By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Weekend Editor

The Shakerag Festival, conducted annually at the wooded area of Shakerag Knoll in the Peachtree City Recreation Complex, has many similar ingredients to a lot of the regional festivals.

There will be arts and crafts, fabulous festival food, entertainment and a supervised children's area. While many festivals have many of the same qualities, Shakerag offers a perfect combination that attracts good sized crowds and entrants from all over the Southeast.

The arts and crafts arena has expanded over the Shakerag Festival's 23 years. This year, 175 vendors will present their handcrafted wares. All of the arts and crafts entrants are juried, to make certain that the goods are of the highest quality. There will be floral arrangements, works of fine art, carved gourds, painted furniture, clothing, jewelry and hats.

“Hats are making a comeback,” said festival organizer Susan Taylor. “Women have gone back to wearing hats and there are at least three hat vendors this year.” The vendors come from all over the Southeast and one comes from as far away as Indiana, proving that the festival's reputation is growing.

The festival isn't just for the browser, though. It is also for the eaters. Some of the food vendors will be made up of local organizations and high school groups trying to raise money. There will be barbecue, blooming onions, funnel cakes, baked goods, pizza and Italian sausages. Other food vendors are festival favorites from the area. “The barbecue is just wonderful. Some people come back every year for the barbecue,” Taylor said.

Also returning this year is the special children's area. The Starr's Mill High School Chorus supervises the area that includes entertainment, pony rides, games and a moon walk. The children's area allows parents to browse through the vendors' goods while the children get a festival feel out of the day as well.

There will also be entertainment for the whole family with cloggers, Western dancers, baton twirlers, and a special guest. Sunday afternoon Cliff Patton, a storyteller and ventriloquist, will engage audiences with his stories and sense of humor.

The Shakerag Festival will be this Saturday and Sunday at the Shakerag Knoll area of the Peachtree City Recreation Complex, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5p.m. Sunday.

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