Bearfootin’ Bear Auction Virtual Bidding Ends this Saturday, October 25! Countdown Celebration at the Historic Courthouse
Bearfootin’ Bear Auction Virtual Bidding Ends this Saturday, October 25! Countdown Celebration at the Historic Courthouse
HENDERSONVILLE, NC (October 21, 2025) – Bidding for the 2025 Bearfootin’ Art Walk bears concludes this Saturday, October 25 at 6pm.
The virtual auction has been a proven success in raising funds for 20 local nonprofits every year, with every auction since 2021 exceeding $100,000. Currently, 9 bears have been purchased at the ‘Buy it Now’ price of $10,000. Bidders seeking to ‘buy now’ must do so before 5pm on Thursday, October 23, any bears up for bid after that time may sell for over the buy it now price. At this time the auction has already raised $120,000!
How to bid:
1. Go to: https://www.accelevents.com/e/bearauction25 or downtownhendersonville.org.
2. Select bear and click "bid now.”
- Bidders will enter name, cell phone, credit card, email address and mailing address.
- Bidders will make their desired bids, with a minimum bid of $100. A “buy it now” price is available for $10,000 and will automatically charge credit cards. The Buy It Now option ends on Thursday, October 23 at 5pm.
- The auction software will send a text confirmation of bids and a notification if outbid.
- On the final day of the auction, October 25, bidders will have until 6pm to win their bear. NEW THIS YEAR: All bidders will have the opportunity to outbid AFTER the auction ends at 6pm. Bidders all have 3 minutes to continue to outbid each other. Each bear auction will CLOSE after there are no new bids within the 3-minute bidding time period.
To celebrate the final hours of the auction, the public is invited to a countdown event on October 25 at the Historic Courthouse Square on Main Street from 4:30pm until 6pm. Attendees and bidders will meet the bears and artists while enjoying live music. While there won’t be voice call bidding at the event, attendees will be able to bid live via cell phone and can ask for setup assistance at a designated registration table.
Interested in Sponsoring a 2026 Bear? Applications for a 2026 bear will open on Monday, October 27 through Sunday, November 2. Bear sponsorship applications will be accepted for one week in order to allow for complete applications to be submitted. If there are more than 20 applicants, sponsors will be accepted by random lottery.
ABOUT THE BEARFOOTIN’ ART WALK PROGRAM
Since 2003, the Bearfootin’ Art Walk has helped raise funding for Friends of Downtown Hendersonville (a 501c3 nonprofit) and a variety of local nonprofits. In addition to raising funds, the bears offer a window into good work being done by community organizations. The Bearfootin’ bears arrive as blank slates before local artists transform each into 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 the auction. Winning bids up to $3,000 are split evenly between the Friends of Downtown Hendersonville and the nonprofit chosen by the sponsor, while bid amounts exceeding $3,000 are directed entirely to the nonprofit. The 2024 auction raised more than $100,000.