Whether an individual is looking for homemade crafts or information on clubs within Elizabethon and Carter County, the Covered Bridge Celebration offers it all.

Following up the success of ‘Nonprofit Nights’ on Wednesday and Thursday, various vendors lined up across the bridge leading into downtown Elizabethton Friday to take part in the 50th anniversary of the event.

Approximately 95 vendors will be able to present different items and educational information to the public until Saturday, according to Tonya Stevens with the Chamber of Commerce.

“A lot of our community members are looking forward to coming out and seeing the vendors,” Stevens said, adding that this year’s total peaked from previous events. “We have a lot of new vendors in our arts and crafts area. Folks are excited about seeing what they have to offer … it’s a bit of a different take compared to what we’ve offered in the past.”

Each year the event continues to grow, Stevens said.

“With our full festival going on, there so much more available,” she added. “We’re bigger this year, not just confined to the park. There is more of an opportunity for folks to spread out and enjoy what all there is to offer.”

Eli Cutshaw, with Twisted Silver By Design of Greeneville, took part in the event last year and said that while the 50th celebration is special, he has a older accomplishment.

“Today is my 52nd birthday,” he added with a laugh. “It’s their 50th and my 52nd so I think I have a couple of years on it.”

With jokes aside, Cutshaw said the appeal of the festival lured him back this year.

“I make spoon jewelry,” he added. “Whether it’s spoons, forks or knives … I try to do it all. We travel all over the place trying to sell merchandise. We’re from Greeneville, just right down the road, and we wanted to come back up here to see what we can sell. It’s been always a fun time up here.”

Mary Lou Becker had a little bit of a longer drive, coming into the area from Franklin.

“My husband and I do festivals for a living,” she said. “We do arts and crafts. We actually came by last year and it was terrific. The people here are great so we decided to come back and do it again. My husband has easy style chair and my brother owns a cabinet shop so I do the monogram letters – letters people can hang from their doors or walls. We always do research on the good festivals going on and this is definitely one of the good ones.

“I did see that this was the 50th anniversary, but we would have came back anyways,” Becker added. “It’s always great to be part of an event that has such a rich history.”

Attendees have the opportunity to take in the vendors for one more time Saturday. While the brunt of vendors are taking holding, Stevens added that the nonprofit groups finished their two days with rave reviews and success.

“I’ve heard from quite a few of our nonprofits,” she said. “They’ve been saying that they did well the past two nights, which is very good. We want them to be involved with the festival and it’s a great opportunity for them to do some fundraising and take part that way.”