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When Kankakee artist Natalie Seaton felt miserable after
having her wisdom teeth pulled, she decided not to just sit around. Instead, she used her whimsical art style to create a new line of items that she is now marketing: iPhone covers, stationery, wall stencils, rubber stamps, even fabric designs. People will get to see her art work, along with the imaginative creations of more than 90 other arts and craft venders at this year’s Strawberry Jazz Festival, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. June 2 at Gov. Small Memorial Park, 801 S. 8th Ave., in Kankakee. The festival, sponsored by the Community Arts Council of Kankakee County, has grown so large over the years that it now utilizes the entire park, including the Civic Auditorium, the Taylor School House, the Kankakee County Museum and the Dr. A. L. Small Home. Thousands of visitors come to enjoy an afternoon browsing through artists’ booths, having lunch at a variety of food vendors with strawberry-related offerings and experiencing continuous entertainment which includes music and specialty acts. “Last year was the first year that I participated in the Strawberry Jazz Festival,” says Seaton. “I loved it! The background music was relaxing, the weather was perfect, and I had fun sharing my artwork with all of the local people.
There seemed to be a nice crowd, and everyone was excited
to look around and shop! I can't wait for another year.” Janice Miller, president of CAC, is just as enthusiastic that “the 2013 Strawberry Jazz Festival will be the largest and most exciting ever.” And to help ensure that the festival meets her expectations, several special attractions have been planned. These include a raffle located in the Civic Auditorium to raise funds for students to attend art camps. Each vendor has donated a special item. There will be paintings, photographs, tickets for the coming Kankakee Valley Theatre season and the Kankakee Kultivators Garden Walk, gift certificates, floral planters and much more. There also will be a car show featuring vintage autos from the Heiland Road Hot Rodders Club and a used book sale sponsored by the Friends of the Kankakee Public Library. The Kankakee Art League also is holding its annual show in the museum. Vendors will display a myriad of handmade items: paintings in acrylic, water color and oil, photographs, children’s apparel and accessories, plants, jewelry, purses, decorative pottery, wood carvings, hand-painted glass, needlework and much more. Quilts will be displayed in the Dr. A.L. Small Home. Some vendors also will give demonstrations of their work. The Festival also will be a delight for children. The Exploration Station is planning strawberry-related games, homemade play dough, bubbles, hula hoops and other activities. The museum staff members will read books in the school house to give children an idea of what it was like to attend a 19th century one-room school. They also will have a glass dime toss game. Entertainment will be performed all afternoon on the Civic Auditorium’s stage and porch, the museum and the porch of the Dr. Small home. Performers will include a Dixieland band, several dancing groups, musicians, solo and choral singers, a gospel group, barbershop singers, jugglers, Suzuki piano students and students of the Kankakee River Valley Piano Teachers Association and skits from “Chicago,” the Acting Out Theatre’s coming production. Vendors are asked to follow a strawberry theme so there will be chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry pie, short cake and other strawberry foods, funnel cakes, hot dogs, hamburgers, rib tips, chopped pork sandwiches, sausage, chili, baked beans, kettle corn, cotton candy and ice cream, plus other taste treats. Parking is free. Charles St. between Water St .and Eighth Ave., will be closed, but visitors can park in the field across from the Civic Auditorium and in the field along Calista Ave. Handicapped parking also will be available in the oval near the museum Signs will guide visitors.
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