Chapel Hill to hold 39th annual Festifall

Chapel Hill will be welcoming the fall weather with an appropriate celebration this weekend.

On Sunday, Chapel Hill will host the 39th annual Festifall on West Franklin Street.

Voted Chapel Hill’s “Best Annual Event” of 2010-2011 by Chapel Hill Magazine, the festival includes visual and performing arts, food, children’s activities, music and live performances.

This year, the town expects more than 15,000 residents and visitors to attend the event.

Wes Tilghman, supervisor of festivals and community events for the town, said the event brings many visitors to Chapel Hill, which has a positive impact on the local economy.

He said production costs of the event are $18,000, but the town is expecting to recover more than 100 percent of that cost, as they have done in the past.

Local vendors also hope the event will help their businesses.

Sam Suchoff, owner of The Pig, a barbecue restaurant on Weaver Dairy Road, will be selling hot dogs at the event for the first time.

“I certainly expect to get some new clients through the event,” he said. “We are a little over a year old, and I think this is a great way to get my name out there.”

Other restaurants located on Franklin Street say they expect the event to draw a large crowd and attract customers.

Cameron Bolish, an employee at Carolina Coffee Shop, said the restaurant is preparing for the event by ordering extra food and drinks.

“Any time there is a community event, it always increases the population in the restaurant throughout the day,” he said.

“In the afternoon when the street action comes to a close, people find their way to the restaurant to kick back and grab a drink or some food.”

Tilghman said the festival is also a good opportunity for artists to showcase their work and for companies to market and gain brand exposure.

“We are providing a platform for artists to succeed,” he said. “Many are local artists, but some are traveling in from out of town or out of state.”

The event will feature live music and dance performances in the Showcase Stage and the World Music Dance Tent.

Musical performances will include local groups like the Triangle Jazz Orchestra and Mipso Trio.

Attendees will have the chance to learn dance moves from local professionals.

UNC Dance Marathon will perform demonstrations and teach lessons in salsa and Capoeira, a Brazilian art form, at the tent.

A pumpkin sculpture, aerial dancers and food from Bandido’s and Ben and Jerry’s will also be at Festifall.

Matt Carusona, assistant supervisor of festivals and community events for the town, said with the help of volunteers and town staff, the festival is built in one day.

“We have a large response from UNC-Chapel Hill and community organizations,” he said. “We have 90 volunteers plus our town staff that work to set up and clean up the event.”

Festifall will take place from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Contact the City Editor at city@dailytarheel.com.