Any time a new event pops up on the calendar, there are unknowns.
Such was the case for the inaugural Bear Shadow music festival, which took place Thursday through Sunday in and around Highlands.
When the festival was first introduced to the public more than two years ago, it was billed as an early tourism season event that would bring in a crowd similar to the one drawn by the annual Highlands Food and Wine Festival each November.
The idea was met with mostly positive feedback at the time.
Then COVID-19 changed the world in ways no one could have seen coming. The Bear Shadow was postponed until 2021 and organizers got to work tackling the many logistical issues associated with hosting a large public gathering while trying to follow all local and state guidelines.
Late last year it was announced that the festival would go forward, albeit not in Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park like originally planned, but rather at a farm in the Horse Cove community. That announcement sparked backlash from neighbors who didn’t want such a large event held in their area.
A move to Winfield Farm in Scaly Mountain took the festivities a little farther away from Highlands, but proved to be a wise decision.
The Bear Shadow brought live music back to the masses and the weekend answered many questions about not only the precautions taken to limit possible COVID-19 exposure, but also the event itself.
There were ample security and traffic control workers to keep cars moving in and out each night. Shuttle busses running from downtown Highlands to Scaly also helped limit traffic congestion.
While the music was loud, it was reasonable and was over at 10 p.m. each night. No noise ordinances were violated as result of the festival.
Alcohol was available, and undoubtedly many of the festivalgoers chose to partake, but there weren’t any drunken fights or otherwise unsavory moments.
As a whole, the Bear Shadow flashed potential to be a spring draw between the Easter and Memorial Day holiday weekends. Hopefully, the 2022 edition of the festival will look a little more “normal” as COVID-19 cases continue to decline, because the Bear Shadow has built a solid foundation.