National Travel & Tourism Week: Cotton District Arts Festival Continues to See Growth

Cotton District Arts Festival continues to see growth

Editor’s note: In celebration of National Tourism Week, the Starkville Daily News is publishing a series of articles examining different aspects of tourism and various tourism events and attractions locally. With the season opening for the Starkville Community Market set this week, today’s installment focuses on the Cotton District Arts Festival.

This year 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.

According to organizers, 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 records this year, the most dramatic 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.

Many of the various activities within the festival showed marked increases.

The Hilton Garden Inn 5K boasted a record 300 runners.

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 Cotton District Arts Festival Villages had record attendance at the multitude of performances, demonstrations, and activities they offered.

The musical entertainment didn’t disappoint either. All four stages played to “standing-room only” crowds.

Taste of Starkville vendors also enjoyed a very successful year. Taste vendors worked tirelessly to satisfy the crowds with their delicious food and much appreciated cold beverages.

One of the day’s biggest highlights goes to the incredible variety of art in the Artisan’s Village featuring the work of 113 artisan vendors. Organizers said not only did the Cotton District Arts Festival have more artisans this year than in past years, but the vendors had record breaking sales, thanks to the festival attendees.

For more information on the Cotton District Arts Festival or how to join the Starkville Area Arts Council, contact the SAAC office at 324-3080 or http://www.starkvillearts.org/.