13th annual Herb/Art Fest slated Saturday

Herb and art enthusiasts will have their day, as the 13th annual Herb & Art Festival kicks off Saturday at 9 a.m. on downtown Courtyard Square.

Sponsored by the Lampasas County Chamber of Commerce, the event boasts guest speakers, seminars, children's activities, a baking contest and a pet contest, plus paintings, prints, crafts and fine art items for purchase and display.

Featured performer this year is Ashleigh Wehmeyer, the "Firecracker Fairy," fresh from two appearances at Kline Whitis Elementary School's Family Reading Night earlier this week. With a guitar and a bag of other assorted instruments, she will perform original and traditional songs.

The Firecracker Fairy incorporates music theory into her act, and allows audience members to try out an instrument.

Ms. Wehmeyer writes and performs for young children, using her two sons as inspiration for her humorous, truthful songs. She has won numerous awards for her songwriting.

The Firecracker Fairy will appear at 1 p.m. at the bandstand.

Again this year, the festival will offer its special children's area, Kids' Thyme, which will include moonwalks, face paint- ing and demonstrations on recycling and composting. Youths will receive free handouts and seed packets.

Pumpkins and cookies will be available for kids to decorate and enter in the "bestdressed pumpkin and cookie contest."

Children also will be invited to the bandstand to dig in a haystack for prizes and treats.

From 9-10 a.m., First Street Church of Christ's Hims Praise Choir will perform, followed by a cooking demonstration at 10 a.m.

Herbal gardening information and demonstrations will be offered at 11 a.m.

Musical entertainment will include Reid Schaub and Alicia Straley at 2 p.m., then D'Anne Willis and Organized Chaos from 2-3 p.m.

Keystone Square Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The annual Little Wrangler Round-up will kick off at 9 a.m. with storytelling, biscuits cooked over a campfire, lasso tricks, cowboy songs and other activities.

Food and beverage vendors will be on hand downtown, along with a variety of arts and crafts, herbs, Texas native plants, herbal foods, demonstrations, gardening items, grasses, seminars and more.

For information, phone the chamber at 556-5172.