Festival picnic awards

By BRENDA S. EDWARDS
Staff Writer

Two tables of hillbillies, a group of women in fancy hats and lots of brass won prizes at the annual Great American Brass Band Festival picnic Saturday night.
Tables were decorated shortly after the final rain shower of the evening came down. Most of the 150 tables in front of the main stage and on the hill in front of Old Centre were occupied, but a few fair weather picnickers apparently stayed home.
The Sousa Award were to a table with men and women dressed for a Victorian Tea Party. The women were in large decorative hats and long dresses and the men were in satin suits from the 1850s.Katherine Jackson of Danville and daughters, Peggy Swain of Louisville and Julie Benedict of Danville, a friend, Joanne Wood of Danville were in their Sunday best for the picnic. Other guests also in period attire were Judy and Richard Jackson Jr., Martha Maute of Pennyslvania, and Tom Bragg of Maine.
The Sousa Award goes to the table stands out above all others. The menu featured finger sandwiches, fruit compote, vegetable relishes, assorted pastries, tea and lemonade. The table was dedicated to the “Preservation of a quaint and proud era that is simply too wonderful to be forgotten as we bring out the fine china teacups, silverplate, and sugar cubes to preserve a bit of yesterday for tomorrow.”
Georgeann and Lew Kinney of Centerburg, Ohio, took the top prize in the “Coming Home to Freedom” category. Decorating to this year’s festival theme, the table featured red, white and blue, and honored men and women who are serving in the nation’s military. Their guests were Reuben and Gracie Kinney of Hershey, Pa., who offered some of the town’s famous Hershey kisses. Three first time festival goers — Bob Woodruff of California, and Don Witt and Shirley Moon of Lexington — were guests at the table.
William Schutz had the winning table to the Brass Band Festival Theme. His table reflected the spirit of the festival.
The prize for the table that displayed the most humor with its decorations went to John and Martha Caywood of Danville. Their “hillybilly” motif won the Spirit of Freedom award. The Caywoods and their guests Jan and Larry Scott of Danville, Brian Thompson of Stanford and Marti Caywood were dressed as hillbillies.
Fred and Carolyn Parsons of Danville had a table full of antiques including a moonshine still to win the Spielberg Award for the table that exhibited the most creativity and novel idea. Their children and their spouses at the double table were Mark Farmer of Louisville, Keith and Valerie Parsons of Lexington, Brian and Kelly Parsons of Walton, Jenny and Jeff Parsons of Hercules, Calif., and Marla Parsons, Anessa Parsons, both of Danville.
“We don’t have no moonshine but we’ve got the fire ready to build,” said Fred Parsons. He said the table’s theme shows respect for his mountain culture. He grew up in London and moved here 30 years ago. The antiques were from his collection and some borrowed from his buddies. The table featured a mountain cabin with a Purple Mountain Majesty Band, wild daisies and thistles, along with a washboard, two guitars, a banjo, mandolin and dulcimer to the theme of “Kentucky Bluegrass meets the Great American Brass Band Festival."
The judges’ pick awards went to Tim Culhan for his table decorated with a “Flamboyant Flamingo” theme and Robin Santa-Teresa of Danville for the “Best Use of Water” table.
The Culhan table guests were dressed in colorful island attire. The Santa-Teresa table had brass trombones with a waterfall. Susan and John Pope were guests.
Antique dealers in town for the Danville Antique and Garden Show Friday judged the table decorations.

This story ran in the Advocate on June 16, 2003.