Wednesday, April 29, 2009

2009 Panoply Arts Festival

This past weekend I took in annual local arts festival that I hadn't been to in many years. Panoply (http://www.panoply.org/) turned out to be a really enjoyable time, with beautiful weather, inspiring exhibits, and, of course, good company in Kim.

Panoply typically blocks off a section of downtown Huntsville every year for the festivities. In addition to art by various venders from all over the US, there were various musical acts ranging from country fiddlers, to Indonesian dancing. Something that struck me were the booths devoted to particular countries. Korea, China, India, and Australia were just a few represented and offered activities and displays for the curious. I thought this was wonderful, in that Huntsville really does have a wide and various cultural population. From the Indian ladies in their saries to the Chinese dragon that headed the parade, I was impressed.

The food offerings were standard fair. No really. Same stuff you'd findat a fair. Whether you wanted Polish Sausage or a shrimp poboy, there was much to choose from. Kim and I opted for lime-aides, mine coming in a green "yard o' ale" container. Most tasty, especially on a progressively warmer day. The funnel cakes and Ben & Jerry's ice cream were also pretty tempting.

There were free craft projects for the kids. Crazy Hats, Disco Fish, and painting come to mind. The mascots were out as well. Kids of all ages took pictures with Scooby Doo and the Geiko Gecko, who was a lot bigger in person. Well, the camera does add a few pounds...;)

Overall, if you're an artsy/creative/bohemian type, or you just like a good festival, Panoply is a worthwhile afternoon.

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