Thunder, lightning and the accompanying downpour send shoppers at Capitol Market running for cover.
Photo by Leslie M. Arntz
An afternoon thunderstorm sent people scrambling for cover, but shoppers continued to buy handcrafted items under the fair's walled tents. Outdoor performers downtown and at the Wine and All That Jazz festival on the University of Charleston lawn halted their shows until the weather blew over.
"The turnout has been great, and we've had such positive comments. They say, 'You should do this every day,'" said Alana Minear, who coordinated FestivALL's 48 volunteers.
"We have a really neat collection of artists here, and in Charleston, everybody just gets out and shows their support."
Families crowded the Capitol Street Art Fair to browse the wares of more than 100 artisans, selling everything from traditional Appalachian woodworking to Japanese linens dyed with indigo.
Between the tents, people watched belly dancers and juggling performers and listened to musicians strumming and singing on the Capitol Street stages. The art fair and stages will continue today on Capitol Street, from noon to 5 p.m.
FestivALL began four years ago and has grown from a weekend affair to a 10-day citywide celebration of creativity.
"It's always fun to get out and see all the different kinds of art. I found quite a few prints," said Ann Nelson, an art fan who shopped for pictures with her mother, Lucy Youell.
"I do really enjoy it. I wish they'd do it more often," Youell said.
FestivALL also gave artists the opportunity to network, talk shop and enjoy the cultural activities, said Frank Curl of Stonefancy, a jewelry maker. Curl made the trip to the festival from Cincinnati for the second year in a row.
Musicians, artisans and winemakers displayed their work Saturday, as Charleston became a living gallery during FestivALL's final weekend.
The festival concludes today, with a few more opportunities to enjoy art, shopping and live performances.
An afternoon thunderstorm sent people scrambling for cover, but shoppers continued to buy handcrafted items under the fair's walled tents. Outdoor performers downtown and at the Wine and All That Jazz festival on the University of Charleston lawn halted their shows until the weather blew over.
"The turnout has been great, and we've had such positive comments. They say, 'You should do this every day,'" said Alana Minear, who coordinated FestivALL's 48 volunteers.
"We have a really neat collection of artists here, and in Charleston, everybody just gets out and shows their support."
Families crowded the Capitol Street Art Fair to browse the wares of more than 100 artisans, selling everything from traditional Appalachian woodworking to Japanese linens dyed with indigo.
Between the tents, people watched belly dancers and juggling performers and listened to musicians strumming and singing on the Capitol Street stages. The art fair and stages will continue today on Capitol Street, from noon to 5 p.m.
FestivALL began four years ago and has grown from a weekend affair to a 10-day citywide celebration of creativity.
"It's always fun to get out and see all the different kinds of art. I found quite a few prints," said Ann Nelson, an art fan who shopped for pictures with her mother, Lucy Youell.
"I do really enjoy it. I wish they'd do it more often," Youell said.
FestivALL also gave artists the opportunity to network, talk shop and enjoy the cultural activities, said Frank Curl of Stonefancy, a jewelry maker. Curl made the trip to the festival from Cincinnati for the second year in a row.
"Coming for this gives us a nice little break. We love the live entertainment while we're selling," he said.
Those favoring historic over handmade items searched for treasures at the antique sale on Hale Street, while being serenaded by street musicians like the French horn trio, Marsha Palmer, Tom Beal and Luke Zyla.
Street performers delighted the children gathered outside the Kanawha County Public Library's street fair, where they made crafts and played games as parents browsed the library's bake sale.
Local potter Trisha Fox helped children make hanging wall pockets and trinket boxes out of self-hardening clay, while she displayed samples of her own glazed pottery.
"It gives them something to keep and take home. I'd like them to know that they can do anything, and with clay you really can," she said.
Saturday's schedule also included many live theatrical performances, like "Elvis in Charleston," a 20-minute play performed several times during the day at O'Kays restaurant on Leon Sullivan Way.
The Charleston Light Opera Guild presented "Pump Boys and Dinettes" Saturday afternoon. In the evening, the West Virginia theater companies also performed four plays, three of them original works, at the One Act Play Festival at the Clay Center.
On the University of Charleston lawn, wine enthusiasts ducked the rain under white tents and sipped glasses of local favorites during the Wine and All That Jazz festival. Featured musicians were Inspiration, Blue Notes, Dugan Carter and Full Flavor, Ryan Kennedy Quartet, Bob Thompson Unit, Rolando Matias and his Afro-Rican Ensemble, and Ellis Marsalis Quartet.
FestivALL ends today with live performances around the city, including "Mountain Stage" with Larry Groce, featuring Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels, Hayes Carll, Andy Davis, Krista Detor and Priscilla Ahn, at 7 p.m. at the Clay Center.
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