Tag Archive for: #waytogrowfestival

TownTalk: Way to Grow! Festival All Week Long

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The weeklong “Way to Grow” festivities kick off this afternoon with a community block party at the new Skateboard and Splash Park at William and Montgomery streets. With afternoon temps hovering in the low 90’s, organizers Heather Joi Kenney, president and CEO of Gateway CDC and Tracy Mosley, CEO of Helping All People Excel chose the perfect spot to launch the 4th annual event.

And it won’t just be the weather that’s heating things up this week – there’s something happening every day, culminating with a daylong street festival along a three-block stretch of Garnett Street that Kenney and Mosley say will hearken back to the 1980’s and Colorfest, a celebration of community, friendship and unity that brought thousands to downtown Henderson.

Head over to the splash park between now and 8 p.m. and enjoy food, drinks and ice cream, Mosley said on Monday’s TownTalk. There will be a skateboarding clinic and youngsters between 8-14 will have a chance to win free boards and safety equipment, Kenney said.

Coming together in communal spaces like the new downtown park help strengthen communities and create community at the same time, the women said.

Technology and social media are great tools to help share information, but Kenney said there’s no substitute for people getting together and talking – face to face.

“I think the most powerful thing that we have to communicate with one another is our voice,” she said.

Whether it’s talking to neighbors on the street, seeing friends at church or peers at school, those personal interactions and gathering spots are vital to a strong community.

She said she’s heard from folks who remember fondly those days when Colorfest was popular. The Way to Grow festival isn’t trying to replicate that festival with its culminating activity on Saturday from 12 noon to 7 p.m.; rather, it’s incorporating aspects that people said they wanted to experience again.

“It’s an opportunity where communities can gather,” she said amid the resources, vendors, food and music.

Having a place to hang out and have a good time is what the community longs for, a time when there was a stronger sense of community and connection, Kenney added.

Here’s a list of activities planned as part of the Way to Grow! festival:

  • Tuesday, Aug. 18 – 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Flex Desk. Stephen Wolf is showcasing an app he created called Get 2 Know Your City. Find out about businesses, attractions and events in the county and city.
  • Wednesday, Au 19 – 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Downtown Visioning Walk. Start at the Garnett Street Station and pick up a brochure and a survey that seeks input about what individuals want to see in downtown Henderson. They’re available between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and folks will have until 8 p.m. to complete and turn them in.
  • Thursday, Aug. 20 – 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Home Table is a ticketed event that features a catered meal from All Smoked Up. “Breaking bread with folks is one of the best ways to start these conversations and just get to know your community better,” Kenney said. This casual gathering includes music, so get those tickets purchased and bring your positive attitudes and positive vibes. Tickets are $30 each, 2 for $55, 3 for $75 and 4 for $100. Purchase tickets here: https://thehometable.eventbrite.com. They are on sale until Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 5 p.m..
  • Friday, Aug. 21 – Roots and Routes at Vance-Granville Community College is a career and college fair aimed at helping young people reach their education and career goals. “Vance-Granville Community College is a gem,” Mosley said, “and it’s based right here in our community. Whether it’s a certificate program or diploma program you’re looking for, Mosley said Roots and Routes will have everything you need to help figure out next steps.

For a complete schedule of events, visit https://www.waytogrowfest.com/

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TownTalk: ‘Way To Grow Fest’ Continues With Weeklong Activities

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The weeklong Way to Grow fest, in full swing in Henderson and Vance County, is shaping up to provide the community with a variety of ways to come together and support the place we call home.

At Monday’s community block parties, folks gathered at several different spots to share an easy meal and let the kids play together, conjuring up feelings of nostalgia for Tracy Mosley, director of Helping All People Excel.

When she was a child, cookouts and playing with other kids in the community all summer long were routine; it’s less so nowadays, but the Way to Grow festival is creating opportunities for children to play together and find things in common with one another instead of focusing on differences.

Mosley spoke with WIZS News Tuesday and outlined the rest of the week’s activities, leading up to the culminating street festival Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The block parties Monday “set the stage” for the rest of the week, Mosley said. “The energy is good; the vibe is great!”

