Blue Plum Gives Back

Blue Plum Gives Back: 2020 - 2023

The Blue Plum Gives Back program began in 2020 as the Blue Plum Organization looked for new ways to invest in and support the arts, music, culture, and public spaces of Downtown Johnson City. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the Blue Plum Festival for a second consecutive year in 2021, the Organization chose to turn an unexpected pause into an opportunity to give back. Blue Plum committed $20,000 to support public programs, events, and initiatives that stimulate and strengthen arts, music, and culture in the community.

The first Blue Plum Gives Back project was a partnership with Johnson City Public Art to co-sponsor the Traditions of Appalachia mural in Downtown Johnson City, celebrating the region’s rich artistic and cultural heritage. The Organization also provided funding toward the Downtown Square Breezeway project in 2020 and continued to support other downtown events, arts initiatives, and community projects through the program. Through Blue Plum Gives Back, the Organization was been able to reinvest in the community that helped make Blue Plum possible.

Following the return of the festival in 2022, a portion of festival proceeds continued to be dedicated to Blue Plum Gives Back, and then again after the 2023 festival, allowing the program to extend the Organization’s impact beyond the festival itself.​