Issue date: 4/28/08 Section: News

Jack Cooke, a 45 year veteran of Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boy's, addresses the crowd through a single, battery powered sound system. The group performed an acoustic set Saturday because of the campus-wide power outage. (Bryce Peake | The Daily Eastern News)

Click here to watch of video of American English's performance!

Tracy Hanlin Rohr, of Ohio, has been selling jewelry at various art festivals for about eight years.

"I have had a lifelong interest in natural gemstones and have been collecting rocks since I was a kid," she said.

This weekend marked Rohr's first time at Eastern's Celebration festival, but she said she partakes in about 30 to 35 festivals a year.

Art, music and food were all celebrated at the annual "Festival of the Arts." The festival provided a host for many art vendors in the Charleston area and included a performance from American English, a Beatles cover band.

English professor Letitia Moffitt said she stopped at the festival to take a break from grading papers. But the festival was not just a relaxing break for some vendors and volunteers.

Brett Bensley, who works at Information Technology Services, spent his weekend as an art vendor. He sold kaleidoscopes and stained glass, spanning from $10 to $50.

"For a long time, my wife and I used to do it regularly - and then we had kids," he said of selling items at the festival. "Now that we are a little older, we are going to try and start it up again."

Jeni Huckstep, educational services coordinator at WEIU, helped organize the booth that hosted Clifford The Big Red Dog.

Clifford participated in the festival Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

"The kids loved him," Huckstep said. "We took about 110 pictures with him and the kids on Saturday, and we have goody bags for all the kids that come up."

On Saturday, about 50 people waited in line before Clifford arrived.

"It was really cute," Huckstep said.

Courtney Mildren, a freshman elementary education major, went to see American English perform.

"I thought they were really good, and it was really funny because everyone was dancing around and everything," Mildren said. "I love the Beatles."

Dan Crews, publicity director of the College of Arts and Humanities, spearheaded the planning for the festival.

"I would have to say all the different kinds of music is my favorite aspect," he said. "From the Beatles to the bluegrass music to the African band, it is all very enjoyable."

He said he plans the whole event throughout the course of the year and coordinates with faculty, students and people from the Coles County area.

"It is very time-consuming - but worth it," Crews said.

Dean Johnson addresses an audience of over 200 Saturday evening before a performance by Dr. Ralph Stanley and His Clinch Mountain Boys. At this point, the power had been out for over an hour, and the band prepared to play an "unplugged" set.

Before the power outage Saturday evening, concession trucks created many works of art including the two-bun tenderloin and funnel cakes.

Heather Holm can be reached at 581-7942 or haholm@eiu.edu.

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