Tuesday marks the launch of “Buy Local, Build Local,” a campaign that supports local businesses.  Patrons download an app on their phone and earn points or credits for shopping local.

It’s important to support small businesses and entrepreneurs, she said, but for small business owners to be successful, the whole economy around them has to be strong.

Wednesday is all about the S-Line, with a focus on what the future holds for Henderson and Vance County as plans progress to return passenger rail service to the area. Thursday brings a focus on the arts and Friday’s theme is college and careers. Come out to Southern Charm between 12 noon and 4 p.m. for Friday’s information about college and careers.

“We were very intentional about how we built this week,” Mosley said. From small business and economic development to education and the arts, the Way to Grow Fest offers a glimpse into what a future could look like when different sectors of the community come together for a common goal: helping each other to be better.

“The whole week is designed to be what we want it to be,” Mosley said, “to help Henderson and Vance County grow in the right direction.”

Visit www.waytogrowfest.com to learn more.

Saturday’s daylong festival in downtown Henderson has grown from last year. Last year, the festival stopped at Orange Street, but this year stretches one block further to include more buildings on the far end of Garnett Street, Mosley explained.

There will be more vendors and food trucks, participating shops and resource tables available for folks to enjoy, but if you don’t do anything else, Mosley said bring the kids to the Youth Village.

“They are the future of this community,” she said.

“For them to get together and get to know one another and learn how to work with each other now while they’re younger and learn that they have more in common than not, because at some point they’re going to leave this community and it’s our job to make sure that they’re getting everything that they need to be the best leaders that they can be. It’s truly a chance to invest in your future,” she said.

Learn more about Gateway CDC at www.thegatewaycdc.org

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TownTalk: Way to GROW! Festival

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Back for its second year as a way to build community with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and downtown development, the Way to Grow! festival is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24 along Garnett Street in Henderson.

Gateway CDC Founder and President Heather Joi Kenney said the non-profit may have provided the impetus for the weeklong activities that will culminate with the daylong festival, but she wants – and needs – the community to participate.

The theme is “Bloom Together, Cultivate Community” and it’s a metaphor for how Kenney sees growth for Henderson.

“The more we come together, the stronger we’ll be,” she said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. She said everyone must be conscious about how the community gathers and how to show support for others.

“I can’t water one part of the garden and not the other,” she said. If you consider Henderson like a garden, each segment of the community needs to feel that nurturing from other segments. “It helps show our diversity,” Kenney said. A festival like Way to Grow! is one way to show support, she said. It’s a way to say, “We see what you’re doing and we’re going to support you,” she said.

There’s still time to register to be a vendor. Go to the Gateway CDC website at https://thegatewaycdc.org/ for details about becoming a vendor. Schedules will be posted soon on social media and the website to include scheduled events leading up to the festival, which will occupy Garnett Street, from around Montgomery Street all the way to Sadie’s Coffee Corner and Vance Furniture, where the main stage will be.

Live music will be performed throughout the day, including Real Entertainment featuring Willie Hargrove and other groups as well, Kenney said.

There will be a Youth Village, hosted by Henderson’s own Jayden Watkins, a teenage pastor, and author. It’s a way to show youngsters that their community values them and wants them to feel special.

There will be an opportunity to get creative, too, Kenney said. Stop by the lot between the Henry Dennis building and the Gateway building and spend a little time helping to paint a canvas that ultimately will be displayed at Gateway.

In addition to this project, local artists are invited to bring some of their finished works to brighten up spots along Garnett Street.

“We have a lot of things to offer in downtown,” Kenney said. She pointed out a couple of new restaurants that add to the fabric of Garnett Street.

It’s events like Way to Grow! that help bring attention to downtown, and Kenney is hopeful that growth will continue.

“I want more vibrancy, more life” for downtown, she said.

WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM

TownTalk Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.

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TownTalk: Way To Grow Festival Is This Saturday

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The Way to GROW festival unfolds this weekend in downtown Henderson, putting the crowning touch on a week of activities to promote entrepreneurship in the community.

