By Jason Evans

Staff Reporter

jevans@thepccourier.com

EASLEY — Old Market Square will host Easley’s annual Fall for the Arts Festival on Saturday.

The festival will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Easley Farmers Market manager Lisa Chapman said.

The festival is normally on the first Saturday in October, but as that’s the date of Pickens County’s “Blue-Ribbon Birthday Bash” at J.B. “Red” Owens Recreation Complex, officials decided to move the festival up a week to avoid conflict with that event, Chapman said.

This year’s festival features more than 120 vendors, she said.

“We’ve got a couple of food trucks,” Chapman said. “We’ve got some people from Greenville, Sunset Slush, that sell Italian Ice.”

Four bands are lined up to play on the amphitheater stage.

“We’ll have dance performances on the Combined Utilities stage,” Chapman said.

The festival will also feature the Pumpkin Prince and Princess Pageant. Chapman is taking applications for the pageant until noon on Friday, Sept. 28. The pageant is open to kids age 1-10. There is a $10 entry fee.

The festival will also feature a face painter, as well as the “Carolina Choo Choo Train.”

“It’s a little train that takes kids on rides around the parking lot for free,” Chapman said.

Fall for the Arts will also feature artist demonstrations, including a potter and weavers, she said.

The Blood Connection will hold a blood drive at the festival.

“Everyone who donates gets a $10 Walmart gift card,” Chapman said.

The festival is sponsored by the Easley Downtown Business Association, the Arts Council of Pickens County, the Sentinel-Progress, Foothills Dance Arts and the Easley Farmers Market.

Fall for the Arts is traditionally the last day of the farmers market’s season.

“We are going to have some of our weekly farmers at the market that day,” Chapman said.