Iva Prepares for Festivals as Town Grows
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
In Iva, fall means more than cooler air and changing leaves. It means festivals.
Depot Days, the town’s signature celebration, will take place Oct. 10-11 and is expected to draw more than 1,000 visitors downtown. The two-day festival will feature concerts, a classic car show with roughly 100 entries, and more than 80 craft, food and art vendors.
“It’s the big event of the year,” said Tim Taylor, Iva’s town manager. “People keep it on their calendar. It started decades ago as a way to honor Iva’s railroad and textile heritage, and it has grown into one of our community’s proudest traditions.”
Depot Day was first organized by local volunteers with the Iva Community Improvement Association. Now it is run by the town, relocated from its smaller beginnings to Iva’s downtown streets. Photographs from the 1970s and 1980s, Taylor said, show the event has long been a cornerstone of the town’s identity.
While Depot Day anchors fall, Iva officials hope the town’s recent downtown developments will keep attracting people year-round. A new library opened this year, drawing heavy foot traffic and creating what Taylor called “a pretty place to visit,” as those patrons visited the town water fountain and a growing number of businesses nearby.
Interest has already grown in neighboring storefronts, including the former Mexican restaurant beside the library, where real estate brokers are now in talks with potential tenants. Meanwhile, the weekly Farmers Market has seen one of its strongest summers in years.
“This year was probably our best yet,” Taylor said. “You’ll find everything from local produce to handmade crafts. It’s not hundreds of people, but it’s steady enough to keep our local vendors busy.”
The town square’s gazebo and easy-to-close streets have also made downtown an increasingly popular venue for car shows, concerts and community gatherings.
Following Depot Days, a chili cook-off will be held Oct. 16, with about 20 contestants already signed up. Halloween on Main follows on Oct. 25, an event that Taylor said draws between 1,500 and 2,000 children each year for trick-or-treating.
This year, Iva is adding a new holiday market called “Jingle on Main” on Nov. 22, where 30 to 40 vendors will sell crafts and gifts ahead of Thanksgiving. The town’s annual tree lighting will be held Dec. 4, with local schools providing music, and the Christmas parade is scheduled for later in the month.
“People look forward to these traditions,” Taylor said. “They really bring the community together.”
Beyond seasonal events, Taylor said the town continues to work on long-term projects, including housing development and the redevelopment of historic properties.
The long-vacant Jackson Mill site remains a top priority for future investment, while the former dime store building is set to be renovated into a new museum. The project, still in its early stages, will require a complete overhaul of electrical and HVAC systems. Town leaders hope work will begin by the end of the year.
“We have a lot of historical items in storage, waiting for a home,” Taylor said. “Families in the area often want to donate artifacts from their parents or grandparents, so this will give us the space to preserve and display them.”
Iva Recreation has also had a successful year and is preparing to host the Dixie Youth Baseball tournament next summer at the Parker Bowie Complex, a countywide draw that Taylor expects will boost local businesses.
“So much of what happens in Iva reflects the balance between honoring our history and creating new opportunities,” Taylor said. “This year has been a good one, and we’re excited about the next.”
