On October 25, 2008 the Big Ugly Community Center held its eighth annual Fall Festival. The day-long, event included music and clogging, pumpkin painting, hot chili and cornbread, antique cars, and local vendors. Over the course of the day, 100 people participated in the festivities. Musical performers included Dale Kennedy, Elaine Purkey, WW and the Bluegrass Ramblers, Bob Webb and Heidi Muller, the Mill Creek Express Bluegrass Group, and the Lincoln County Cloggers. Bluegrass tunes, gospel singing and intricate dulcimer riffs filled the room along with some red-ruffled cloggers who danced to a mix of traditional and modern selections.

Katherine Keyser and Jenna Toppings, ages 6 and 7, joined Elaine Purkey on stage to sing two songs and showcase what they learned at Big Ugly Community Center's afterschool music program. The program, funded through the Clay Center, includes guitar, singing and dulcimer lessons.

The teen volunteer group at Big Ugly played a large part in putting together the Festival, volunteering several days to set up, decorate and prepare food for the event. In addition, the Teen Program hosted "Let's make a deal" between musical performances, and sold toys, food and drinks to raise funds for their program. They also sold "I'm with Big Ugly" T-shirts and copies of Patchwork Dreams, a collection of stories, songs and history from Big Ugly Creek and Harts Creek. Some teens also joined Bob Webb and Heidi Muller on stage to sing one of their favorite songs from Patchwork Dreams called "Mamaw's House."

"We have a lot of fun around here," Big Ugly VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) Kathy Cook added. "A lot of people seem to think if you have fun you're not working, but here that's not true." While having a good time, the teens raised over $100 for fieldtrips and other teen programs. In the end, "I let the teens decide what they want to do with it," said Cook, who works with the teen program.

Big Ugly Community Center is a rural community resource located nine miles off Corridor G in Lincoln County. The center has afterschool and summer programming, as well as special events. Youth eat a free meal, complete their homework, then participate in art projects, music, recreation and a variety of programs. Teens volunteer at the center, mentor younger students and are currently involved in a watershed program. The teens rolled up their sleeves and cooked a Thanksgiving Dinner for the community on November 22nd.