Bear on the Square Mountain Festival

A Message from Bear on the Square Bear on the Square Mountain Festival began almost 26 years ago in Dahlonega, Georgia, to celebrate the traditional music, craft, dance and storytelling of Appalachian culture. From a bear cub climbing high into a sycamore tree at the town square, the Pender family and friends created a theme for the festival that has both entertained and educated festival-goers for many wonderful years. Live bluegrass and old-time music and singing are the u...nique and essential features. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a temporary halt to the celebration. The safety and security of the community is of utmost concern. In consideration of current state restrictions on live music concerts and mass gatherings, and because of the continuing spread of the virus, the festival committee has decided to cancel the 2021 festival. Bear on the Square Mountain Festival will return when we can sing and safely gather together with the goal dates of April 22-24, 2022. The festival thanks past and present volunteers, sponsors, participants, musicians, artists, local city officials and festival-goers who have come together to make Bear on the Square such a beloved Dahlonega event for so many years and we look forward to seeing you in 2022.

Bear on the Square Dedication

Out of an abundance of caution as well as the love we have for our wonderful Bear family of musicians, artists, volunteers, sponsors, storytellers, vendors and more we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s festival due to the Coronavirus. We know how much everyone looks forward to Bear and we will definitely be back in 2021, the weekend of April 17-18. Thank you, not only for your support of this decision, but also your support of Bear on the Square next year and for many years to come!

Lots of opportunities to volunteer at Bear on the Square! Scroll through the options and pick the task and time that works for you. Thank you!

Crooked Mile returns this year. The band is rooted in acoustic music created by bluegrass artists from the 1950s through the earliest 1970s.

The deadline for food vendor applications has been extended until March 1.

We are a completely volunteer-run festival! Join us by signing up at the link below. You get to pick the task and the time. And thanks in advance for your help!

Frank & Allie Lee will be performing in the MainStage Tent this year. Their recent album, Treat A Stranger Right, was the #1 album on the NACC Folk Chart for January 2020.

Appalachian Road Show combines the award-winning talents of lead singer and banjoist Barry Abernathy, tenor singer and mandolinist-extraordinaire Darrell Webb, Grammy award winning fiddler and producer Jim VanCleve, and legendary upright bassist Todd Phillips. On guitar is Zeb Snyder, a young phenom who has taken acoustic guitar circles by storm. They’ll be playing in the MainStage tent on Sunday this year!

Performing this year: O'Connor Lee, featuring Kate Lee & Forrest O’Connor who earned national recognition as part of the O’Connor Band, a group they co-founded with Forrest's father, seven-time CMA Award-winning violinist Mark O’Connor. They wrote the majority of the band’s first album, Coming Home, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums Chart and won a GRAMMY Award in 2017.

Performance times for the MainStage musicians are now posted to the website.

Applications for Food Vendors and the Artist Marketplace are available under the Festival Information tab at bearonthesquare.org. Deadlines are in February!

The application for Food Vendors is now available!

The Howlin' Brothers return! Check out the complete 2020 MainStage line-up at bearonthesquare.org.

Whenever current and former Bear on the Square committee chairs gather, you know there will be music!

Another highlight from last year's festival.

The application for the 2020 Bear on the Square juried Artist Marketplace is now available.

A great performance from this year's festival. Look for the 2020 line-up to be announced later this year.

sweet memories from the past..

Come to Bear 101 to learn about the opportunitys to help..

It's getting close to Bear time, would you like to help ----

One of the Bear's favorites....

Call for Marketplace Artist;

We're gettin ready ---

calling for art for the 23rd Bear--

Did we have fun or what >>

Revisit the MainStage >> http://www.bearonthesquare.org/videos

We have a new 'Video Links' on the right side of the home page. If you have posted a Youtube video tell me.

Front Country..

Visit Terri on the square

We are on the list...

Come for a story

Find out about helping at Bear

Bear workshops http://www.bearonthesquare.org/wshop

Wanna be a Worker (more fun than work)

Come and visit the Marketplace Artist - says the Bear

Marketplace Artist -- Application deadline February 1

Working on some early conceptual sketches for this Spring’s Bear on the Square Mountain Festival in Dahlonega. Design will be the posters and t-shirts. This festival is a blast and so is designing the look and feel. Appalachia Baby!

Bear is looking for Marketplace Artists..

Mainstage music:

Good music from a while ago -

Bye for now.....

Annie and I had such a great day yesterday at Bear on the Square up in Dahlonega. The incredible music -- Crooked Mile, Howlin' Brothers, and April Verch (amongst others) -- coupled with great weather made for such a relaxing time.

Wonderful Saturday

Take a break and listen to the Storytellers

Here we come...

"Universal Harmony" is 20" tall by 16" wide. Original acrylic painting on canvas by Grant Searcey. (Live auction donation painting. April 21, 2017 starting at 7... pm at Bear on the Square-Mountain Festival in Dahlonega, GA) " I was invited to design the festival poster and t-shirt this year. For that task I had to follow some guidelines to allow for text placement and printing parameters. This is my painting version of the same design done in a style that is more indicative of my artistic flair. Here in this small glimpse of time on earth during a fun mountain festival we are reminded that our love and harmony can be felt throughout the cosmos. Every note, every laugh and every smile sends out a vibration that triggers a chain reaction to all of humanity and beyond. We are all part of a great harmony that expands across all perceived boundaries and is understood by the entire universe." -Grant Searcey

Bear Workshops - free

something new for this year.. http://www.bearonthesquare.org/Moonjam

Glender Pender: Great visit with Billy Roper yesterday to pick up his always generous donations to the Bear on the Square Festival Auction!! I caught him smiling, didn't give him time to put on his self taught/outsider/folk artist face!! Don't miss the auction Friday, April 21, starting at 5:00, MainStage Tent, across from Hancock Park. Music by Curtis Jones and Matt Mundy, food by Shenanigans and Bourbon St. $5 gets you in and includes food, drink and auction paddle. Lots of great art work and many cool items from fabulous donors! The auction provides a good portion of the funds needed to produce the festival! Come help the Bear and have a great time

Watch them Sunday afternoon on the Mainstage

Here is the schedule for the MainStage

This year, Bear remembers -

Come and be a part of Bear http://www.bearonthesquare.org/bear101

The Call for Artists Document and Application is now up on the Bear website http://www.bearonthesquare.org/artistcall2017. Looking forward to another great Bear Marketplace.

It's story time..

Thanks to Phillip Brown

Photography from Bob Fellows

All weekend long - it was wonderful

Come check out some of our local artists!! #bearonthesquare #bearturns20

The Kudzu Kickers cloggin' around! #bearturns20 #bearonthesquare

Check out one of our Bear Stories as told by local artist Brad Walker! https://vimeo.com/162907004

Just a little sneak peek... We realized later that "Dahlonega" is misspelled- just trying to keep everyone on their toes

yawll come up an visit...