In the so-far mild summer of 2014, on July 5 of this year, a visit to Saluda, N.C. is a really good idea.

Because in the summer of 1963, in the year of my MUCH older brother’s arrival to the planet, the Blue Ridge Coon Club — formed in 1957 and later called the Blue Ridge Coon Dog Association — is still celebrating their annual Coon Dog Day Festival. The 51st, if you don’t care to do the math.

Way back when, the event began as a dog show and chicken dinner to raise money for restocking the surrounding woods with raccoons.

To this day, our small town has turned Coon Dog Day into a big show. The event swells our population from its usual 700 or so to more than 10,000 for the day. People attend from all over, especially Saluda’s long-standing attraction for South Carolinians, many of whom own second homes here, as they have since the town was chartered in 1881.

Both hunters and families are welcome to join the City of Saluda, we, the business-community, festival day vendors and the Central Carolina Coon-hunters Association for an action-packed schedule that lasts from the break of day, deep into the night.

While the coonhounds are on display throughout the town, other events such as an early morning 5k run, a noon parade and an evening square dance are all steeped in Southern, Hillbilly charm.

The coon dog events are headquartered in the Saluda school ball field downtown and along the parade route.

Dog owners, dog breeders and dog enthusiasts arrive on Friday night to display their coonhounds and to take part in the sporting village.

Puppies are for sale and who can resist a cute little coonhound? Breeders are glad to provide canine papers with distinguished bloodlines.

The noon parade, which is a come-one-come-all event requiring no pre-registration, features Saluda’s Royalty, dating back to the festivals origins. As founder and first president of Blue Ridge Coon Club, the late George Johnson, a Saluda native and retired brick mason, was the driving force behind the first Coon Dog Day, and he would later serve among the festival’s “royalty.”

Each year, a court of eight is named, based on penny votes. Young men and women collect pennies for votes around town, and those with the most votes are named queen, king, princess, prince, junior princess and prince, and baby princess and prince. Entrants range in age from newborn to 18 years old. Money raised goes back into the budget for the next year’s festival.

There are also many food and crafts vendors, a 5K race in the morning to kick off the day’s events, various bands and genres of music all day long, and a street dance into the night.

Parking spots are at a premium during the festival, since cars are not allowed downtown in order to keep the streets clear. Paid parking is available at The Party Place & Event Center on Friendship Church Road off of Ozone Drive. A shuttle bus will be running throughout the day to take festivalgoers to and from downtown.