The Cotton District Arts Festival, held on Saturday, played host to many events such as the artisan’s village, art showcases, poetry slam and 5K run. This was the seventh year for the festival, which was sponsored by the Starkville Area Arts Council and assisted by the city of Starkville.
Candy Crecink, who is on the board of directors for the festival, said she estimates 10,500 to 15,000 people attended the festival.
The festival began with the Old Cotton Mill 5K run, which started in front of Bulldog Deli on University Drive. The artisan and food booths opened at 9 a.m. when the race results were announced.
The artisan’s village offered a broad assortment of goods, including everything from antique fishing lures to smocked children’s clothes.
The majority of vendors showcased arts like paintings, photography, pottery, stoneware and woodwork.
The Main Street Arts booth displayed pottery, photographs and paintings from teachers and students at the arts school.
MSU alumnus Jennifer Bianca, who teaches at Main Street Arts, said that this was the fourth year for the Main Street Arts booth at the festival.
“We do it because we enjoy it,” Bianca said. “We have a good time with it.”
Main Street Arts owner Linda Wade has been in the art business in Starkville since 2000. Wade said the arts school was started in 2004.
Wade said the festival produces a good showcase.
“This allows us to put a lot of different artisans [in our booth] and touch base with a lot of different artisans,” Wade said.
Kathy Raye of K. Raye Pottery said this was her third year at the festival.
Raye, who sells her collegiate dinnerware, ceramics and gifts at Campus Book Mart, said that because she is so used to painting with Mississippi State colors, she enjoys getting to be creative with bright colors in the pieces she makes for the festival.
Raye said she also likes to look at the work of other vendors.
“I just like the atmosphere and all the stuff that’s going on,” she said.
Norice Nash of RGNP Distribution said that her group has been at the festival since its beginning.
“We keep coming back because we like to see the people, and we meet a lot of interesting people,” Nash said.
RGNP Distribution manages rental houses and apartments and also includes computer repair service, Nash said. The company sells a variety of wooden artwork, which was exhibited at its festival booth.
“We sell hand-painted wooden products, collector items, yard signs and lap desks,” Nash said.
Regina Dean, who is the computer technician in RGNP’s computer repair aspect, said she enjoys the festival.
“We graduated from MSU, so this is home,” Dean said.
Students from Heritage Academy Elementary of Columbus sold copies of their book, “Houses Talk,” and handed out free bookmarks.
Crecink said other draws for the festival included the children’s village, pet parade, international entertainment area and Celtic Village.
“People love to sit at the Celtic tent and learn about family history and clans. The tent was full all day,” Crecink said.
Food vendors lined most of University Drive, offering snow cones, baklava, hamburgers, ice cream and kettle corn.
The 21 food vendors included chain restaurants like McAlister’s and Sweet Pepper’s Deli, but there were also local vendors like The Veranda and Shaherazad’s.
The festival had three stages offering music of several genres, including jazz and blues, country, Southern rock, hip-hop and R&B.
The fourth stage, Magnolia Rehab/Maxwell Street Stage, showcased singers from Starkville High and MSU. The stage also hosted the poetry slam and several short performances by international dancers.
“There’s so many wonderful families [in Starkville] from all over the world,” Crecink said. “There’s something for everyone.”
Festival attendees enjoyed art and air conditioning inside St. Joseph Catholic Church, which hosted an art show.
Exhibitions included photographs, sculptures and stoneware, as well as drawings and paintings using all media.
Sophomore human development and family studies major Jane Grey Wiggers attended the festival for the first time and said she would go again.
“I loved all the people and being downtown in the Cotton District. I just thought it was really unique having the cultural diversity. It shows the diversity on our campus,” Wiggers said.
Crecinck said she was pleased with the festival’s turnout and looks forward to planning next year’s festival.
“It was great this year, and we know it will be even better next year,” she said.