By Arthur E. Foulkes
TERRE HAUTE — Live music played in downtown Friday evening as the 2007 Terre Haute Street Fair got under way with large crowds and perfect weather.
“We love it,” said Donna Schopmeyer, who was enjoying a meal from Rick’s Smokehouse and Grill with her friend Cheryl Miller at the fair. The two have been to several downtown festivals over the past few weeks and months. “It’s nice to see Terre Haute’s downtown being used” like this, Miller said.
Saturday will be the first full day of this year’s Street Fair and will start with the Farmer’s Market in the morning and Family Learning Day at the Vigo County Public Library a couple of blocks away from the festival grounds at Ninth and Cherry streets.
Kids taking part in the library’s Saturday morning activities can also walk in a parade to the festival grounds around 11:30 a.m. and the first 100 kids will receive a free book, said Rachel Leslie, a volunteer and co-director of the children’s area of the Street Fair with fellow volunteer Dawn Arnold.
“The children’s area is bigger than it’s ever been,” said Andrew Conner, executive director of Downtown Terre Haute, Inc.
Some of the children’s activities will include a Bob the Builder area, pumpkin decorating, face and hair painting, video games from Ebash, an inflatable moon walk and a car simulator.
All children’s activities, except the car simulator, are free, Arnold said.
Live music, dancing, free horse-drawn carriage rides, a car show and lots of eating were the highlights of Friday night’s activities.
Around 100 classic and other cars were on display along North Ninth Street, including a 1967 Chevy Nova, two 1934 Gatsbys, a 1939 Lincoln Zephyr and a 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe of the type driven by John Milner in the classic movie “American Graffiti.”
“People remember the car from that movie,” said Judy McGaughy, owner of the Deuce Coupe with her husband, Dan. Just across Ninth Street from McGaughy’s car was another vehicle prominently featured in the 1973 movie, a light blue 1956 Ford T-Bird.
Another big part of the 2007 Street Fair is the Crossroads Arts Festival, which includes dozens of artists, many of whom will be working on their creations during the festival.
“It’s more engaging” to see artists working, rather than just selling their art work, said Jon Robeson, executive director of Arts Illiana. Several artists will be competing in a live juried art competition Saturday, Robeson said. Among the approximately 30 artists at the festival will be sculptor Bill Wolfe and oil painters Mike Neary and Courtland Blade, he said.
“We show people what it’s all about,” said Curt Buethe, whose live pottery creations will be a part of the Street Fair.
The 2007 Street Fair is really a number of festivals and activities in one, Conner said. This year’s fair also incorporates the Terre Haute brew festival known as Bleemel Days. Bleemel Days took place Friday night and will take place again today from noon to midnight.
“I wish they had [a street fair] every weekend,” said Kerry Compton, who was eating with three generations of his family in the food area of the Street Fair. Food choices included everything from pickles on a stick to hamburgers and hot dogs to funnel cakes.
There is no charge to get into the Street Fair and many of the activities, including the horse-drawn carriage rides and nearly all the children’s activities, are free.
This year’s Street Fair is the biggest in modern times, Conner said. “It goes along with the optimism about downtown in general,” he said, adding that most of the events and activities have been provided by area businesses, not all of which have headquarters downtown. “Our sponsors have really committed to making this a great family event,” Conner said.
“We want people to come
downtown.”
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
Get going
Looking for something to do this weekend? The choices are plentiful. Here’s just a snippet.
Vigo County
• The Gathering of the People Powwow begins at 10 a.m. today at Vigo County Conservation Club, Grotto Road. For more information, call (812) 232-1493 or (812) 249-3979.
• The Family Fun and Safety Fair is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Paitson Brothers Ace Hardware at 2700 Wabash Ave. For more info, call (812) 232-3393.
Sullivan County
• The 50th Annual Sullivan Corn Festival concludes today.
Street Fair Schedule
Saturday:
• Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to noon
• Family Learning Day – Vigo County Public Library, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
• Crossroads ArtsFest – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Children’s Area – noon to midnight
• Bleemel Days – noon to midnight
• Don Morris Band – 5 to 8 p.m.
• Shoes ‘n Strings – 8:30 p.m. to midnight
Sunday:
• Crossroads ArtsFest 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Children’s Area 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
