It's Webb Art & Craft Festival time again

With hundreds of booths and thousands of visitors, the Webb School art and craft festival may be one of the biggest in the south -- if not the country. But then, that's because it's not just one show.

"The official show is the Webb School Art and Craft Show, sponsored by Webb and the Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce," said Billy Phillips, chamber president. "Then there's the downtown show at Captain Rodney's Stage, and the Maple Street Show and the High Street show ..."

In all, there were more than 750 vendors at last year's show -- one for every 100 visitors. For those who don't want to do the math -- that's 75,000 people who are estimated to have visited the Webb show last year. Why the big turnout, year after year?

"There is something for everyone's price range here," said Phillips.

Each show offers its own variety for the shopper. At the Webb show, he said, you'll find the hand-crafted items, from pottery to paintings, sculptures to handmade musical instruments. The artists demonstrate their talents and techniques while people look on.

"The artists and craftsmen are there on the site," he said. "At the downtown show, there's a mixture of handmade and commercially produced items. And in the yard sales, you'll find everything from pumpkins to $5 bunches of tube socks."

The Webb show is always held on the third weekend of October and is celebrating its 33rd year. The fall date has its pluses and minuses. One of the pluses is being so close to the holidays, shoppers are already geared up to spend. One of the minuses is the possibility of a cold and wet weekend.

Then again, that's not always a minus.

"A couple of years ago, we had a torrential downpour," said Phillips. "It didn't stop anybody. It was one of the best years we had. These ladies who come down from Illinois or Michigan to shop, they're not going to turn around and go home because it's raining. They put plastic bags over their hair and shopped."

The weather this weekend is predicted to be in the 50's with a 20 percent chance of rain on Saturday and clear skies on Sunday.

"It's a little cool for me," said Phillips. "But it puts people in a holiday mood."

He has his own predictions, when it comes to attendance.

"I'm expecting even more, judging by the phone calls we've been getting," he said. "Every event Bell Buckle has had this year, the attendance has been up 20 percent or more. Daffodil Day, Motorcycle Day, Moon Pie ..."

He believes the Bell Buckle events are thriving because of the economic downturn, not in spite of it.

"People are looking for inexpensive things to do with the family. You come, here you pay $5 for parking, and you're here all day with lots to see. It takes two days to really see everything at the craft fair," he said, then added, laughing. "And they come for the food. There are 50 food booths, including the Around the World food court at the Webb show. Just about anything you want, you can get here."

Parking is easy with the athletic fields open, making easy access in and out of town as well as a straight walk in to the Webb Show. The horse-drawn hay wagon will shuttle tired shoppers from The Webb Show throughout the town and is provided at no cost by the Bell Buckle Lions Club.

For more information, contact the Bell Buckle Chamber of Commerce at 931-389-9663 or visit its web site at www.BellBuckleChamber.com. To download photos of the Webb School Art & Craft Show, go to www.BellBuckleChamber.com and click the box on the home page.

If you go

The Webb School Art and Craft Festival is this weekend in Bell Buckle. Hours Saturday are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.