Post Lakeside Art and Music Festival

First up, hoping you had a safe and enjoyable 4th of July. For those who have served with the armed forces in some capacity including several of you who are my friends, thank you for protecting the integrity of our Nation and in turn, the sanctity of this holiday. As per the title, the Lakeside Art and Music Festival is a 4th of July weekend event held annually at Nelson Park in Decatur. Showcasing a wide variety of creative talent, this year we were blessed with spectacular weather unlike last which was a complete washout. I was there as tent coordinator for the Barn Colony Artists group for which I am a member. We had six participants including myself which isn't a strong showing for the membership body but we still managed to fill the tent. Also filling the tent were dozens of mayflies that although delicate and harmless were at times somewhat of a nuisance. Foot traffic was good and we had many visitors but unlike the first few years of this event, it wasn't as good as it could be. There is no one reason why this event doesn't jump off like popular Arts in Central Park event that is held towards the end of summer but I think if crafters were reintroduced, this event would do much better for everyone. Independence Day is a family holiday so (IMHO) it would seem fitting to assemble a program that includes diversity going beyond just presenting fine art. Nevertheless, those who are in charge work very hard to keep things running smooth thereby making this event one we are proud to be a part of each year. Many thanks to WSOY, Gallery 510, The Decatur Arts Council as well as local media outlets and other business entities.













On a seperate note, light showers at dawn this morning produced the following.