Fine art, food await visitors to Oct. 13-14 Fall Festival

Bradford County Telegraph - October 4, 2001

Fine art, soul satisfying food and family fun await visitors at the 16th annual Santa Fe Community College Starke Fall Festival on historic Walnut Street in downtown Starke
, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct, 13, and noon-5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct.14. Admission is free.

The juried fine arts show's cash awards includes prizes from Sprint Centel and E.I. du Pont.

Gainesville artists Allison Le Baron (paintings and leather journals) and Pam Forrestel (paintings), plus award-winning artists and crafters from Florida and the Southeast will participate.

Watercolors, fiber art, photographs, glassware, ceramics, hand-made musical instruments, wood art, jewelry, sculpture and more will be represented.

There will be many fine southern basketry artists bringing pine needle, sea grass and split oak baskets. Find holiday gift buys in crafts like traditional basketry, ceramics and jewelry. Fresh honey will be available.

"It's a sure thing that everyone from two to 80 years old can come to the festival and have a great time," said Festival Coordinator Kathryn Lehman.

The festival is set on brick paved Walnut Street, one block east of US-301 but 100 years back in time with majestic trees, and homes built in Georgian, tudor revival, Victorian and Florida cracker styles of architecture.

Festival demonstrations include two traditional Florida crafts - white oak basket making and soap making - and the telling of Florida cracker tales (some made up right on the spot).

The kids' free hands-on activities include face painting, mask making, painting, collage and many more. Pony cart and miniature train rides are available at minimal charge.

The festival has lots of free entertainment-music groups, singers, dancers and drummers will all perform onstage on Walnut Street. "Uncle" Tom Thompson will be on hand to tell his tall tales (some made up on the spot) in the Jones-Rosenberg Building.

The Lake Region Community Theatre will be presenting Reader's Theatre during both days of the festival. Performances will be: "Talk"-a tale of West Africa, "Savitri"-a tale of ancient India, "The Devil and Mother Crum"-a folktale common to the United States and Western Europe, "Mr. Twit's Revenge," "McBroom's '4th of July,'" and "Harriet," which will feature audience participation.

Reader's Theatre performances will be at 3 p.m. on Oct. 13 and 2 p.m. on Oct. 14.

The zany Shriners' parade will take place Oct. 13. Line-up and judging will begin at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Call Street and Colley Road.

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. traveling west on Call Street to Cherry Street. After a left on Cherry Street, it will continue south to and make a right onto Madison Street (SR-100), then travel west to Court Street (at Revels car dealership). The parade will go right on Court Street, then make another right back onto Call Street. It will go one block east on Call Street to Walnut Street, then make a left and disband one block later at Jefferson Street.

Not to be missed is the Eugene L. Matthews Bradford County Historical Museum, also in the Jones Rosenberg Building. It is open during festival hours and admission is free.

"This museum is as well done as the Smithsonian - it's a real gem," said Lehman.

The festival has a reputation for great southern food. Dot Moore of Mount Zion AME Church brings sweet potato pie "that will make you slap your mama," and other charitable groups provide ribs, chicken and rice, fried chicken, pig on a stick, funnel cakes, and real, freshly squeezed lemonade.

The Starke Shrine Club will be selling chicken dinners on Oct. 13 at two locations: the Woman's Club and the Starke Golf and Country Club (for take-out dinners). Dinners cost $5 each and advance orders may be placed by calling 473-6809 or mailing order to: Starke Shrine Club, PO Box 413, Starke, FL 32091.

Dinners will be sold from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

"It's worth the trip for the food," said Lehman.

The festival is organized by Santa Fe Community College and sponsored by SFCC in cooperation with the SFCC Endowment Corporation, Bradford Regional Chamber of Commerce and City of Starke. Partial funding is provided by the Bradford County Tourist Development Council and the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs.

For information call (352) 395-5355.

See October 4, 2001 issue of Bradford County Telegraph for original article.