THE FACTS:
14th Annual Festival: April 18, 2009
Location: Historic Cotton District

On Saturday, April 18, thousands gathered in record number for a celebration of art and life at the 2009 Cotton District Arts Festival in the Historic Cotton District in Starkville, Miss.

Despite morning showers, this year was a breakthrough for the Arts Festival with an astounding attendance of nearly 28,000.

The OCEDA Artisan’s Village hosted over 100 art vendors, displaying work from pottery and painting to wood carving and sculptures. The CVS Pharmacy and East Mississippi Lumber Company Bully Art Auction successfully sold its brilliant “movie-star bulldogs,” raising money for future festivals and SAAC projects. The certified Hilton Garden Inn Old Cotton Mill 5K Run saw a boost in participation, while the Spruill Property Management Pet Parade attracted another lovable group of four-legged friends. Both the GSDP Juried Art and Student Art Exhibits also experienced increases in work submitted in each competition.

“My husband and I were very impressed with the variety and quality of beautiful artistic products for sale and on display. Our two children had a blast in the children’s village and we got such a kick out of seeing all the pets that everyone brought along as well. It was a fabulous day!” said Allison Matthews, Vice President of Membership & Community Development of the GSDP.

The day was also a time for sell-outs. The Information Tent sold out of nearly every festival t-shirts, while participating restaurants in the Taste of Starkville sold virtually everything edible in their booths. Both past and present festival memorabilia proved popular, including t-shirts and postcards. After poster artist Jermane Sanders spent the day autographing festival posters, only a handful were still available at festival closing time.

“I came in from out of town for the festival this year and loved the villages. I enjoyed talking with the artists and other spectators, too. From a dog lover, the pets were BIG, BIG fun! I even bought a festival t-shirt. I will definitely be back,” said Debbie Martin, festival-goer.

The support of this year’s festival was not only shown through a remarkable turnout from visitors and participants, but also by the Starkville community with a record number of sponsorships. Major festival sponsors claimed four stages, seven villages, three gates and five events. Major sponsors include the Mississippi Arts Commission, Arby’s, Starkville Junior Auxiliary, Greater Starkville Development Partnership, Starkville Kiwanis, Magnolia Outpatient Rehab, Starkville Bank Association, BancorpSouth, Mugshots, Starkville Rotary Club, TVA, MetroCast, Dan Camp Family Real Estate, LLC, Hilton Garden Inn, MSU and CottonMill Marketplace. Other sponsors provided awards, prizes, in-kind donations and various services to ensure the day’s success.

Festival volunteers showed their overwhelming support again this year. Returning by the masses, volunteers were eager to give their time and energy to help with the day’s events, with some arriving as early as 5:00a.m.

The Starkville Area Arts Council extends deep gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved in making the 2009 Cotton District Arts Festival a success, and truly the best festival yet. Save the date for the 2010 festival, scheduled for Saturday, April 17, 2009. May the Festival Be With You!

For more information on the Cotton District Arts Festival or how to join the Starkville Area Arts Council, contact the SAAC office at 662.324.3080.