Jefferson’s annual Bell Tower Festival gets underway next week, and organizers are going all out this year as the community celebrates its 150th anniversary. Jefferson Matters: Main Street and Chamber Director, Beth Vander Wilt, says the Bell Tower Festival has been a great way to kick off the summer season for years, but the 2022 edition has a special focus on Jefferson’s history.
The fun begins Thursday evening in downtown Jefferson with a community dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person with proceeds helping fund future Bell Tower festival events. The dinner is followed by live music from 2B Unplugged. Vander Wilt says the festival really gets rolling on Friday night.
Venders, food trucks, carnival rides, and beer garden all open at 5 p.m. on Friday. The bags tournament and axe throwing start at 6 p.m. and attendees will be treated to live music from a local favorite, Brad Morgan, to close the night. Saturday’s schedule is jam-packed with activities from dawn to dusk and beyond. Participants in the barbecue cook-off contest get started at 6 a.m., which is the same time the fireman’s breakfast fundraiser opens. Vander Wilt says there is almost no room for downtime for the rest of the day.
Saturday evening’s entertainment includes fire dancers starting at 8:30 p.m. with more live music from Jessica McClintock. Dirt Road Divide. The full schedule, event registration details, and more can be found at www.belltowerfestival.com.
