Ah, the sight of people taking their toddlers for a leisurely springtime promenade up Trade Street in Tryon. Wait a minute,

those aren’t toddlers in the strollers, and this is no leisurely afternoon walk. It’s the Tryon April Fool’s Festival Stroller Race to benefit Foothills Humane Society (FHS), and those are bags of pet food in those strollers.
The humane society invites community members to join it on March 31 in Tryon as racers charge up Trade Street pushing strollers containing bags of pet food. The registration table will be located on Trade Street at the bottom of the hill, near Stott’s Ford. Eager participants can come by starting at 10:30 a.m. to register for the race, which will occur at approximately 2 p.m., after the parade and TP Trot to the Outhouse. The entry fee is a large bag of cat or dog food (14 pounds or more), or other items needed by the shelter of equivalent value (see www.foothillshumanesociety.org/home/shelter-needs-list.html for a list of needed items). Prizes will be given to the winners, and all donations will go to FHS.  Volunteers on hand at the registration table will also gladly accept in-kind donations from those not wanting to race.
While you’re waiting for the start of the stroller race, watch the parade and admire some of the animals from the shelter strutting their stuff. Animals from FHS available for adoption will be at the FHS On the Road trailer until 3 p.m., which will be located at the corner of Maple and Trade Streets (where the old thrift shop was located). And after the race, stick around for the Trashion Show at 4 p.m. at the Tryon Depot, which will also benefit FHS.
For more information, please visit Tryon Downtown Development Association’s web page on the day’s festivities at downtowntryon.org/additional-information/calendar/2012-april-fools-day/.
–article submitted by Joyce Cox