 "Photo: Tina Hogue | Daily Texan Staff")
A family atmosphere pervaded Sixth Street over the weekend during the Old Pecan Street Festival. The festival, which takes place in both the fall and the spring, celebrated its 25th anniversary with more than 200 arts and crafts exhibits and 40 booths, according to the Web site for Special Events Management, the festival's promoters.
Sixth Street, originally known as Pecan Street, is the regular location of the festival, which celebrates Texas art and music.
San Antonio artist Janice Joplin met actress Goldie Hawn and actor Kurt Russell at the festival Saturday as they browsed the art booths.
Joplin, who specializes in "beach ladies" pottery, was one of many artisans displaying their works at the festival Saturday and Sunday. Although she didn't sell anything to Hawn and Russell that day and a vase depicting two lounging gray-haired ladies still sat on a shelf, she said business was been pretty good overall.
Paul Froehlich, who works for the United Parcel Service, has been to the festival every year since he moved to Austin in the '80s.
"It's a cool festival," Froelich said. "When we have friends come down, we take them down here."
Blocks away, a festival employee pulled back a boy attached to bungee chords and snapped him into the air like a human sling shot. Nearby, a clown made balloon animals for children.
Meanwhile, Austin painter and 2006 Official Texas State Artist George Boutwell escaped the sun in his booth filled with landscape paintings. Boutwell makes his living exclusively by selling his work at festivals.
As for the Old Pecan Street Festival, he said "I keep coming back, so it's either good to me or I'm a slow learner."
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