There were several vendors selling items form crafts to food, renting booths.  As a "start-up" fund most of the businesses around town gave generous cash donations to offset the beginning expenses, which were few that year, as we used the computer to make our fliers & depended on the Bloomfield Evening World to run our news items to keep everyone informed of the plans, changes, and etc.

Rain most of the day on Saturday prevented a good turn-out and disappointed the attendees & Festival committee, but music from local groups was enjoyed between the rain drops.  The parade Saturday evening was much enjoyed.  Our "Mother City", Newberry, SC honored us with not 1 but 3 members of their city council to be the Grand Marshalls & help in any way they could.  They seemed to enjoy our rural & small town flavor and atmosphere.

The first year profits bought flags & mounted them on the light posts down the highway.

The 1991 Festival Committee consisted of:, Glenn Mottern - Muscle, chauffeur, "gopher", advertising, moral support Paul Slaven - Muscle, "gopher", & moral support Bobbie Hellums - Parade chairperson, advertising, moral support Gail Mottern - chairperson, public relations, advertising & everything else that needed to be done.

The 2nd Annual Newberry on the White River Festival was held at the same place as the 1st and was much better attended & many more vendors.  There was still free music & Jack Hasler hawked tickets for the hourly drawings at $.50 a ticket.  The prizes were items donated by Greene & Daviess County businesses & the vendors.

For the 3rd Annual Festival the name was changed to "The __ Annual Newberry Festival" and moved to the town Park across from the Methodist Church.  The Festival grew yearly & finally after 5 years of being chairperson, I turned it over to our daughter, Judy Moore.  She has been laboring since then, except for a few years, to keep the Festival going & growing.  More people have joined in to help make it a success.  Many activities have been added.

Eventually there was enough "clear profit" to purchase street signs for the town of Newberry.  Paul Slaven & Glenn Mottern drilled holes & set the posts & helped mount the signs.  Until that time many locals didn't even know Newberry had street names.