Date: August 12 2008Contact: Tammy O\KelleyASHEBORO – North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad region is home to the largest collection of Quakers in the nation – and the largest group of them lives in Randolph County. So it’s no accident that a celebration was created to honor their heritage; and a 3000 grant from the Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau HNCVB is helping the event.The Bush Hill Festival will be held on Friday September 12 from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday September 13 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. off US Hwy. 311 in Archdale.A kickoff party featuring music a children’s race and a beauty pageant will be held on Friday night at Creekside Park. On Saturday the streets of downtown Archdale will be packed with food crafts music a car show – and a quilting show – a new component for 2008.The sponsorship is paying for the Friday night headline band Dime A Dozen. The HNCVB is funded by a three percent occupancy tax charged to visitors spending the night in hotels motels and bed and breakfasts in Randolph County.Beverly Nelson executive director of the Archdale-Trinity Chamber of Commerce said “We really appreciate the bureau’s support. It enhances our event and is helping it grow. Through their sponsorship some of the occupancy tax dollars that are generated here return.” “We’re proud to be a major sponsor of this event” said Tammy O’Kelley director of tourism for the HNCVB. “The Quaker heritage ties in with Civil War sites in Trinity Ramseur Franklinville Farmer and Archdale. Quakers offered slaves a safe passage to freedom through the Underground Railroad. Additionally Quakers and the Methodists formed Union Institute in Trinity – which later on became Trinity College. Braxton Craven School is located there now. And working with Trinity mayor Fran Andrews the HNCVB recently paid for the first Civil War Trails marker in the county a project connecting five states. The sign will be erected this fall. We’re very excited that we were able to start this project in the Archdale-Trinity area.” The Civil War Trails program has an accompanying brochure that offers a driving guide to all points of interest including battlegrounds cemeteries and historic buildings.Executive director of the program Mitch Bowman says Randolph County joins 70 other North Carolina counties in telling the story of people and sites. “It’s an outdoor museum. We’ve created 170 new destination attractions.”And they pull visitors. Bowman says the Civil War Trails map-guides and fulfillment literature are the most requested niche-market program materials in Virginia and Maryland and second only to golf-related materials in North Carolina. The Heart of North Carolina Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization for Randolph County Tourism Development Authority representing Archdale Asheboro Franklinville Liberty Ramseur Randleman Seagrove Staley & Trinity. For additional information please call 336 626-0364 or go to www.HeartofNorthCarolina.com.###