Alva Review-Courier -

Although registration is going well for booth space from fine artists and crafters for the 53rd Nescatunga Arts Festival and 3rd Sugar Show set for May 31-June 1 inside the Pete and Ruth Leslie Fieldhouse at the Alva Recreation Complex just south of Alva, committee members have decided to extend the early registration deadline from May 3 to May 13. Fees will double after this new date.

This also extends the deadline for those thinking about entering items into the Sugar Show, which could use a few more entries at this time. The committee added four new categories for this year’s Sugar Show hoping to bring other bakers to the contest who may not necessarily decorate cakes, cookies or create sugar art. The new categories for bakers include fruit pies, homemade bread, sweet breads and fudge/candies.

More information about the festival and Sugar Show categories, including registration forms and fees, may be found at http://www.nescatunga.org.

Poppin' Around Alva Shop Local Event

Patrons of the festival also will have the opportunity to “shop local” while also browsing for unique items from those with booths inside the Fieldhouse during the Nescatunga “Poppin’ Around Alva” event.

This year Nescatunga will be offering Alva Chamber of Commerce Chamber Bucks as prizes for those who participate in the fun shopping event.

Those who wish to participate in the opportunity to win one of five $100 Chamber Bucks prizes may make purchases at any Alva business on May 31 or June 1 only. Shoppers must deliver their receipts to the registration table just inside the west doors of the Fieldhouse by 2:30 p.m. on June 1. Each receipt turned in will qualify for one ticket in the drawing. An announcement of the ticket winners will take place at approximately 3 p.m. Contest participants must be present to win to pick up their prize. Only one prize per person.

Gourmet Food Booth Needs You

One of the Nescatunga committee’s biggest fundraisers is the Gourmet Food Booth at the festival. Several volunteers provide the baked goods to sell at the booth on Saturday. Local bakers who would like to donate a baked item to the booth should contact Nicki Chaffee at 580-430-5450.

Nescatunga friend Dena Walker has agreed to bake the annual Nescatunga Cookies to have at the table. Other non-refrigerated foods like cakes, cookies, pies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, bags of mixed snacks and more will be greatly appreciated. All donated foods should be delivered to the Pete and Ruth Leslie Fieldhouse by 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Funds raised through the Gourmet Food Booth help to fund scholarships for local arts-related students each year, as well as help fund the arts festival, the Sugar Show, First Friday Art Walk at the Runnymede and other activities.

Nescatunga Scholarship Winner

This year’s scholarship recipient is Alva High School senior Addison Reneé O’Connor, who plans to major in English education with a minor in theatre. She has won numerous awards in various speech and debate categories, is a One Act All-State cast member and was named Best Actress at the Mustang Festival.

Her plans include earning a master’s degree in education with certification in theatre education so that she may be employed as a theatre teacher.

Volunteers, Donations, Memberships Welcomed

Anyone interested in supporting the arts is encouraged to help the committee with this year’s festival through monetary donations, sponsorships and volunteerism. Annual dues for the Nescatunga Arts and Humanities Council are $25 and can be mailed to P.O. Box 152 or paid online via PayPal at https://paypal.me/NescatungaArts. Donations and registration payments also may be paid via the PayPal link.

Anyone who would like to volunteer to help in various aspects of the festival should contact Heather Penner, Nescatunga president, at 580-748-1905 or [email protected].

Questions also may be sent to [email protected]. Social posts can be seen on Facebook and Instagram using NescatungaArts.

Also, if anyone is interested in showing a quilt at the festival, please contact Rose Mary McFall at 580-829-3011.

The Nescatunga Arts Festival is sponsored by the Nescatunga Arts and Humanities Council, Inc., in cooperation with the Alva Chamber of Commerce, the City of Alva Tourism Committee, the City of Alva and the Alva Recreational Complex.