Cider Days on Historic Walnut Street

Wednesday, June 20 2007 (07:54AM) | Posted by Kathryn Vicat-Dlabach (DSA) | Walnut Street

Cider Days on Historic Walnut Street, a fall celebration of visual and performing arts, will be held Sept 15 & 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival typically draws approximately 15,000 people annually. In its 10th year, the festival features fun for all ages—more than 100 juried artists and crafters from across the region, multiple performance areas, a free hands-on children’s area, Scarecrow Village, a historic homes tour and much more.
Artists and Crafters Artists and crafters from across the region exhibit at Cider Days, selling a variety of handmade products. Artwork sold during past festivals include Raku-fired clay pieces, hand-dyed silk scarves, paper Christmas ornaments, preserved hydrangea, painted pumpkins, candles and much more. All artwork is reviewed in advance to ensure quality.
Educational/Children’s Activities Young and old alike enjoy Cider Days many demonstration areas. Throughout the two days, artists can often be found demonstrating the fine art of papermaking, pumpkin painting, glassblowing, quilting and weaving. Children can demonstrate their own creativity in the free hands-on area. Past children’s activities included mask making, paper flower creations, sand art and wood crafts.>br> Performance Stages Each year, more than 300 individual performers showcase their artistic skills at three Cider Days performance areas—the Showwagon Stage, Dance Stage and “Music At The Inn”. The festival features local and regional talent including cloggers, singers, musicians, dancers and more.
Scarecrow Village One of the festival’s most creative displays is the “row of crows” also known as Scarecrow Village. The village consists of multiple scarecrows designed by area businesses, service groups, churches, youth groups, schools and individuals. The scarecrows serve to heighten community awareness of various local groups and services, as well as provide an opportunity for the community to unite and share creative energy, spirit and pride. Hundreds of dollars in cash prizes are up for grabs with festival attendees voting on the scarecrows. Prizes are awarded in categories including” “Best of Show”, “Best Use of Recycled Materials”, “Funniest”, “Most Original” and more. For more information please contact Erin Russell at 417-831-6200, extension 14 or erin@italldowntown.com. REGISTER ON-LINE www.itsalldowntown.com. Registration deadline: July 9, 2007