Final preparations are being put in place for the 10th annual Fayette Festival of the Arts coming up Saturday, Aug. 4, with a full schedule of performances and activities running from 9 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m.

The event again takes place in and around Howard County’s historic courthouse square, in addition to two locations on the nearby Central Methodist University campus.

The event has become the premiere summer happening in Fayette and again will include a variety of live music performances from the Howard County Memorial Bandstand and the courthouse yard, in addition to the 10th annual Fayette Art Show which again will be displayed in two separate locations — inside the courthouse and in CMU’s Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art located in Classic Hall.

New this year is a wine walk sponsored by the Fayette Area Community Theater which will follow the festival at 4 p.m.

“The festival is designed to highlight awareness of Howard County’s rich heritage, in addition to showcasing this area’s contemporary culture and entertainment,” notes event general coordinator Jim Steele, retired publisher of the Fayette newspapers. “Most of those who will perform this year are professional musicians,” he said.

Art show entrants will include those entering as adult professional, adult amateur, and youth (elementary, middle school, and high school). First, second and third place ribbons will be awarded in six entry fields: painting (acrylic and oil), painting (watercolor or pastel), drawing, photography, sculpture, and varied media - plus special awards such as people’s choice. First place winners will receive cash prizes.

Youth works will be displayed exclusively inside the courthouse. Adult works, professional and amateur, will be shown in CMU’s Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art. Exhibits at both sites will be open for public viewing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Also at the festival will be food vendors of different varieties, plus beverages and ice cream served by local celebrities and government officials. Free water will be available. Displays and activities on the courthouse lawn and adjacent streets will include vintage vehicles, a Dutch Oven demonstration, historic presentations, various craft displays; public safety displays, and a free bounce house for the kids. A local group known as P.A.W.S. (Pet Adoption Welfare Service) will set up on the courthouse lawn with adoptable pets in tow.

Except for refreshments and the quilt show, all offerings are free. A record number of vendors is expected this year.

Best known of the scheduled musical organizations is the Columbia Community Band which will play beginning at 11 a.m. (The group has been a traditional favorite for many years dating back to a predecessor event known as the Great Fayette Freeze Off which took place from 2000 through 2008.)

Returning to the festival for the third year by popular demand will be a vocal trio from Marshall known as the Morton Sisters who will perform at approximately 12:30. They sing a variety of genres and styles in tight three-part harmony creating a blend taking listeners back to the sounds of the Andrews, McGuire, and Lennon Sisters.

Also of special note is a group led by Central Methodist University President Roger Drake who, in an earlier lifetime, was an accomplished country music performer on keyboard and other instruments. He had played with many of the nation’s foremost country artists from Nashville and elsewhere. Several musicians will travel to Fayette to perform with Drake from the festival bandstand. Dubbed “All the President’s Men,” they are slated to begin at approximately 1:15 p.m. and will feature a salute to county music legend Merle Haggard.

Another group which will perform is a New Orleans-style jazz band known as Doc and Friends which has been a long-time festival favorite. It is directed by CMU’s retired Swinney Conservatory Dean Ron Shroyer. They will play at 2:30 p.m.

Other groups on the schedule include: Gospel & Patriotic Music - Jamie Page and Faith Family Musicians (9:00 a.m.); The Show-Me Brass Band (9:30 a.m.); Just Friends jazz combo (10:15 a.m.); and Miss Route 66 Jessica Harper singing at 2:15 p.m.

The annual cake contest and auction, a longtime part of the event, will take place following the performance of the Columbia Community Band, with proceeds going 50-50 to the Fayette Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry and to the festival for operational expenses. Cakes will be judged in both adult and youth categories, with first, second and third place prizes in each group. Mark Belcher will again serve as auctioneer.

The annual Peacemakers Quilt Show, with an estimated 200 quilts on display, will run simultaneously in Linn Memorial Church on the CMU campus. Persons with limited walking abilities will have available shuttles to and from the courthouse and the campus.

The south side of the courthouse square will be reserved for a display of classic cars and trucks, in addition to fire engines and other emergency responder vehicles.

Also, local artist Millie Haggard will do an interpretive presentation describing the Howard County history mural in the circuit courtroom (courthouse second floor) starting at noon.

The festival is sponsored by the Fayette Area Heritage Association (FAHA) with support from a number of other community organizations, businesses and individuals.

Steele again will serve as master of ceremonies.

More information, along with entry forms for the art contest and cake contest, are available at www.fayettefestival.org.