Tryon’s downtown streets will come alive Saturday, Oct. 12 from 5-8 p.m. with festivities of the last Tryon Gallery Trot of 2013.

Businesses invite community members to enjoy street performances, live music, carriage rides and, of course, an assortment of art.

Kim Nelson, who owns Skyuka Fine Art with her artist husband, Rich Nelson, said the events’ aim is to entice community members to see for themselves what Tryon is all about.

“You really get everything from art to entertainment and now new businesses for people to see and enjoy,” Nelson said. “I think Tryon has it all, and we want to show the community more reasons to come out and enjoy the town.”

More than a dozen businesses participate in the event, which ran for eight months this year. The variety of shops includes art galleries and studios as well as Tryon’s bookstores, gift shops, restaurants, novelty shops and more.

Nelson said the event is like a big party where you get to mingle with your neighbors.

“We wanted to really make the final Trot have a big bang and throw a great big party,” she said. “We want to have more people than ever show up, enjoy it and be left wanting more so that the 2014 season will be even stronger.”

Entertainment for this weekend’s event will be provided by local rock band Loaded Toad and is funded through the Polk County Community Foundation’s Mary Kessler Fund. The band will perform at the new St. Luke’s Plaza. Local musician and singer Ian Harrod will also stroll through downtown singing and playing guitar acoustically.

Artist/performer Sam Lovelace and her assistant, Angie, meanwhile will delight trotters with free quick, hand-drawn portrait sketches. Carriage rides will also be available through Carolina Carriage. Juggling Kevin Bradley will also be spotted around town entertaining young to the young at heart.

Tommy Perry of A Better Deal, which offers a variety of home furnishings and accessories, stays open for each event.

“We want to show support to the town of Tryon and to the galleries that participate; that’s the main reason we do it,” Perry said. “There are also a lot of people who get off work at 5 p.m. and don’t have time to stop by shops like ours during the week. We like to be available to those customers too, and this gives us the chance to do so in an entertaining environment.”

Highlights include:

New smaller works by Linda Hudgins will be on display at New View Realty along with many fall scenes by Jim Shackelford. Back by popular demand is the display of the Celebration of Holland Brady’s work.

Patricia Cole-Ferullo and Dom Ferullo have been busy in their art studio at the top of Pacolet Street, creating all new mixed media, watercolor and acrylic fine art with a flair for the final Trot.

Skyuka Fine Art is pleased to announce ‘Recent Works’ by Richard Christian Nelson. With his ‘Plein Air Painters of the Southeast’ group (PAPSE), Nelson enjoyed their annual painting trek, this year to Boothbay, Maine and painted many seascapes. Nelson’s Still Life paintings, recent visits to Charleston, Florida and Cashiers also round this fresh body of work. His recent ‘Top 10’ award from the Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition for “Luke at 15” will also be on display.

The Depot Room at Millard and Company will showcase two artists for the last Trot of the season. Susan Hopps and Grace Lertora will delight with their colorful canvases. Hopps is fascinated by transparent colors as they mix and mingle on paper and the play of light on shapes. Watercolor is her medium. Lertora chooses to express her vision using acrylics and her bold choices of color. These two artists are a nice complement to each other and should make for a vibrant exhibit.

Thompson’s Garden Gallery and Outdoor Living presents three featured artists for October. Jackie McAbee, a former educator in Western NC, captures the beauty of nature in acrylics, usually baby animals, birds, cows, plants and flowers. Matt Cable, a Hendersonville artist, focuses on contemporary reflections of nature using acrylic on canvas and salvaged wood, mixed media applications and jewelry. Patricia Roshaven is both a photographer and painter, who uses the camera as a travel companion, documenting light and shadow. Her paintings do not depend on technique or thought of a final image, but on “painting in the wild”. Help to usher in fall in the Thermal Belt and meet these three talented artists.

Tryon Fine Arts Center will host a table near the entertainment to sell tickets for upcoming performances, T-shirts and provide information about their coming events.

Tryon Painters & Sculptors will host an opening reception for their ‘Members’ Only Show’, open to all members and all mediums. Join them to see these new works and enjoy refreshments.

Vines & Stuff invites Tryon watercolor artist Kim Attwooll to give a spontaneous watercolor demonstration where visitors can also enjoy samples of special holiday gourmet treats. Attwooll is an accomplished local artist who enjoys sharing some of the things she has learned during her many years of watercolor art.

The Book Shelf, Green River Gallery, The 1906 Pine Crest Inn, Upstairs Artspace and Terra on Trade (relocated next to the new Ruby Slipper restaurant at St. Luke’s Plaza) all open their doors and welcome Trotters with new art, merchandise and refreshments.

Join the community for this final Trot of the season, and an exciting arts centered event. Find Tryon Gallery Trot on Facebook or email info@skyukafineart.com for more information.

– Kim Nelson contributed to this article