SALISBURY — If there was an event held in downtown Salisbury for the past six years, Latoya Price was most likely behind the scenes and behind the controls. However, the Downtown Salisbury events coordinator who was instrumental in making events such as the Cheerwine Festival and Wine About Winter happen has moved on to a new job at Catawba College.

Price announced that she would be leaving Downtown Salisbury in late December, a change which became effective at the end of last week.

“Your encouragement, inspiration and challenges have left a profound impact on me, often in ways you may not even realize. I am deeply grateful for all that you have taught me, and I will carry those lessons with me as I embark on this new chapter,” wrote Price in her last email update to downtown stakeholders, in which she announced that she was leaving.

Downtown Salisbury, Inc Director Sada Stewart Troutman confirmed the change and said that both her and Administrative Assistant Mel Drye would be splitting the role while the organization conducted a candidate search. Troutman said that the organization would be putting the job out for applications in the coming weeks with the goal of having it filled by the Cheerwine Festival.

“With the talent that Rowan County has, we think we’ll be in a good place to fill that by the festival,” said Troutman.

Troutman spoke highly about the work that Price has done since she joined the organization as events coordinator in 2018. The last two years, Wine About Winter had its tickets sold out, which Troutman said was a direct result of the work Price had done. Many store owners and employees spoke in 2023 about how the event appeared to have exploded in popularity.

“Last year, (there were) not that many people, but this time there were so many people out,” said Oxford+Lee owner Kaylee Eagle.

Price was also the mind behind the annual Brewfest event, which took two previous events, Summer Sip and Brewsbury, and combined them into an annual celebration of local craft breweries at the Bell Tower Green.

Troutman also said that Price’s behind-the-scenes work with downtown merchants was a huge part of her job, saying that she had a good relationship with all of them and was great at working them through marketing, local events and other areas.

“We’re really grateful for all the work she’s done, and we will miss her greatly,” said Troutman.

Price will be moving into a coordinator of campus programming role with Catawba College, which will still see her involved with the Salisbury community. The events she leads will just be a bit east on Innes Street.

“We’re grateful that she will still be working in our community and to better Salisbury,” said Troutman.