Find out when Hendersonville's 2024 Bearfootin' Bears will be revealed

The Friends of Downtown Hendersonville announced in a May 1 news release when its 2024 Bearfootin' Bears will be revealed.

The unveiling of the 20 new bears, painted by local artists and auctioned off later in the year to benefit local nonprofits, will be from 5:30-7 p.m. May 8 on the outdoor Hendersonville Welcome Center stage, 201 S. Main St., the release said.

After the reveal, bears will take their posts on Main Street until the auction in October. Since 2016, over $400,000 has been distributed to nonprofits from the Bearfootin’ Auction. The virtual auction is scheduled to conclude on Oct. 26, with virtual bidding opening in September.

During the reveal, stories behind each of the bears will be told, and sponsors of the bears will also be highlighted. Attendees can bring their own chairs, the release said.

Friends of Downtown Hendersonville partnered with the Blue Ridge Community College Collision Repair Refinishing Technology Department to provide automotive finishing for the bears for the first time this year, according to the release. The facility trains students in proper vehicle repair and replacement procedures to bring an automobile back to its pre-accident condition.

“Working with Blue Ridge has been an amazing experience” said Hendersonville Downtown Event Coordinator Terrye Jacobs in the release. “Program instructor Brian Foster has been an incredible partner, encouraging community participation from his students in taking care of our bears. We are excited to build a great partnership with this program and with their crew on site at the reveal to help kick off the summers’ Art Walk.”

The co-Masters of Ceremony of the event are Bryan Byrd, HendoEmcee, and Lew Holloway, community development director with the city of Hendersonville. Additional information about the 2024 Bearfootin’ Art Walk can be found at downtownhendersonville.org .

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Find out when Hendersonville's 2024 Bearfootin' Bears will be revealed