Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 6, 1995 TAG: 9506060119
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KATHLEEN WILSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Despite it all - the rain, a plan (eventually abandoned) to charge a $50 city vendor tax, the near sinking of the first vessel in its riverboat race, and reportedly raunchy behavior at a black-tie gala - the show did go on at the 26th annual Festival in the Park.
But was it a success?
That depends on how you measure.
On the cheery-faces-of-children-eating-cotton candy-and-sipping-lemonade scale?
Bravo!
On the financial scale?
Uh-oh.
Festival's executive director, Wendi Schulz, was less than rosy in assessing the 11-day event.
``Festival will be in big trouble if we have to deal with that much bad weather again,'' she said. In fact, from a financial standpoint, this year's Festival came close to losing its T-shirt.
``When we do a concert at Victory Stadium and don't pack the house...,'' Schulz said, her voice trailing off. There were, in fact, more volunteers on hand than spectators.
Working with no money, 3,000 volunteers and anything it could beg, borrow or steal, Festival limped through this year.
Another year like this one, and it's likely Festival could bite the dust. Or the mud.
The opening weekend's craft show was a total washout.
Midweek weather reports predicted nothing but rain for last weekend's art show. Luckily, the rain quit about 9 Saturday morning.
What has Schulz learned from this year's experience?
``That no matter how well-planned and fine-tuned things are, you cannot control the weather,'' she said. ``That, and not to trust weather reports.''
The bottom line is that Festival in the Park is an outdoor event that takes an entire year to plan. And, no matter what, the show really does go on.
``We are troupers,'' Schulz said. ``If 3,000 people show up instead of 15,000, we are still obligated to play to those 3,000.''
At 1 p.m. May 28, she was asked if the 4 p.m. children's parade should be canceled.
Schulz's reply: Call back at 3:55 for an answer to that question.
``And if there is one child there in the rain, then that child is going to walk down the street and be the parade.''
Luckily for the artists, the elements gave Festival and the art show a break, though the artists had what seemed a rather odd measure of Festival's success. They were in total agreement:
Wasn't it great that there weren't masses of people?
``I started off with a really terrible attitude,'' artist Ed Bordett acknowledged. ``I am completely surprised. This year we seem to be attracting an entirely different crowd.''
A quality, not quantity, crowd.
People who actually strolled leisurely, enjoying the art, and buying it.
``I started selling from 10 a.m. [Saturday] and haven't stopped,'' said Susan M. Stuller, an artist who traveled from Midlothian.
She was thrilled. Stuller was just two hours from packing up to go home and had virtually nothing to pack.
Only four paintings remained.
``It was my best show here ever,'' Stuller said.
Schulz is quick to point out that while she was happy the artists were pleased and did well, no portion of their sales goes into the Festival pot.
Still, she should be happy. Festival-goers thought this year's event was a standout.
Most agreed Festival's biggest hit was John Schofield's ball machine, an invention that rendered children - and adults - speechless, wide-eyed and drop-jawed.
Standing room only was the standard for the Kaleidoscope Theater sponsored by Shenandoah Life Insurance Co.
``It's wonderful this year. So much more variety,'' Nina Keeley said.
She might be just about the best person to critique the event.
Keeley, who has 15 children and 20 grandchildren, has been to all 26 festivals.
by CNB