Canton town and business leaders are developing plans to repair the town’s outdoor entertainment venue, which was severely damaged in the floods, in time for the summer Pickin’ in the Park bluegrass sessions — a favorite pastime on Friday evenings in Canton.

“The popular stage and clogging floor does not even exist any longer as the floods swept it downriver completely,” said Steve Banks, executive director of the Canton Papertown Association, a publicly funded chamber of commerce for Canton. “Our goal is to have Turner Stage rebuilt by Memorial Day so Pickin’ can continue.”

The new stage will be mobile and easily disassembled to facilitate festivals at various venues downtown as well as in the park. A stage of this magnitude will cost $25,000.

“Besides funds, we need engineers, builders, electricians and audio technicians to make this project a success,” Banks said.

A fund drive for the new stage will be held in conjunction with a spring festival May 7 and 8. Banks hopes the festival featuring big names in bluegrass, country and gospel musicians combined with a craft fair will draw thousands. Craft vendors, musicians and volunteers interested in participating in the Spring festival — and those who can lend services for the new stage — can contact Banks at 828.648.9967.

Canton Mayor Pat Smathers developed the concept of a mobile stage and mobile sound system. Smathers hopes to hold the annual Labor Day festival downtown this year instead of at the recreation park outside of town. Smathers said the benefits to downtown merchants were evident when FOCUS held its inaugural Mater Festival downtown last summer.

The fund-raising effort will also contribute to repairs to the home field of the Bears, the Pisgah High school football team. The football field was washed out by the flood, including large sinkholes, forcing the Bears to play at Western Carolina University field and stadium for the 2004 football season.