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NEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu
)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
7/17/2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES-The nation's military will be remembered and honored at the 23rd annual Natchitoches Northwestern Folk Festival July 19-20 in air conditioned Prather Coliseum on the NSU campus.
Events begin Friday, July 19 at noon and Saturday, July 20 at 10 a.m. A two-day all-event pass will sell for $12 and $5 for children age 7-12. The all-event pass must be purchased before the Festival. Tickets for individual days are $7 and $3 for children. Evening passes are $5 after 6 p.m. each day and $3 for children.
This year's festival will feature a variety of music, arts and crafts, food, exhibits, military equipment and memorabilia as well as narrative sessions focusing on aspects of the military.
More than 25 musical groups will be featured playing all types of music performed in Louisiana including country, Cajun, folk, jazz and zydeco. Among the groups scheduled to headline on Friday, July 19 are Jay Cormier and Cajun Country, the Natchitoches Jazz Orchestra and Maggie Warwick. Saturday night headliners include Bernie Alan and Night Train, Glenn Jacqueneaux and Jackpot, Sugarloaf Swing and Rocque's Blues Band.
Veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, the Gulf War and other military operations will have an opportunity to discuss their experiences. A film "The Great Louisiana Maneuvers: The Winnfield Story," will be shown Saturday at 10:30 a.m. after a narrative session on the Louisiana Maneuvers.
The Festival will also include the popular KidFest which will include a number of activities designed for children. A new feature will be a type of "Antiques Roadshow."
Appraisers will be on hand to evaluate toys, autographs, collectibles,
furniture, silver, china, jewelry, political or military memorabilia,
crystal, old license plates and historic documents. Due to university
regulations, guns cannot be brought for appraisal.
Five items can be brought by an individual for appraisal and will
be appraised for a fee of $2.50 each. The fee will be collected
in the appraisal area. Any item which can be carried or easily
moved through the Prather Coliseum front doors, with the exception
of firearms, can be brought to the appraisal area.
Because of resources and liability issues, the Festival staff, volunteers and crew members cannot assist visitors with delivery of materials to the appraisal area, so visitors should bear this in mind when selecting pieces to bring.
Once visitors purchase their Festival wristband, they can take items to the appraisal area. The Festival wristband allows people to return their items to their cars after the appraisal is completed and then re-enter the Festival to enjoy the music, dancing, foodways, and crafts.
The appraisal area will open at 12:30 p.m. on Friday and will continue until 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, the appraisals will begin at 10:30 a.m. and continue until 4:30 p.m.
In addition, there will be a Louisiana Quilt Documentation Clinic conducted by Dr. Susan Roach, folklorist for the Louisiana Regional Folklife Program at Louisiana Tech. Visitors to the Festival can bring their quilts for documentation on July 19, from noon until 4 p.m. and July 20, from 11 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Quilt makers and/or owners are invited to bring their quilts made in Louisiana during any period from the days of earliest settlement of the state to the present. Additionally, information regarding quilt preservation/conservation will also be available.
The Louisiana Maneuvers Museum along with other military museums and installations will also provide a number of static displays and educational exhibits.
The Natchitoches/NSU Folk Festival has been recognized as a four-time winner of the prestigious "Top Twenty Events in the Southeast" Award given annually by the Southeast Tourism Society. The Festival was also selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress' Bicentennial Celebration: Local Legacies Project.
For more information on the Festival, call (318) 357-4332, e-mail folklife@nsula.edu or go to www.nsula.edu/folklife.
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