By Daniel Lapham/Staff Writer
published April 6, 2008

A new location has set the stage for what organizers hope will spur a new level of interest for the El Reno Heritage and Arts Festival.

Previously a one-day outdoor event in downtown El Reno, the festival will now grow to two days, beginning with the first ever El Reno Heritage and Arts Festival downtown parade at 6 p.m. on Friday. The festival will then start at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Redlands Community College.

“We have 27 artists this year,” said Bonnie Jordan, El Reno Area Arts Council director. “Last year we had 17 or 18. Every year we have grown a little and we are optimistic about the future.”

Of the 27 artists registered for the festival, there are at least seven from El Reno and the rest are from around Oklahoma with a few from surrounding states, Jordan said.

“This will be the first year we have done the festival with a parade and an indoor festival,” Jordan said. “The parade is going to be exciting. We will have the Express Ranch Clydesdales, the El Reno Cruisers, El Reno Wranglers, the El Reno High School Band and all of our festival artists. We hope people will come out and support this.”

Festival events will include a variety of artwork available for sale, a free children’s activities area, the children’s art show, a variety of musical entertainment, restaurant food booths and a new area set up by GHOULI Inc. titled “Inherited Tales — Oral History of the Unexplained.”