The annual April Fool’s Festival in downtown Tryon is Saturday, March 31. Highlighting the day is an outhouse race, a screwball affair where contestants pull or push home-built outhouses one block (uphill) to the finish line. Another popular event is the Trashion Show where clothing is made from recyclable materials and modeled by fashionistas of all ages.
Festival organizers are calling for entries in both events from Polk and Spartanburg counties and Western North Carolina.
“We want to double, triple the number of outhouses,” says Linda Byington, co-chair of the festival. “We’d especially like to see groups like high school sports teams and local nonprofits collaborate on outhouses for the competition.”
Outhouse race contestants must design and build an outhouse on wheels that is raced by a team without benefit of a motor. One member of the team sits inside the outhouse. Categories for contestants are grwn-ups, kids under 12 and anything goes. Winners in each category receive cash prizes.
The trashion show contestants can be any age, including young children; there are cash prizes for this contest, too. Last year’s first place winner wore a fetching ensemble made with white trash bags.
Entry forms are available by contacting event co-chair Kathleen Carson at artzycarson@gmail.com or 828-859-8316. Deadline for entering both contests is March 15.
Sponsored by the Tryon Downtown Development Association, April Fool’s Festival includes non-stop music, food, a parade and many foolish, quirky activities. The festival kicks off Friday evening, March 30 with a band jam at the Sunnydale community building; it concludes Saturday evening with a Masquerade Ball.
“The festival is a blast,” says Carson. “Where else can you watch an outhouse race!”
– article submitted by Nancy Holmes