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Treasuring Tumbleweed
Published 8/15/2009 in Features
By MONICA SPRINGER
It's a time when adults can sit on blankets or lawn chairs and listen to eclectic music, ranging from bluegrass to jazz to country. And for children, there are arts and crafts, face painting, puppet shows, magicians and other entertainers.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Joshua Janas, 5, is lifted into the air by other youngsters as he sits on hoops as they learn the basic steps of Lakota hoop dancing in Dallas Chief Eagle's presentation on the children's stage during last year's Tumbleweed Festival at Lee Richardson Zoo.
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Annie Brewer, 10, complete with a flag painted on her face, draws a picture at one of the stations in the arts and crafts tent during last year's Tumbleweed Festival at Lee Richardson Zoo.
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Laughing Matters
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Eulenspiegel Puppets
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Brad Nading/Telegram — Helen Korfe, Los Lunas, N.M., reacts with a laugh as she becomes "lunch" for a foam tyrranasaurus rex after having her face painted during the 2006 Tumbleweed Festival at Lee Richardson Zoo.
The Tumbleweed Festival will take place Aug. 22 and 23 on the west lawn at Lee Richardson Zoo, with two stages of musicians playing, along with a stage of performers for children.
And if Willis Pracht, vice president of Tumbleweed Festival Inc., had to describe the atmosphere of the event in one word, it would be this:
Heaven.
Pracht said the Tumbleweed Festival, in his opinion, is the best festival held west of Salina. He said the festival started off as a music and culture showcase, and over the years has evolved into a family festival. This year is the 18th year for the festival.
The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 22 and noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 23.
"It's as fine a festival as I've ever been to," Pracht said.
For the kids, there will be an art tent with eight different areas of art, said Daryl Hamlett, president of Tumbleweed Festival Inc. Teachers will serve as volunteers for the tent, where children can create art projects from every day items.
Rod Willis, a teacher at Buffalo Jones Elementary School, helps line up workers in the craft tent. He's volunteered for the festival for about five years and said it's a fun-filled family activity.
"It's quality family time that you can spend together for a minimum cost," Willis said.
He said the children's crafts tent is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
There also will be large Lego tables for children to enjoy at Tumbleweed, and they also can get their faces painted with the designs of their favorite animals. Pracht said he hopes the festival will be a teaching tool for children, as well.
"Hopefully our kids will appreciate music," Pracht said. "It's an important part of our culture."
Other attractions include eight different food vendors, selling everything from funnel cakes, corn on the cob, blooming onions, fried candy bars, beef jerky, shaved ice, hamburgers and other festival food.
Pracht said you can't get any more entertainment packed into a weekend. He said he was proud of the stages, many of which will be home to nationally-known artists.
Each band or singer will perform at least twice on Saturday and at least once on Sunday. Some perform three times Saturday and twice on Sunday.
Admission by button is $8 in advance or $10 at the gate. Buttons can be picked up at the Chamber of Commerce at 1511 E. Fulton Terrace. Pracht said he enjoys three things about the Tumbleweed Festival: high quality entertainers, the family atmosphere, and the price.
"I believe in these hard times, people would be pressed to find a better value for their money," Pracht said.
Hamlett said he enjoys the overall atmosphere of Tumbleweed and said the west lawn of the zoo is one of the nicest places to be. It's shaded and the trees take the majority of the heat away, he said.
Hamlett said he also enjoys seeing neighbors and friends at the festival, along with meeting new people and enjoying the music and entertainment.
Each year after the instruments are put away on Saturday night, the musicians make their way to Pracht's house for a chance to meet other artists, chat and eat.
Pracht and Hamlett said they hope people who have come to the Tumbleweed Festival in the past make it again this year and bring their friends along.
"Spread the word and personally invite your friends," Pracht said. "It's too good a treasure to let slip away."
On the Web:
Tumbleweed Festival: http://shorock.com/tumbleweed/
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