River Arts: Bring your appetite

The 2008 River Art Festival, with 72 artists and artisans displaying their work - will be in downtown Hannibal on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25, on the Memorial Day holiday weekend. This total of 72 includes 15 making their local festival debut.
The festival hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. This is the 21st year the festival will be sponsored by the Hannibal Arts Council.
Although local festivals traditionally attract people from across the country, this year gas prices and the economy may bring out more people closer to home, such as local residents, according to local arts council Executive Director Michael Gaines.
The price of gas may give people a reason to attend events close to home, he said, however, one thing in the news does not affect the festival or any other event in downtown Hannibal. That is the rising and falling of the Mississippi River.
Gaines explained that the river rose this spring enough to have the flood gates at Hannibal installed, but the flood wall will protect the downtown regardless of the river level, and “the downtown is totally not affected by high water.” The flood gates were removed  Monday, May 19, after the river receded.
Hannibalians often attend local events to see their friends - and buy the foods served by their friends at the food booths, all of which are served by local churches and organizations.
This year the number of food booths will increase over last year, with four churches and five organizations having food booths.
Food choices will be baked potatoes and Sloppy Joes served by Mount Zion Christian Church; candied apples and baked goods by Christ Apostolic Temple No. 3; catfish sandwiches by the Knights of Columbus No. 907; foot-long corn dogs by Hannibal Masonic Lodge AF & AM, No. 188; funnel cakes and barbecued pork steak by PRYFEECT; kettle korn by Hydesburg United Methodist Church; Philly cheese steaks by the NEMO Humane Society, Polish sausage, hot dogs and nachos by Willow Street Christian Church; and smoked turkey legs by Palmyra Masonic Lodge No. 18.
Gaines explained that because of the rising price of gas, the arts council focused its advertising within 75 miles of Hannibal. “Festivals are changing,” he said. “Not only people coming but the exhibitors. They spend gas money to come and stay the night and cover their expenses.”
The festival is traditionally on Memorial Day weekend, Gaines said, but it does not compete with the holiday events, such as traditional Memorial Day services in parks and cemeteries. “For a holiday weekend we have a three-day weekend,” he said. “The festival is for two days, and there is still time to do something for Memorial Day.”
In Hannibal, the Emmette J. Shields American Legion Post No. 55 will host the annual Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. in Central Park on Monday, May 26. (See separate article in today’s Courier-Post).
At the art festival, strolling musicians mingle with the crowd, and a special stage will also be used for the entertainers’ performances. “We will have a stage again at (North) Main and Bird streets, because it was very successful at the (Autumn Historic) Folklife Festival last fall,” Gaines said.
The festival booths will have a wide variety of jewelry, along with paintings, drawings, photographs, wood products, edibles, dried flowers, leather items, soaps, baskets, blacksmith items, sculpture and pottery.
Among Hannibal people and businesses participating will be Dick and Heidi Hehmeyer Artistic Crafts, the Roosters Crow Art Center, Worlds of Wonder, Renee Healy Fine Arts, Outsider Art, Alliance Art Gallery, HCBD Inc., Tim Murphy Flintnapping, Batch-o-Brittle, Moosehead Woodworks and Betty’s Baskets and More.
Also from the area will be Reflections of Missouri of Louisiana, Ehrenberger Forge of Shelbyville, Ohio Street Originals of Quincy, Ill., and Espebe Paper of Quincy, Ill. Additional artists are coming from Missouri, Illinois and Iowa.
Two booths will have special activities for children. They are the Worlds of Wonder and the Roosters Crow Art Center.