Bearfootin' Art Walk

painted fiberglass bears on a plaza with people around

The 2025 Bears are here! View the 2025 Bearfootin' Brochure here. 

 

About Bearfootin' Art Walk

Since 2003, the Bearfootin’ Art Walk has helped raise funding for Downtown Hendersonville and a variety of local non-profits. In addition to raising funds, the bears offer a window into good work being done by community organizations in Henderson County.

The Bearfootin’ Bears arrive as blank slates before local artists transform each in a spectacular fashion, with creative themes ranging from Mona Lisa to Blue Ridge Mountain scenery. After the “Reveal” event in early May, the bears then take up residence in downtown Hendersonville for the duration of the summer and fall, up until auction. Participants bid during the auction to raise funds for local non-profits and Downtown Hendersonville. Winning bids up to $3,000 are split evenly between the downtown program and the nonprofit chosen by the sponsor, while bid amounts exceeding $3,000 are directed entirely to the non-profit.

 

Bearfootin' Auction Information 

 
 
 
What You Need to Know About the 2024 Bearfootin' Bear Auction:
1. All bidding will occur virtually via this website. There will be no in-person bidding. Bidding ends at 6pm EST on October 26, 2024, EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 16, 2024. NEW THIS YEAR: All bidders will have the opportunity to outbid AFTER the auction ends at 6pm. Bidders all have 60 seconds to continue to outbid each other. Each bear auction will CLOSE after there are no new bids within the 60 second bidding time period.

2. Bidding begins on September 26, 2024 at 10am EST. It’s free to register, and you can bid anytime between September 26 and the deadline at 6pm on October 26. NOVEMBER 16, 2024  All initial bids will take place via the website. Once you've begun bidding, you will have the ability to submit additional bids via text message. Bidders will receive automatic text notification if they are outbid with the option to submit a new bid. 

3. There will be an outdoors, in-person Auction Celebration on October 26. NOVEMBER 16, 2024  from 4-6pm at the Historic Courthouse Plaza on the 100 block of Main Street in downtown Hendersonville. The event will have a lively atmosphere with bells and cheers at each incoming bid. The event is free and open to the public. While there will be no in-person bidding at the event, attendees can bid live via their cell phone. There will be a registration booth to help attendees get registered and begin bidding if they have not already registered ahead of time.

4. There will be no proxy bidding. Bidders will receive automatic text notification if they are outbid with the option to submit a new bid. There is no option for reserve/proxy bids, meaning you can’t set a price that the system will automatically bid for you. If you are outbid, you will need to place a higher bid if you wish to continue. 
 
5. Starting bids for all bears will be $1,500 and minimum bid increments are $100. 
 
6. Any bear can be purchased ahead of the bidding deadline at our "Buy Now" price of $10,000. The "Buy Now" option ends Thursday, October 24. NOVEMBER 14, 2024  at 5 p.m. If you would like to BUY NOW without incurring credit card fees, please contact us at info@downtownhendersonville.org. We cannot guarantee priority unless you purchase and pay online (meaning if you REALLY want a particular bear, purchasing online and incurring credit card fees when the auction goes live will be your best opportunity to make that purchase.)

7. Bidders do not have to attend the in-person event to be a winning bidder, but winning bidders are encouraged to pick up their bear the evening of October 26. NOVEMBER 16, 2024.

8. Winning bidders will be contacted regarding payment and picking up their bear via text and email. Bears can be picked up at the event, or during a scheduled “pick up window” the week following the event. Winners have 5 days to pay or they will be automatically charged on the credit card filed. Alternatively, winners can pay with cash or check. There will be a 2.95% processing fee on all credit card transactions.

 
22nd Annual Bearfootin' Art Walk Auction
Since 2003, the Bearfootin' Art Walk has helped raise funds for Friends of Downtown Hendersonville and a variety of local nonprofits. The bears showcase the community's talented artists, as well as provide a window into the good work being done by nonprofits and community organizations in Henderson County.
Until 2020, the Bearfootin' auctions were hosted in traditional style with a live auctioneer. Then, in response to the pandemic, Friends of Downtown Hendersonville pivoted to a virtual format for the 2020 auction. The virtual bidding format allowed people to bid over the course of a month until a scheduled bidding cutoff. This turned out to be a big success, with the 2020 auction raising more than $84,000. The Friends continued the online auction format raising over $100,000 for local nonprofits every year since.
 
The 2024 Auction will be completely virtual again, with a countdown celebration at the Courthouse Plaza on Saturday, October 26.
 All bidding will be virtual and will start on Thursday, September 26 at 10am EST, continuing over the course of a month. Bidding will come to a close with an in-person celebration on Saturday, October 26. NOVEMBER 16, 2024  from 4-6pm, with bids ending at 6pm. NEW THIS YEAR: All bidders will have the opportunity to outbid AFTER the auction ends at 6pm. Bidders all have 60 seconds to continue to outbid each other. Each bear auction will CLOSE after there are no new bids within the 60 second bidding time period.
The in-person event is open to the public and will take place at the Historic Courthouse Plaza in downtown Hendersonville, however ALL BIDS ARE MADE VIA TEXT OR ONLINE ONLY.

Bearfootin' Bear Reveal 

Get ready to unleash your wild side and join us for the biggest tradition of the season!  Mark your calendars for Wednesday May 7th, 2025  when the excitement hits its peak at the Hendersonville Welcome Center Stage on South Main Street with the grand unveiling of the Bearfootin' Bears! Before these magnificent bears take their place on Main Street, you'll have the exclusive opportunity to get up close and personal with them at the reveal event.  Prepare for an unforgettable spectacle as we reveal this majestic masterpiece to the world in all its glory.  

 

Bear Tracker

 

2026 Bear Sponsorships Interest Form- Complete Here

 

This is NOT a waitlist, but by filling out this form you will be notified when the 2026 Bearfootin' Sponsor Application goes live. Please note that staff does not actively monitor this form, if you have any questions please email info@downtownhendersonville.org.

 

 

20th Anniversary Bear Hunt

2022 marks 20 years of Downtown Hendersonville's Bearfootin' Art Walk! Each year, the program combines local artists, nonprofits and the community to create an interactive art walk downtown, and raise funds for our community. In 2021, we had our biggest auction to date, raising $102,000 for 20 nonprofit organizations.

Now, we're on a hunt to track down the location of our bears over the years and asking YOU to help us out!

Fill out the form if you own a bear, or just spot one in the wild!

Note - for a few years there were painted Apples and Goats! Please feel free to include those too!

Find the bears!