Bearfootin' Art Walk
2025 Bearfootin' Sponsor Inquiries? - To be added to the notification list for 2025 bears, please add your name and email to this form. There is no waitlist, all applications will be opened at the same time.
Bearfootin' Auction Information
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
3. There will be an outdoors, in-person Auction Celebration on
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.
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
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.
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' 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 8th, when the excitement hits its peak at the Visitor 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.