Festival market helps make memories

By EVELYN GANDER
Staff Writer

It's the trumpet section of memories for The Great American Brass Band Festival (GABBF). As important to the music as those brass instruments are, festival-goers count on the Festival Market for the memories.

``It's the one place where we sell all The Great American Brass Band Festival items, plus any of the items that the other bands send to us for sale,'' says Baker Williams, volunteer conductor of this GABBF tradition.

A native of Eubank and 43-year resident of Danville, the banking center manager for Bank One places the festival and the festival market clearly at center stage of his community volunteer work.

Arriving at the market tent about 7 a.m. Saturday, Williams will spend the day making sure items are available.

No small task. He is quick to credit the help of his wife, Leslie, as well as Anna and Guy Ingram and Gail Louis, in the selling and recordkeeping of the T-shirts, caps, visors, coffee mugs, compact discs and flashlights that are part of Festival memories from year to year.

``There's definitely been a growth,'' said Williams about sales of festival mementos.

And growth of the festival market. Software programs make it possible now to track popularity of specific items as well as their sales totals.

Items start arriving, he says, the week before the festival. And some, such as large and extra-large sized T-shirts, leave the market as quickly as they're displayed for sale.

``A fun weekend,'' says the long-time volunteer, who also serves on the board of directors for the Danville-Boyle Senior Citizens' Center.

Despite changes from expansion, Williams emphasizes that, fortunately, some things remain the same, as he praises the work of festival chairman George Foreman, as well as Jerry Boyd, who is in charge of logistics.

``I love the whole thing,'' says Williams, ``what it brings to the city and county.''

Not just in money, but in the atmosphere and sheer enjoyment of the music. With the middle of June not far off, Williams looks forward to the festival - and the festival market.

``I just enjoy doing it.''