Hillsboro's Festival of the Bells has found a new home.
The President of Southern State Community College, Dr. Kevin Boys, says the annual festival will now be housed on the campus of Southern State.
"I'm reading in the local newspaper and hearing conversation that maybe the festival wouldn't happen," said Boys. "I saw this as an opportunity for Southern State to step in and remind people that we are your community college; community with a capital 'C'."
The annual festival was recently left without a venue after a permit to hold the event in its usual location was denied by Hillsboro City Council due to concerns over traffic and safety. The committee behind the festival was given an alternate option of holding the event further uptown in a smaller area, but chose to decline.
Festival of the Bells Committee President, Rick Williams, says it's a welcomed turn of events.
"We're so happy with Southern State," said Williams. "The past couple or three weeks hasn't been easy. We're so happy that Southern State has offered to house the festival. It's going to be magnificent."
The Southern State campus will allow for a larger festival, nearly twice the size. Formerly, the Festival of the Bells took up around three acres in downtown Hillsboro but will now be able to spread itself out over a six acre area. Williams and Boys say the increased space will allow for new attractions and events which they are already working on.
The Festival of the Bells will take place July 5th-7th of 2018.
Listen to iHeart Media's Harry Wright, as he interviews Southern State Community College President Kevin Boys and Festival of the Bells Committee Chair Rick Williams. Click on the podcast interviews below....