Kids' festival area expanded, music added for Arts and Crafts area
By Darren Dunlapof The Daily Times Staff
Originally published: October 13. 2006 3:01AM
Last modified: October 12. 2006 12:00AM
Today, the mass of kids awaiting the opening of the Foothills Fall Festival's Children's Adventure Land will see a parade of sorts crossing the pedestrian bridge from the Blount County Public Library to the new plaza on McCammon Avenue.
The Children's Adventure Land opens at noon today with a "mini-parade," said Patti Clevenger, coordinator of the adventure land area for the past five years. It's the first year having such a parade, and it will be followed with performances from The DragonLegend Acrobats and the Funny Dummy, a ventriloquist act that Clevenger thinks will be a hit with the kids.
The Arts and Crafts area will be open the same time as the Children's Adventure Land, opening at noon today and Sunday, 10 a.m. Saturday, and then closing at 6 p.m. each day.
The mini-parade is a gathering of mascots — Busy Beaver of the Maryville public works, Sparky the Fire Dog, Slugger and Diamond of the Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball team, the acrobats and returning magician Michael Messing, for instance.
The Children's Adventure Land is free and seems to get a little bigger each year. The activities and games are set up along the banks of Pistol Creek, on both sides of Cusick Street. This year there will be a series of climbing walls for children of all ages. The Tennessee Army National Guard and Adventures Unlimited will provide the two largest walls at no cost for the three-day festival.
Add to that slides, bounce houses (inflatables where kids can jump up and down), a mechanical bull, a "euro-bungee" and a petting zoo. The petting zoo will have more exotics this year, said Clevenger. Children can also fed the animals at the petting zoo for free. Feeding will be monitored and allowed only during certain times to prevent over-feeding the animals, however.
Two roads adjacent the adventure land sites will be closed during the festival. McCammon Avenue, from Harper Avenue to Cusick Street will be closed. Also, McCammon Avenue, from Cusick Street to McGhee Avenue will be closed. Trolley and bus service will also be available at the Children's Adventure Land site, near the intersection of McGhee Street and McCammon Avenue.
Arts and Crafts
It gets harder each year: the city gets more and more requests for vendor space for the festival's arts and crafts displays. But space is limited. Carolyn Forster, chair of the arts and crafts committee for the festival, said the "footprint" for the display area didn't change for this year.
Arts and crafts booths will be set up along Broadway Avenue, from College Street to Cates Street. The shuttle service will drop off riders at either end of Broadway. There will be 91 spaces for vendors. The city will use the same tent company, based in Chattanooga, and the booths will have a late harvest theme.
What's new this year is the music, and Forster seemed excited to describe the setting. On the steps of the old U.S. Post Office on Broadway Avenue, acoustic musicians will perform all three days of the festival. The talent is local and most of the music will be bluegrass.
The steps of the old Post Office form a "natural stage," said Forster.
There is no admission for the Arts and Crafts area of the festival.
Performance schedule
Performances begin at 1:30 p.m. today. Missouri Small opens and Donnie and Debbie Barbra follow at 3 p.m. Off Kilter, the Maryville College Vocal Ensemble, performs at 4:30 p.m.
At 11 a.m. Saturday Jim Myers performs, followed by Delilah and The Can't Hardly Playboys at noon. Grittefritter performs at 2 p.m., followed by Pistol Creek at 3:30 p.m. and singer-songwriter Melinda Willick Sutton at 5 p.m.
On Sunday the Rhythm Pickups (Brenda and Lowell Hamby) perform at 1 p.m. The Woodpickers follow at 2:30 p.m. and Music Row Grass is the final act, beginning at 4 p.m.
Closures/shuttle service
City officials recommend people park at the Foothills Mall and take the free shuttle to the festival. Parking will be limited, with many downtown streets and lots closed for the festival.
The shuttle begins running 11 a.m. today, 9 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. The shuttle service will run every 15 minutes, continuing through the day until one hour after the last concert. There will be a handicapped accessible bus with a designated stop.
Broadway Avenue, from Cates Street to College Street will be closed.
North Church Avenue will be closed to through traffic.
A trolley service will run noon today and Sunday, and 10 a.m. Saturday, until 6 p.m. each day.
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