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Festival features Appalachian artby Tiffany Royal Take advantage of a nice weekend and hike down Richland Avenue, over the hills and into the woods for a day of homemade ice cream and arts and crafts. Barn Raisin' 2000 will take place this weekend at the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center, 8000 Dairy Barn Lane, attracting visitors from around the area for a day full of arts, crafts and music. In its 20th year, the theme is traditional arts and crafts. In addition to having artists sell their works, visitors will have a chance to see creativity in progress. Master Appalachian crafters will offer their goods to the public with spinning, woodcarving and basket weaving. Inside the Dairy Barn gallery, visitors can shop 15 booths set up with arts and crafts made by local artists. Ceramics, wooden toys, handmade jewelry, photography and hand-treated fabrics will be just some of the items up for sale. Special demonstrators will be brought in, including Cynthia Taylor and Aaron "Ike" Yakim, partners in the white oak basket-making business. They will present basket making, beginning with a white oak tree and finishing with a sample of the finished product, according to Taylor. Taylor and Yakim won't be selling anything, but they will have brochures available. Taylor also invites people to bring their own baskets, in order to learn about them. "It's like the Antique Road Show for white oak baskets," she said with a laugh. The kids will have a chance to participate by making corn-husk dolls, traditional braided mini-rugs and candles to proudly take home. Pony rides will be available too, so grab the cowboy hats. Put on your dancing shoes and warm up your fingers, because the newest event this year is the Old Time Fiddle and Banjo contest from 2 to 5 p.m. Contestants can win $800 in prize money, and anyone can show up for the contest, but pre-registration gets free admission to the festival. The contest idea surfaced when one of the Festival committee members was involved in the Ohio State Banjo Contest. She thought the Dairy Barn could hold their own, said Julie Clark, program director for the center. The evening's activities kick off at 5 p.m. with the Appalachian music of Ohio native J.D. Hutchinson, followed by the Athens-based headliners The Local Girls. The three-part harmony will start their tunes at 6:30 p.m. Recognized by fans from across the Midwest, The Local Girls sang for Hillary Rodham Clinton's 50th birthday at the White House. Their performances cover a century of American music, including western, bebop, blues and old standards, according to Local Girl Brenda Catania. Festivals are usually chock-full of food, and this festival will surely fill the appetite. Fresh homemade ice cream will be available from HAVAR Inc., Child of Fault Prevention Program and the Athens Civitan Club, plus food from Frog Ranch Foods, Ali Baba's Gyros and the Dairy Barn, Clark said. The admission fee doesn't result in a ticket or a stamp but a button with a raffle ticket attached, said Clark. Filling out the raffle ticket gives the visitor eligibility to win one of the prizes, which consist of artwork donated by the artists. Tickets will be available the day of the festival and also at Baron's Men's Shop, Cornwell Jewelers, White's Mill, Haffa's Records, the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Ohio University Credit Union. ••Barn Raisin' 2000 will be Sunday, Sept. 17 from noon to 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and teens, $1 for children 4 to 12 and free for children 3 and under. Free parking is available at the Dairy Barn and Peden Stadium on the Ohio University campus. Free shuttle buses will be available to the festival all day. •• |