THE FACTS:
Date: Saturday April 17
Place: Historic Cotton District

Saturday marked the 15th year of the Cotton District Arts Festival, and with attendance at an all time high, it was one of the most successful years to date. Festival goers came from all over the region to celebrate the arts in Starkville’s Historic Cotton District.

The Cotton District Arts Festival broke all previous attendance records on Saturday. The most dramatic of which was the overall attendance at the festival. Last year’s record of 28,000 was shattered when 42,000 festival goers descended on the Cotton District to enjoy the best in arts and culture. In addition, the Hilton Garden Inn 5K boasted a record 300 runners to kick off the festival day of events. The Spruill Properties Pet Parade also had a record breaking year when over 80 pets and their owners marched down University Avenue strutting their stuff.

The record breaking crowd also helped make this one of the best years for other festival events as well. The Cotton District Arts Festival Villages had record attendance at the multitude of performances, demonstrations, and activities they offered. The fantastic musical entertainment didn’t disappoint either, all four stages played to standing room only crowds. The Taste of Starkville vendors also enjoyed a very successful year. The Taste vendors worked tirelessly to satisfy the crowds with their delicious food and much appreciated cold beverages. One of the day’s biggest highlights, however, goes to the incredible variety of art to be had in the Artisan’s Village and its 113 artisan vendors. This year not only did the Cotton District Arts Festival have more artisans then in past years, but the vendors had record breaking sales thanks to the festival attendees.

In addition to all of the previously mentioned activities, the festival was once again host to a variety of friendly competitions. Make sure to check www.starkvillearts.org, the SAAC website, May 1, 2010 to view a complete list of winners of all the days competition.

Finally, the Starkville Area Arts Council extends deep gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved in making the 2010 Cotton District Arts Festival a success, and truly the best festival yet. Save the date for the 2011 festival, scheduled for Saturday, April 23, it is sure to be an event to remember.

For more information on the Cotton District Arts Festival or how to join the Starkville Area Arts Council, contact the SAAC office at 662.324.3080.