Three churches sign up as vendors at Dogwood Festival
After being accused of religious discrimination, the board of the Dogwood Festival has voted to allow churches to sponsor booths at the 2009 event.
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Last year, some people claimed that the festival discriminated against churches by not allowing them as information vendors.
At the time, organizers said they were enforcing an existing rule after getting complaints from festival attendees of churches pushing religious materials on them and from food vendors about churches giving away food and drinks.
This year's rules specify that non-profit, information vendors can only distribute information and not sell or give away beverages, food, services or goods.
Three churches applied to be vendors this year, and all three were accepted, said Carrie King, executive director of the fair. Providence Presbyterian Church and Manna Church will be information vendors, and Miracle Temple will be a food vendor.
King said that festival staff put a lot of effort into reaching out to the community for vendors, including sending applications to every person that attended a forum about churches being vendors.
The festival runs April 24-26 in various downtown Fayetteville venues.
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