ABOUT HILLOWEEN
Hilloween, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Mitchell County, NC. This October, Hilloween Inc. will be hosting a long weekend of events highlighting the history and culture of our mountain community. Some of these events will be scary. Some will be educational. Some might make you pee your pants. All of these will be fun, safe, and engaging with opportunities for the entire family.
While Mitchell County is an economically disadvantaged county with significant need, it is also a place with tremendous beauty, history, and culture. HIlloween's goal is to showcase Mitchell County in its best light—historically, economically, and creatively. First and foremost we want these events to be a darn good time for everyone.
Additionally, we believe these events will also:
Catalyze economic development in Mitchell County
Create educational opportunities for the children of Mitchell County
Celebrate the history, culture and natural beauty of Mitchell County
We are especially fortunate to co-create this experience with the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and a broad range of community partners from across Mitchell County. A leader in its field, the UNCSA team brings its creativity, professionalism and expertise to this effort in a range of ways. More information about UNCSA and our other community partners is included below.
Interested in volunteering with Hilloween? Sign up here.
MEET OUR TEAM
Hilloween Team Members
As a small nonprofit organization, HIlloween is run by a small team of dedicated volunteers and advisors, including:
Gina Phillips, Founder and Executive Producer. Gina is a Mitchell County native, leading a colorful life that started with her colorful family. Born and raised in the county, Gina was educated at Florida State University and worked in theatre and the arts in New York City. Now back home, Gina is eager to connect the dots of her life in a meaningful way to celebrate and support the community she loves. While Gina is proud of so many elements of this project, she is especially excited about the collaboration with the University of North Carolina School for the Arts. In this way, we hope to leverage the county's strong arts heritage while introducing a new generation of Mitchell County residents to the magic and beauty of the arts. A relative of Charlie Silver, Gina has been chased by a wampus cat, used an outhouse, and drank moonshine right out of a still -- all in the same day!
Bev Ayscue, Advisor. Beverly Ayscue worked in the visual arts and historic preservation throughout her 40 year career. Bev moved to the community 12 years ago to work at Penland School of Craft, fell in love with Mitchell County, and has retired here.
Vicky Pipes, Advisor. Vicky Pipes was born and raised in Asheboro, NC. Her family is from the Blue Ridge Mountains and Vicky spent her summers exploring these hills while visiting her family. Vicky moved to Mitchell County full time in 2010 and Halloween has always been one of her favorite holidays....she has a love for costumes, ghost stories, things that cannot be explained, and anything spooky.
Michael Kelley, Advisor. Michael became Dean of the University of North Carolina School for the Arts, School of Design and Production in July 2015. He is an Emmy Award-winning art director and set decorator with experience in all facets of entertainment, and has achieved success as a senior producer and principal designer on Broadway, in regional theatre, television, film and themed entertainment.
Chandler Arnold, Advisor. Chandler grew up in Marion and spent much of childhood in Spruce Pine with his grandparents. Chandler has a 25 year social impact career and is the CEO and Founder of Untraditional Philanthropy. Chandler won first prize for his two-headed monster costume in the second grade, sparking a passion for Halloween costumes that has only increased with age.
Scott Hasty, Graphic Design. Since graduating with an Industrial Design degree, Scott has worked for decades as a Brand Designer/Strategist, Signage & Wayfinding Designer and Graphic Designer/Illustrator for design agencies. Now, self-employed as a design consultant, he has been able to use those same skills for more fulfilling projects like Hilloween. However, if you want to find him in May, he will be tending the blooms on his hundreds of peony bushes on a farm in Virginia. For more information about Scott's work, and his peonies, please visit here.
Hilloween Advisory Council
Hilloween is deeply grateful to a large network of volunteers and community leaders from across Mitchell County who have also acted as informal advisors on this effort, including:
Martha Allman, Nealy Andrews, Brette Barron, Beth Bell, Betsy Biega, Sheila Blalock, Nancy Burleson, Darlene Butler, Sarah Byrd, Chad Calhoun, Anne Castro, Shana Fox, Daniel Garland, Joan Glynn, Pennie Greene, Sally Guerard, Judson Guerard, Jeff Harding, Jeffery Harding, Victoria Hicks, Morgan Hill, Dr. John Boyd, Stacey Lane, Casey Ledford, Janeen Long, Jannen Long, Starli McDowell, Ron and Libby McKinney, John Nealy, Janet Outz, Andy Palmer, Libby Phillips, Darla Phillips Harding, Geraldine Plato, Mariana Popp, William Ritter, Silvia Rome, Sharon Rowland, Dori Settles, Brenda Sparks, Grant Sparks, Chief Billy Summerlin, Mariea Tountasakis, Joann Townsend, Penny Turbyfill, Chuck Vines, Susie van der Vorst, Matthew Ward, and Steph Whitson.
Special thanks
The Hilloween Team would also like to share very special thanks to a number of members of our community who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in so many ways. From procuring pumpkins to to facilitating transportation, to creating a showcase of live tarantulas and other creepy crawlies, Hilloween would not be the same without you. These Hillloween Heroes include: Grant Sparks, Jennie Stewart, Hunter Wilson, Jennie Stewart, Sheila Blalock, and many more.
PRESENTING PARTNER
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
GET INVOLVED
Hilloween is actively recruiting volunteers for Hilloween 2022. If you--or your organization--would like to sign up to volunteer please email add your name and contact information here and we reach out with you to follow up!
Donate
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, all gifts to Hilloween, Inc are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law. If you would like to mail a check, you can send this to us directly via mail to: Hilloween, Inc. / PO Box 123 / Spruce Pine, NC 28777. If you would like to support Hilloween in other ways -- including gifts from a donor advised fund, gifts of appreciated stocks and securities, legacy gifts, gifts of real estate, and/or other ways -- please send contact Gina Phillips at
info@hilloweennc.org
234-HATCHET / 234-428-2438
PO Box 400
Spruce Pine, NC 28777