By Staff
FUN IN THE PARK Tiera Young, 6, left, and Megan Young, 7, make decorations for their paper hats Saturday at the children's arts and crafts booth at Arts in the Park. Tiera's kindergarten teacher at West End Elementary, Barbara Ivy, brought her and her sister to the park for the event, which concludes today. PHOTO BY CARISA MCCAIN / THE MERIDIAN STAR
By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
April 6, 2003
A sense of family was evident Saturday among the young, old and in-between who gathered at Highland Park for the 32nd Annual Arts in the Park festival.
Barbara Ivy, a kindergarten teacher at West End Elementary School, enjoyed watching children make hats. She sat in the gazebo at the park where hands-on crafts were available for children.
David Ivy Jr., 22, is in the U.S. Navy stationed on the USS Saipan, an aircraft carrier fighting the war with Iraq.
Ivy, 44, said she expected her other two children, ages 15 and 18, to come to the festival later in the day.
She watched the girls who were busily working on their hats, stapling, and gluing feathers and yarn onto their paper visors.
The projects for children were organized by Nancy Ray, art teacher at Poplar Springs Elementary School, with volunteer help from students and community service clubs. She went from picnic table to picnic table under the gazebo, checking on the progress of little hat makers.
She said she will do the same thing today from 1 p.m.-4p.m.
Near the gazebo, two sisters, Rachel Cochran from Madison and Robin Brannan of Stonewall, were at the pony rides. They brought their children. Cochran's son, Rhett, and Brannan's daughter, Sarah, are both 2 years old and Saturday was their first Arts in the Park experience.
Both Robin and Rachel said they came to the festival every year as children, but they both said they hadn't been to it in about 10 years. Now as mothers, they wanted their children to be a part of it. Next year they will have a larger crowd if they return. Robin is due in May. Rachel is due in June.
Several generations of families could be seen walking together through the arts and crafts exhibits or stopping at food vending stations or where games were held. The youngest was typically in a stroller, the oldest sometimes used a cane.
Gates open at 11 a.m. today and the festival concludes at 5 p.m.