News from April 19, 2007 issue

Local News
The Crittenden Press (3 pages) PDF
(Selected pages 1A, 3A, 8A)
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Backroads fires up next week
After 17 years of Backroads Festivals, Marion Main Street Manager Rose Crider is more excited than ever.
Backroads Festival, sponsored by Marion Main Street and the Marion Tourism Commission, is an annual event which invites visitors to take a peek at what Marion and Crittenden County have to offer tourists. This year new events are scheduled for the April 24-28 festival.
The premier event at this year’s festival will be the Antique Show and Sale at Fohs Hall on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28. Antique dealers from several states will display antique quilts and collectables.
In the past guests have enjoyed the city and county’s antique stores, specialty shops, restaurants, fabric shops, quilt shows and craft and concession booths on the court square. They have also found interest in free ferry rides across the Ohio River to and from Cave In Rock, and forays into the scenic Amish community.
“Information about our Amish community is always the No. 1 request in the Tourist Commission office,” said Michele Edwards, director of the Marion Tourism Commission.
The Amish Backroads Trail will be marked with Amish buggy signs. The signs will lead visitors past Amish businesses and back to Marion.
“As usual, our Amish friends are a tremendous asset to this community,” Crider said. “We’re glad to help showcase some of their products, especially quilts.”
The festival will also include various quilt shows. The Marion Welcome Center Quilt Show features a variety of quilts from local quilt collectors. The display is open the entire month of April, weekdays from 9 a.m., to 4 p.m., and 9 a.m., to noon on Saturdays. The Women’s Club Quilt Show will be held at the Women’s Club building on Carlisle Street April 27. The Backroads Quilt Show will be held at the same location on April 28.
The Crittenden County Historical Museum will be open during the Backroads Festival. The museum is located inside the former First Presbyterian Church, the oldest church in Crittenden County.
“Both the Historical Museum and the Ben Clement Mineral Museum in Marion are looking forward to welcoming visitors during this festival.” Edwards said.
The Crittenden County Public Library will also participate in Backroads with a book sale beginning Friday, April 27 and continuing through Saturday, April 28.
Backroads is scheduled to coincide with the annual Paducah show of the American Quilter’s Society. While Crider said it would be difficult to gauge how many visitors to expect, the community is geared up and ready for a big crowd.
For more information or to reserve a vendor booth, contact Edwards or Crider at 1-800-755-0361 or 270-965-5015, or visit www.marionkentucky.us.