Kissimmee Trip, Day 1
We arrived in Kissimmee last Saturday afternoon, after a long 14 hour drive through the night. Sunday started early with a visit to church, and then back to the Global Resort home that we were staying in for a restful afternoon. I knew that once Monday began, things would get hectic around the house, with the rest of the extended family moving in and theme parks galore, so we decided to slip away alone while we could.
CandyMan and I decided to head to the Osceola Fall Art Festival in downtown Kissimmee. Over 90 artists specializing in jewelry, fine art, mixed media, photography, and more gathered on Broadway, and it turned into the perfect date.
As soon as I stepped out of my car, the smell of warm kettle popcorn hit me. In the distance, music was playing. The November afternoon could not have been more inviting, especially after just leaving Winter-cold Maryland the day before.
One of the first booths that we stopped to admire was artist Chad Schott’s “Drumzrguruven.” My husband was drawn to Chad’s booth by the sound of his didgeridoo, (a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians) and he had to try to “play” the instrument himself.
I mean, how often does an average Joe get a chance to play a didgeridoo?
The didgeridoo was quite a bit harder to play than you might imagine…but my husband was able to get the hang of it eventually (at least enough to make the sound of a ship’s low horn).
I think CandyMan could have spent the entire evening playing with Chad’s instruments…..after playing the didgeridoo, they rocked out together with a variety of Chad’s unique handmade gourd drums.
I stuck with my camera.
We eventually moved on from the rainsticks, gourd drums, and didgeridoos to visit with artist Tim Peterson, who takes his original artwork and turns them into beautiful cutting boards.
CandyMan and Tim acted like old buddies talking about Tim’s fascinating history as a musician and artist. In fact, he got his start as an artist after designing a CD cover for his own album. His friends recognized how talented he was and encouraged his to pursue his art.
Speaking of art…it was everywhere! From gorgeous jewelry (including a whole collection of jewelry fashioned from spoons), to inspiring photographers, to sculpture animals made from recycled tires…there was something for everyone!
But I have to confess–I was grateful that my husband and I had made the trip to Downtown Kissimmee without the kids. Because we could walk in peace and not worry about quick and careless hands ruining the art, CandyMan and I were able to stop and chat with several of the artists standing in their booths.
As we neared the end of the Art Festival booths, we spent several minutes admiring the chalk drawings completed on the street.
The evening ended just as pleasantly as it had begun…with my husband holding my hand, our camera bags hanging over our shoulders, and the smell of Kettle Corn tempting me….
Note: Our evening at the Osceola Fall Art Festival was part of my family trip to Kissimmee, Florida, which was partially compensated by Global Resort Homes, Kissimme CVB, and Kissimmee Guest Services. However this experience was unsolicited and free of charge.
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