43rd Annual Day in the Park
Posted on: April 28, 2015
The Laurel Arts League, in cooperation with the City of Laurel, will host its 43rd annual Day in the Park Arts Festival on Saturday, May 2nd in Mason Memorial Park. The day will begin with a 5K race and one-mile Fun Run for participants of all ages. The 5K starts at 8:00 a.m., immediately followed by the Fun Run. The festival officially kicks off at 9:00 a.m. when guests can revel in a variety of entertainment acts on Mason Park’s main stage. Dancers and musicians from across the region will entertain throughout the day, and patrons may enjoy the works of these talented artists on the sloping lawn beneath beautiful oak trees.
Under the direction of Juna Broome, the dancers of Dance Etcetera will take the stage at 9:30 a.m. The Laurel High School Select Choir will perform at 10:00 a.m. followed by Mississippi Blues Man L.C. Ulmer at 10:30 a.m. The Strays will take the stage at 11:30 a.m., the St. John’s Percussion Ensemble will perform at 12:30 p.m., and Grayson Capps will play at 12:45 p.m. Rounding out the entertainment lineup will be dancers from the Laurel Ballet Academy at 2:00 p.m. followed by J.D. Bilbo at 2:30 p.m.
Patrons can stroll the oak-lined paths and purchase hand-crafted goods from over 50 regional vendors. Children’s activities will delight the young with the many supervised crafts, pony rides, face painting, and fun jumps. Attendees can also admire the student art competition, which features works from pre-school aged through high-school aged students.
Additionally, the festival offers an array of crowd favorite food including hamburgers, corn dogs, barbecue, chicken-on-a-stick, funnel cakes, ice cream, lemonade, and soft drinks.
Founded in 1969, the Laurel Arts League is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the visual and performing arts through public education and events in the city of Laurel and throughout Jones County, Mississippi. To learn more about the Laurel Arts League or Day in the Park, please visit www.laurelartsleague.com.