March madness is here.
Yes, the annual college basketball tournament that draws the attention of the sports world is underway. But the madness around Highlands is focused on the two biggest events that call the town home.
The Bear Shadow Music Festival and the Highlands Food and Wine Festival are always hot topics of conversation depending on the perspective of who you talk to.
There is absolutely no question that the festivals are overwhelmingly popular. Bear Shadow has grown into a music event that draws the attention of national recording acts, major media outlets, and music lovers from all over the Southeast. Even with a new venue taking over for Winfield Farm in 2025, the festival is in position to keep growing in popularity.
Anyone who has been in Highlands for Food and Wine weekend in November can attest to its mainstream appeal. Events that are part of the four-day run of Food and Wine sell out fast, some in a matter of minutes, and the crowds that make their way to Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park, The Bascom, Main Street, and the other venues that take part, are massive.
As Jack Austin, who is on the board of Highlands Festivals Inc., pointed out at Thursday’s town board meeting the festivals create millions of dollars in economic impact.
So why do the festivals draw so much ire – primarily from Highlands residents?
First, they do come with a cost. The weekends of the festivals take Highlands from crowded, to overcrowded – parking can be impossible to find, the added traffic is a mess, public areas are closed for certain events, there’s an influx of inebriated revelers, etc.
Second, the economic impact of the festivals is always in question, and no study or survey is going to change that. Where are these millions of dollars going? Who is benefiting?
Austin admitted that there is a disconnect between Highlands’ businesses and the festivals, and his group is working on improving those connections. That’s long overdue.
Bear Shadow and Highlands Food and Wine are fun festivals, with wide-ranging appeal, and they add to the town’s landscape. But they’re not perfect and they never will be.