions about the auction are asked to contact
Pruitt at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Inc., which stages the festival each year,
is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit cultural arts organization whose mission is to
preserve and celebrate the culture of the Southern Appalachians through the
presentation of music, traditional craft, and folkways. Tax deductible donations
are welcome and can be sent to P.O. Box 338, Dahlonega, GA 30533. More details
about the 2013 Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, including information about
music performances, the juried artists marketplace, workshops, other activities,
and sponsors, will be available at www.bearonthesquare.org.