Main Street Searcy will be hosting its 10th annual Get Down Downtown festival this weekend, on Sept. 29th to 30th in Downtown Searcy. The free event begins Friday at 6 p.m. with three musical performances, and resumes on Saturday at 10 a.m.
There will be live performances both days from bands such as The Coasts, Breaking Chains, Mister Morphis and many more. Little Texas is this year’s headliner and will be preforming Saturday at 8 p.m.
“I grew up in Searcy, and my family looked forward to this event every year,” junior Cara McKean said. “I even got to participate in it a few times by playing the violin with my high school orchestra. Now I just go for the good food.”
Vendors from four different states will line the streets downtown selling a wide variety of foods and products. Food vendors will be selling everything from fried dough and chicken on a stick, to healthy drinks and vegan options.
“This year we will be selling multiple flavors of popsicles outside our restaurant,” Burrito Day owner Brandon Fox said. “We love participating in an event that brings so much traffic to the downtown community. I would strongly encourage Harding students to come check it out.”
Get Down Downtown is a family friendly event and caters to college students. The purpose behind the festivities is much deeper than just providing a fun atmosphere for the weekend: it aims to bring the community together while also promoting the downtown businesses.
“The thing is, this event isn’t just about the enjoyment of live music and good food,” said Bobby Wright, Harding guitar teacher and Quattlebaum music store manager. “We want people to know about the cool places here on this side of town because the money we raise essentially supports more businesses to come to an area that’s within walking distance from campus.”
Every dollar raised from raffle tickets, t-shirt sales and vendor spaces goes directly back into Main Street Searcy’s funds for downtown development.
“Get Down Downtown is the primer event in Searcy,” said Kristy Thurmon, First Security Bank’s Assistant Vice President. “It’s a fun way for people to get involved in Searcy’s community and support downtown business, we sponsor it because we want to do anything we can to help with that.”
About 25,000 people attend this event every year, and there is a chance for people who purchase raffle tickets to win a Honda Fourtrax Recon ES ATV from Sunrise Motorsports.
“The Get Down Downtown festival committee works so hard to coordinate the music line-up, vendors and children’s activities,” Main Street Searcy’s executive director Amy Burton said. “We are so appreciative to have the support of our sponsors and volunteers so we can present this free-admission event in Downtown Searcy every year.”
