It's a Festival!

Every May, usually on a partly-rainy or blowy weekend, all the art lovers in our community put on their comfy shoes (unless they wear their show-off sandals or have no feet problems at all!), raid their ATM, and head off to the East Lansing Art Festival.

WKAR is no exception and this year we were there with Super WHY!, ace public television super hero for the pre-school set!

Well, this year, apart from a bit of drizzly rain, fortunately while we were on break, Super WHY! had it HOT!

And yes, none of us dared complain about the heat, at least not too much in front of our Super WHY actor Bry, because we weren't wearing a foam-and-felt suit...With a VERY big (and heavy) head...

And very large shoes!

But the kids loved it, mobbing us as we walked between the changing room and our booth!

So did the adults! Root Doctor lead vocalist Freddie Cunningham and the wonderful Ms. Marge Mooney were pleased to pose.

Even other hairy costume characters wanted a photo!

All that costume-shepherding didn't give much time for shopping so on Sunday I was back. These are a few of my favorite finds! (Though I took out a few of the upcoming presents!)

One of the booths I love most is Detroit Class Company. Their colorful painted glasswear just makes me smile. I shopped there last year, and was hoping they were back. It might have been better if they hadn't!

I met -- after two decades -- a photographer whose work I published twenty years ago! Steve Gettle said I gave him his first published piece. He gave me one of his current ones -- this snowflake, which he makes using a microscope! You can see his amazing technique for this image here.

The woman who made these creatures from roving, Theresa, had me captivated as I watched her work. I wish she'd included her card and website.

Amazing how an armiture of pipe cleaners or styrofoam can evolve into charming critters. (And her sense of humor was wonderful.)

Of course, the festival is never complete without Crazy Richard, the Mad Juggler.

With an arsenal of old hippie jokes, a breezy routine and some downright good skill, he's always a crowd pleaser.

And not a half-bad fire juggler, either. As he said, with his hair, he has to be very good!

Needless to say, home to chill seemed like a very good idea.