The Daily Times

It covers some 150 feet in about eight seconds and has proven to be a popular new attraction for children and adults alike at the 2012 Foothills Fall Festival.

Located in the Adventure Land area of the festival, the new zipline feature added this year has drawn crowds and garnered the attention of all ages.

Emma Meyer, age 6, picked out the attraction before she, her mother and two sisters even had much time to stroll past the event entrance.

“She picked it out from far away,” said Emma’s mother, Beverly Meyer. “(She) set her sights high.”

It was Emma’s first time on a zipline and that story of firsts was a reappearing theme throughout the day, said Mark Pysel, who works for Fun Factory Entertainment, the company out of Fayetteville, W.Va., that owns and runs the zipline, wall climb and “pop noggins” events at the festival. He said there were several adults, as well as children, lining up for their turn on the zipline.

The zipline was actually an add-on to the climbing wall, which was also at last year’s festival, Pysel said.

Logan Wells, age 9, and Bowyn Kelly, age 8, were both first timers on the zipline and both said they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

“It was awesome,” Wells said. “I would have to say that’s the best thing here now.”

Kelly, who said being up so high was initially a little scary, said he enjoyed the sensation of gliding down the line.

“When I got to go down it was cool and enjoyable,” Kelly said. “I felt like I was a bird.”

Jerome Smith, a Fun Factory Entertainment employee, said the group was busy with riders all day and that it’s typically the case for the company, which travels around the east to many different functions.

“It’s a big hit just about everywhere we go,” Smith said.

“It’s been non-stop all day for the rock wall and zipline,” Pysel said. “It’s a great feature.”

In fact, many people had to wait in line for more than two hours to ride the zipline. Maryville resident Regan Hendricks said her son, Nicky Hendricks, waited in line for more than two hours Friday before they were turned away because the area was closing. They came back Saturday and, although they had another long wait, Nicky said it was worth the wait.

Greenback residents Diana Brown and Tammy Wells, two of the adult riders, said they also waited about two hours, but also agreed the wait paid off.

“That’s an awesome ride, for everyone,” Wells said. “It’s different.”

“But it was awesome,” Brown said. “It was well worth it ... I’m glad we waited that long.”

Festival coordinator Patti Clevenger said they plan to have the zipline as a return attraction for next year.

“When I went down that zipline I said ‘This is exactly what I wanted,’” she said. “(It’s) awesome. I want to do it again.”