Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 4, 1993 TAG: 9308040130
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MICHAEL CSOLLANY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
You'll want to be at the three-day festival which starts Thursday for one simple reason:
"Steppin' Out '93 will be bigger and better than ever, so don't miss it," said Mary Riley, owner of Mainstreet Bazaar.
Organizers have expanded the number of days for Steppin' Out in order to lure some of the folks attending the Family Motor Coach Association convention at Virginia Tech.
For the first time in the festival's history, Main Street will be blocked off.
There will be more merchants, more food, more music and more crafts.
A stage at the end of Draper Road will provide the setting for more than 30 musical performances. Check out the schedule: There's something for every person's musical tastes including sets by guitarist Adrian Legg on Thursday and singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo.
Nearby, on Virginia Tech's Henderson Lawn, the Junior Women's League will offer children's activities on Saturday.
And be sure to pick up one of the Steppin' Out T-shirts - a definite collector's item.
The shirts, designed by artist Robin Rogers, feature three dancing cows adorned with dark sunglasses and grass hula-skirts and promote the event for Aug. 4 through Aug. 6. The event is being held Aug. 5 through Aug. 7, however.
But people don't seem to mind the misprint. And who knows? It might be worth something someday.
The shirts, available in nine colors and costing from $12 to $17, are on sale at Books, Strings & Things, The Emporium and Davidson's.
Steppin' Out T-shirts are the primary fund-raiser for the Blacksburg merchants' group, which puts all of the money back into the town. The group sponsors community events and marketing and revitalization projects downtown.
Nancynne Willoughby, the president of the Downtown Merchants Association, said the downtown merchants used their funds to buy benches and trees in the downtown area. Additionally, the group donated $5,000 to the Hand-in-Hand Playground that was erected last fall in the town.
"We hope to raise enough money to finance permanent stalls for the farmers market," as well as light for the market, Willoughby said
Other organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, the Special Olympics and the Jaycees will occupy booths on Jackson Street.
Art and crafts vendors will peddle their wares in the parking lot on the corner of Draper Road and Roanoke Street - traditionally the home of the Farmers Market.
For those who'll be seeking produce during Steppin' Out, the fruit and vegetable vendors will be relocated across the street in the parking lot of the National Bank of Blacksburg.
And to commemorate the whole weekend, the Blacksburg Post Office will be canceling stamps with a special Steppin' Out postmark, so bring some letters with you.
Steppin' Out runs 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Memo: ***CORRECTION***