Bearfootin' Art Walk
The 2022 Bear Reveal is scheduled for Thursday, May 12, 5:30-6:30pm at the Visitors Center Stage (201 S. Main St).
Friends of Downtown Hendersonville welcomes the public to witness the unveiling of 20 new works of bear art! Each bear will be revealed individually along with a background story on the artist's design and the nonprofit that will benefit from the bear's sale at auction in October.
Following the reveal, the bears will take their places on the sidewalks of downtown through late October before being sold at auction.
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. In 2021, the Bears raised more than $100,000, and in 2022 we hope to continue the tradition of giving.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the 2021 Bearfootin' Art Walk. Our record-breaking Auction raised over $100,000 for regional nonprofits!
Thanks to our 2022 Bearfootin' Art Walk Sponsor:
2023 Sponsor Interest
Our 2022 bears are all spoken for!
Interested in becoming a bear sponsor for 2023? Contact Downtown Events Coordinator Meredith Friedheim at mfriedheim@hvlnc.gov for more information.
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!