by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Main street in St. Joseph, closed to traffic, was a swirl of activity with a riot of color, the aromas of food, live music and curb-to-curb arts and crafts Sept. 28 during the annual Millstream Arts Festival.
The warm fall weather was made-to-order for festival-going.
The event turned out to be a resounding success, attracting thousands of visitors who leisurely sauntered in the street and on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Dozens of white tents housed vendors who offered for sale a stunning variety of art works and craft items: paintings, prints, woven baskets, pottery, jewelry, photography, glassware, wood carvings, stained glass, textiles, folk art and metal sculptures.
Arts-and-crafts exhibitors included many local artists, as well as others from as far away as Minneapolis.
On the west end of main street a dozen or so food vendors served a tantalizing array of finger foods and beverages to hungry and thirsty festival-goers.
Live entertainment included Paul Imholte on dulcimer and fiddle, the Stearns County Pachanga Society, the CSB/SJU Jazz Ensemble, Random Road and David Jones.
The Granite City Cloggers again performed at Millstream, as they have in past years.
One of the new features Sunday was “The Bookend,” a large tent wherein local authors sold their books, autographed them and chatted with readers. There were also paper-making and printing demonstrations.
Authors included Marilyn Salzl Brinkman of St. Joseph; Larry Schug of Avon; and Sartell writers Dennis Herschbach, Bill Morgan and Milissa Nelson.
As if awaiting a parade, children and parents enjoy their snacks and beverages curbside at the Millstream Arts Festival Sept. 28 in downtown St. Joseph.
photo by Dennis Dalman
A customer thumbs through framed photographs at one of the vendor booths at the Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph Sept. 28.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Authors Marilyn Salzl Brinkman of rural St. Joseph (left) and Bill Morgan of Sartell offer their books in the book tent of the Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph Sept. 28. At right is Bill’s wife, Judy. Morgan and Brinkman have both written local history books, and both are historical columnists for the St. Cloud Times.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Paul Imholte plays his dulcimer for the crowds who came to the Millstream Arts Festival Sept. 28 in St. Joseph. The event was a resounding success on a beautiful warm fall day.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Two of the Granite City Cloggers take a break before their group’s performance in the Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph. At left is Dorothy Robillard of Richfield and at right is Judy Weise of Foley. The Granite City Cloggers’ dancers are regular favorites at the annual fall festival.
photo by Dennis Dalman
At the Millstream Arts Festival, Jackson Hoover of Clear Lake puts together a colorful mobile, using an old CD, that he can hang in his bedroom.
photo by Dennis Dalman
A woman leans forward at her window in the GastroTruck vending RV at the Millstream Arts Festival Sept. 28 in St. Joseph. The vendor was from Minneapolis.
photo by Dennis Dalman
The “good old days” were often days filled with work and drudgery when housewives of the past had to use rather crude old irons to iron clothes on a rustic ironing board as pictured above. The irons to the left of the fabric had to be heated on wood stoves before using. Those on the right are electric contraptions. At the base of the ironing board is a wash board on which clothes were laboriously washed by hand. This outside exhibit was featured by the St. Joseph Area Historical Society Museum as part of the Millstream Arts Festival Sept. 28.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Apartment dwellers in downtown St. Joseph enjoy the street ambience from their balconies during the Millstream Arts Festival last Sunday.
photo by Dennis Dalman
An audience grooves to the live jazz-art rock of the Galactic Cowboy Orchestra at the Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph Sept. 28. Other music was performed by the CSB/SJU Jazz Ensemble, Random Road, David Jones and the Stearns County Pachanga Society.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Thirsty festival-goers lined up all day at the Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade vendor at the Millstream Arts Festival Sept. 28 in St. Joseph. Warm fall weather caused many in the crowds to work up a real thirst.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Employees of the Whole Soul Lavender and Sage Eatery, Minneapolis, serve a variety of entrees at the Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph Sept. 28.
photo by Dennis Dalman
A variety of pottery graces exhibit shelves at the Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph Sept. 28. The vendor was Gossman Pottery of New London. The well-attended event featured scores of vendors offering a staggering variety of arts and crafts: paintings; textiles; jewelry; photography; books and book-related crafts; and much more.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Rosie Court of Eden Valley, a volunteer at the St. Joseph Area Historical Society, dressed in period costume during the Millstream Arts Festival Sept. 28 in St. Joseph. The historical society, with its special Civil War exhibit, was opened to the crowds who attended the festival. Court has done extensive research on the Civil War and plans to visit the historic Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania soon.
photo by Dennis Dalman
This water canteen is an actual artifact from the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865). It is one of the items in a Civil War exhibit in the St. Joseph Area Historical Society Museum, which was open during the Millstream Arts Festival in downtown St. Joseph Sept. 28.
photo by Dennis Dalman
A pair of old roller skakes and a Chinese checker board were just two of the many nostalgic items in the “Old Toys” exhibit at the St. Joseph Area Historical Society’s museum, which was opened to those who attended the Millstream Arts Festival Sunday, Sept. 28.
photo by Dennis Dalman
A wildly colorful swarm of agate and cats’ eyes marbles was an eye-popper in the “Old Toys” exhibit at the St. Joseph Area Historical Society’s museum. The museum was opened to those who attended the Millstream Arts Festival Sept. 28.
photo by Dennis Dalman
This whimsical, yet slightly sinister, sculpture is made of polymer clay. It as one of many intriguing, colorful wall hangings at a vending booth called Clay Squared to Infinity at the Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph Sept. 28.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Beautiful warm weather, arts-and-crafts vendors and street music brought thousands of people to the Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph Sept. 28.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Liz Dwyer of Clearwater shows customers the felt hats she makes. Dwyer is a farmer and artist who specializes in weaving and textiles, as well as organic gardening. The rugs behind her are also made of felt.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Children enjoy making room decorations – cutting, pasting and painting to their hearts’ content. The arts-and-crafts hands-on project was one of dozens of vendor booths at last Sunday’s Millstream Arts Festival in St. Joseph.
photo by Dennis Dalman
Kathleen Johnson of Minneapolis (left) slices “Garnet” organically grown sweet potatoes at the food vendor known as Whole Soul Lavender and Safe Eatery in downtown St. Joseph. The vendor was one of a dozen or so that attracted strollers at the Millstream Arts Festival Sept. 28.
