Cultural Event #3 - Flowertown Festival

Summary

I went with my family to the annual Flowertown Festival on April 5, 2008, where I bore witness to the masterfully crafted products of artisans from all over the South. There were also a wide variety of vendors that offered an exclusive taste of Charleston.

When I arrived at the festival at ten o’clock, the first thing I searched for was the booth that sold meal tickets that could be redeemed at any of the miniature restaurant representations that were all locally situated. The carnival was the first attraction that caught everyone’s attention, but I just kept on walking through the hustle-bustle crowd. I noticed that the number of people who attended this event was larger than usual. For the most part I couldn’t make two steps without employing some adept subterfuge. What immediately stood out as I roamed the grounds was that the azaleas were nowhere to be seen, which was an ironic fact, considering the heavy turnout. During my visit I took advantage of the easily accessibly food lined up and down the street. I dabbled in many ethnic foods, like Asian and Greek.

To cap off the day’s events, I journeyed to the center of the Flowertown Festival, where people of every imaginable trade congregated to showcase their creative inventions. There was a lot of handmade jewelry, weaved baskets, and paintings of majestic landscapes. As I expected, the prices on these eclectic items were exceedingly high. At around two o’clock, I decided to leave the festivities before the place became overrun with pedestrians.

Critique

At first, I was impressed with the depth of the culinary exhibit and the meticulous organization of the artists and artisans. But in retrospect, I feel like I was compelled to rate everything higher that it should have been. There wasn't anything particularly healthy on the menu; I felt bombarded by sickly entrees like bloomin' onions and funnel cakes. Also the artisans were a little less friendly and outgoing than what was expected of them. How could they expect customers to purchase their works if nobody sells the value of the art?

The absence of the azaleas was a blatantly conspicious detail that nagged in the back of my head all day. I imagined the disappointment in all those people who journeyed to Summerville to witness the much-hyped, primed flowers. Without those usually luminescent plants in the background, it seemed like everything else, from the concessions to the displays, paled in comparison.

The most enlightening moment during my stroll through the Flowertown Festival was when I met this elderly man who possessed the most beautiful collection of welded objects that I had ever seen. Some were in the shape of zoo animals, while others were indistinguishable abstract shapes. I was very impressed with the man's catalogue and was almost convinced to buy one, but I was short on cash. This highlight more than compensated for the lack of fireworks everywhere else at the event.