By Dawn Burleigh

The Orange Leader

Orange County River Festival may be cancelled but Art in the Park is still on schedule.

The Orange Convention and Visitors Bureau will be hosting the 16^th Annual Art in the Park at Stark Park from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 7.

There will be no charge to attend this family-friendly event.

In an effort to promote tourism, the event will include over 100 artists and crafters from Southeast Texas, Southwest Louisiana, and surrounding areas.

Vendors will be on site serving a variety of foods and drinks.

Children’s activities will also be available on site.

Live entertainment by LN and the Crush will take place from 10 a.m.- noon. Next, Andy and the Dreamsicles will take the stage from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

No pets, no dogs, and no coolers will be allowed in Art in the Park.

Art in the Park is a yearly event presented by the Convention and Visitors Bureau. The event, which began in 2003, was originally created as a means to bring people into downtown Orange so they might experience all the city has to offer and it has been a booming success for people of all ages over the years.

The Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce has been made aware of B.A.S.S.’s decision, based on the safety of the anglers, to postpone the Bassmaster Elite Tournament on the Sabine River. As a result of this decision the Orange County River Festival will also be postponed. The Chamber and B.A.S.S. will be considering rescheduling the Elite Tournament at a later date, according to a press release from the chamber.
Tad McKee, Chairman of the GOACC Board, states, “This was a hard decision, but we support B.A.S.S.’s commitment to the safety of the anglers and participants. We look forward to a rescheduled tournament in the near future.”
“The safety of our anglers and others on the waters of the Sabine River system are our primary concern,” said B.A.S.S. Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “Weather and water conditions are expected to create potentially hazardous boating conditions, and we feel compelled to postpone the event until conditions are more favorable.”

Art in the Park is also the location of the annual American Association of University Women (AAUW) will have its used book sale to benefit scholarships on the porch of the Lutcher Theater during Art in the Park.

All proceeds go for college scholarships for both a West Orange-Stark High School and a Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School female graduate. The Orange AAUW Scholarship applications are available in the counseling office of each high school.