People, Places & Events

Festival of the Arts set for Kemp
Nashville Star winner to perform Sept. 5
Special to The Monitor
KEMP–Artists, craftsmen, and musicians will descend upon the town of Kemp, Saturday, Sept. 5 for the fall edition of The Cedar Creek Lake Festival of the Arts, staged in Kemp’s historic City Park.
The day will conclude with performances by legendary Dallas singer Linda Petty and at 7 p.m. by Nashville Star winner Melissa Lawson. A street dance will follow her performance.
An impressive list of local artists, potters, sculptors, craftsman and vendors will begin sharing their talent at 9 a.m. Great food of every variety will be offered for sale all day. KCKL Radio 95.9 FM will hold a live broadcast from downtown Kemp that afternoon as well. The live music stage will be brought to you by Kenn McSpiritt and Free Spirit Productions.
Melissa Lawson, as you recall, was a crowd favorite and ultimately the winner of Nashville Star in 2008. Her notoriety came from her “every woman” attitude. A working mother of five sons, she draws from life’s experiences in her Country hit “What If It All Goes Right.”
“The City of Kemp is thrilled that the Cedar Creek Lake Festival of the Arts chose our city as the location for their signature, first class event,” Mayor Matt Ganssle said. “It’s a natural fit – Kemp has embraced a future full of growth and is, by far, the easiest government entity on the lake to work with. Not to mention, Kemp has the most coveted location on the lake, and our citizens have unparalleled character with a true appreciation of the arts.”
Also appearing on the soundstage will be Brothers through Christ- a local Christian Band; Wiley Koepp of Austin-based Scorpio Rising, Julie Murphy, a native to Cedar Creek Lake and the previously mentioned Linda Petty.
This is the second time around for The CCL Festival which was hosted by the city of Mabank on May 23. This is the first production by the newly formed Shindigz! Special Events company which is co-owned by Britney Samford and Shannon Henderson.
“We were looking to replicate the incredible fun that was had in Mabank and my heart drew me to Kemp. Kemp is my hometown and while it holds a special place in my heart, there weren’t a lot community events. It is my wish that Cedar Creek Lake continues to support its own community of artists. These are hardworking people that live, work and give back to this community every day.” Shindigz! has chosen make the Kemp High School Yellowjacket Band the beneficiary of this season’s event.
Vendor and music spaces are still available and you may book these by contacting Henderson at (903) 603-5712.

KC ‘Ghost Walk’ and ‘Children’s Heritage Fair’ set
Special to The Monitor
KAUFMAN–The Kaufman County Historical Commission will present the fourth annual “Ghosts of Kaufman County Past,” with a new cast of characters in the evening of Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Kaufman County “Poor Farm,” 3600 So. Houston Street, Farm-to-Market 1388 and State Highway 34.
Tours will begin at dark (8 p.m. plus) and will start approximately every 25 minutes thereafter.
The Ghost Walk is a walking tour stopping at 15 scenes depicting characters from the county’s colorful past.
This year, three scenes will depict early Kaufman county, and then move on to nine scenes depicting “murderers, thieves, politicians and other scalawags.”
The Ghost Walk is again written by Jean Ann Ables-Flatt and produced and directed by Ron E. Harris, movie and stage actor.
Reservations are required. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased from Books and Crannies in Terrell (209 W. Moore Ave., (972) 563-5481) and in Kaufman at the Kaufman Chamber of Commerce, 2100 So. Washington, (972) 932-3118.
For further information, call (469) 376-4121 or e-mail kchc@kaufmancounty.net. 
Visit our website www.kaufmancounty.net/kchc.htm.
From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 19, the second annual Children’s Heritage Fair will be held at the County “Poor Farm.”
Children can “step back in time” and experience how their great-grandparents and grandparents worked to provide for their family before supermarkets and malls.
On-hands demonstrations will teach them to milk a cow, gather eggs, shuck corn, make their own corn husk doll and write with a quill pen.
Activities include yard games, sack races, seed spitting contests and much more.
Storytellers and demonstrators will be performing throughout the day.
The “old jail” will be open for tours and there will be music and dancing.
Food and drink concessions are on site.
Admission is $2, and free for children under the age of 5.
For more information on the Children’s Heritage Fair, contact Crissy Stephens-Meador at (469) 595-9302.