Heather Joi Kenney, president of Gateway CDC, is expecting more than 50 vendors to set up shop along Garnett Street, as well as along Breckenridge Street, as part of the celebration.

There will be plenty of vendors on site, serving up food and beverages and more. Two DJs are providing music throughout the day and several groups will perform live during the afternoon. Real Entertainment, based in Henderson, takes the stage first, followed by Jim Quick & Coastline and The Queen’s Court of Charlotte, who will entertain the crowd through the afternoon.

Hosting the festival is Vance County native Chanel Scott, herself an entrepreneur who is an author and FOX Soul talk show host.

The event is a way to showcase local businesses, but Kenney said it’s also a way to show off downtown Henderson.

“It draws people in and shines a light on downtown,” she said. The downtown district has plenty of room for future entrepreneurs to open up their business ventures. “Henderson can become an entrepreneurship hub,” Kenney mused.

“At first, it was just going to be a stand-alone festival,” Kenney said on Thursday’s TownTalk. But she took an idea from a local bank representative and created a weeklong series of workshops for new business owners and for others who are interested in learning starting their own business.

About 30 entrepreneurs have attended the workshops over the course of the week, representing a wide range of businesses – from restaurants and boutique clothing to women farmers and medical billing.

Just as with entrepreneurship, planning a street festival requires lots of planning, creativity and support. Kenney said city officials have been helpful during the planning process since the idea for the festival first germinated.

With a grant from NC IDEA to support businesses in underserved, low-income communities, Kenney and fellow organizer Tracy Mosley from Helping All People Succeed, the festival has moved from the planning stage to the moment everyone’s been waiting for: Festival Day.

Kenney emphasizes that Way to GROW is for the entire community.

“This festival is for all members of the community,” she said. “Henderson needs this,” she continued. “We plan to continue it into the future.”

 

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TownTalk: ‘Way To GROW!’ Festival Coming To Downtown Henderson

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Say you’re organizing an event – complete with food, music and more – and you really want everyone to come out and enjoy themselves. One sure-fire way to make sure the whole community feels invited and welcomed is to get key leaders involved and interested.

Two people who fit that description in the Henderson area are Heather Joi Kenney and Tracy Mosley. They, along with other community partners, are introducing a street festival called Way to GROW! to focus on all aspects of entrepreneurship.

Kenney is president of Gateway CDC and Mosley is director of Helping All People Excel, a local nonprofit whose focus is access, exposure and opportunity for all youth.

They were guests on Thursday’s TownTalk to provide details about the Aug. 12 festival.

Actually, the week leading up to the Aug. 12 event is Entrepreneur Week at Gateway CDC, which is hosting a variety of workshops Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. to share information about becoming a successful, sustainable entrepreneur.

Because of her love for this community, “the beauty of its people and of the downtown area,” Kenney said she applied for – and ultimately received – a grant from NC IDEA, a statewide nonprofit whose mission is to support entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship across the state. The Way to GROW! festival “provides an opportunity for people to be entertained and to shop” among dozens of vendors who are themselves entrepreneurs.

A plus for the vendors is that there’s no fee to participate, she said.

Once she had the grant funding, “Tracy came to mind immediately,” Kenney said, adding that if anyone could make it successful, it was Mosley. “She can make it happen!”

“I’m an event planner – I love events,” Mosley said. “It’s a passion of mine and I love Henderson and the community.”

The plan is to block off Garnett Street between Orange and W. Montgomery streets for the festival. The Breckenridge Street area to Chestnut Street, as well as Wyche Street, also will accommodate pedestrian-only traffic that day.

The idea is to show prospective entrepreneurs that it’s possible to take a passion and turn it into a successful and sustainable business.

It’s one way to create and support the idea of community, Kenney said. “We are responsible for one another…Henderson’s way to grow is collectively.”

Join the fun on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 11 a.m. for food, music, vendors, and more at the Way to GROW! festival in downtown Henderson. The Queens Court of Charlotte, Jim Quick & Coastline, DJ AK and DJ Scoop, along with Chanel Scott of CheMinistry are just some of the groups providing entertainment.

To sign up to volunteer or to become a sponsor, contact Gateway CDC at 252.492.6298.

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