1. All bidding will occur virtually via this website. There will be no in-person bidding. Bidding ends at 6pm EST on October 25, 2025. All bidders will have the opportunity to outbid AFTER the auction ends at 6pm. Bidders all have THREE MINUTES to continue to outbid each other. Each bear auction will CLOSE after there are no new bids within the three minute bidding time period. Please ensure you have already registered to bid before the close of the auction. Staff cannot assist with bidding at the close of the auction.

2. Bidding begins on September 25, 2025 at 10am EST. It’s free to register, and you can bid anytime between September 25 and the deadline at 6pm on October 25.   All initial bids must take place via the website. Once you've begun bidding, you will have the ability to submit additional bids via text message. Bidders will receive automatic text notification if they are outbid with the option to submit a new bid. 

3. There will be an outdoors, in-person Auction Celebration on October 25 from 4-6pm at the Historic Courthouse Plaza on the 100 block of Main Street in downtown Hendersonville. The event will have a lively atmosphere with bells and cheers at each incoming bid. The event is free and open to the public. While there will be no in-person bidding at the event, attendees can bid live via their cell phone. There will be a registration booth to help attendees get registered and begin bidding if they have not already registered ahead of time.

4. There will be no proxy bidding. Bidders will receive automatic text notification if they are outbid with the option to submit a new bid. There is no option for reserve/proxy bids, meaning you can’t set a price that the system will automatically bid for you. If you are outbid, you will need to place a higher bid if you wish to continue. 
 

5. Starting bids for all bears will be $1,500 and minimum bid increments are $100. 
 

6. Any bear can be purchased ahead of the bidding deadline at our "Buy Now" price of $10,000. The "Buy Now" option ends Thursday, October 23 at 5 p.m. BUY NOW must be purchased with credit card (processing fees apply). We cannot guarantee priority unless you purchase and pay online (meaning if you REALLY want a particular bear, purchasing online and incurring credit card fees when the auction goes live will be your best opportunity to make that purchase.)

7. Bidders do not have to attend the in-person event to be a winning bidder, but winning bidders are encouraged to pick up their bear the evening of October 25.

8. Winning bidders will be contacted regarding payment and picking up their bear via call, text and email. Bears can be picked up at the event, or during a scheduled “pick up window” the week following the event. Winners have 5 days to pay or they will be automatically charged on the credit card filed. Alternatively, winners can pay with cash or check. There will be a 2.95% processing fee on all credit card transactions.

 

Since 2003, the Bearfootin' Art Walk has helped raise funds for Friends of Downtown Hendersonville and a variety of local nonprofits. The bears showcase the community's talented artists, as well as provide a window into the good work being done by nonprofits and community organizations in Henderson County.

Until 2020, the Bearfootin' auctions were hosted in traditional style with a live auctioneer. Then, in response to the pandemic, Friends of Downtown Hendersonville pivoted to a virtual format for the 2020 auction. The virtual bidding format allowed people to bid over the course of a month until a scheduled bidding cutoff. This turned out to be a big success, with the 2020 auction raising more than $84,000. The Friends continued the online auction format raising over $100,000 for local nonprofits every year since.
 

The Bearfootin’ Bears arrive as blank slates before local artists transform each in a spectacular fashion, with creative themes ranging from Mona Lisa to Blue Ridge Mountain scenery. After the “Reveal” event in early May, the bears then take up residence in downtown Hendersonville for the duration of the summer and fall, up until auction. Participants bid at the live auction to raise funds for local non-profits and the coordinating organization Friends of Downtown Hendersonville (a 501c3 nonprofit). Winning bids up to $3,000 are split evenly between the Friends of Downtown Hendersonville and the nonprofit chosen by the sponsor, while bid amounts exceeding $3,000 are directed entirely to the nonprofit.