Page 22 - South Mississippi Living - January, 2019

COASTNOTES
Having recently
celebrated its 40th anniversary, the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival is going stronger than ever. Over
the two day duration of the festival, approximately 150,000 attendees made their way to Ocean Springs to enjoy the arts and crafts created by local and out-of-town artists from across the nation.
Cynthia Dobbs Sutton, executive director of the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce, believes
that many factors play a role in the festival’s continued growth. “The beautiful weather during the festival and the layout of the downtown streets, surrounded by the locally owned shops, restaurants and galleries, makes Ocean Springs the perfect home for a festival like this,”
she
says. “The atmosphere brings people back each year, and we have seen an increase in families coming to the festival for a family reunion as well as to start their holiday shopping.”
While the festival is held in Ocean Springs, the impact is felt across the Coast. Artists and attendees alike come from out-of-market areas, some of whom are experiencing the Gulf Coast for the first time. As the festival continues to grow each year, so does the draw to the Coast.
Sutton also links the festival’s growth to its partnership with Blue Moon, which presents the festival and holds an art contest each year. “The growth is due in part to footprint expansion as well as the partnership
with
F.E.B. Distributing and Blue
Moon,” she said. “The festival is an annual event created to enhance and showcase the arts as well as provide
a continual economic driver to the Coast shops, restaurants, galleries and hotels. The festival makes a significant contribution to developing the Gulf Coast as a regional arts destination.”
In planning next year’s festival, Sutton says the chamber is always working on ways to accommodate
the growing attendance. “Since word of mouth is the leading way that people and artists hear about the Peter Anderson Festival, it continues to grow, and we will continue to expand to make room for those who want to be a part of the festival.”
22 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • January 2019
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IMPACTS THE story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos by Donn Hupp