Entering its 35th consecutive year, the 2009 Ole Brook Festival has been pushed back approximately three weeks in the hopes of achieving clear skies and cool weather. But other than a new time slot and a few tweaks to the more than 150 crafts, art and food vendors expected to attend, the city's premier family festival is poised to continue its run of success.
      "We're putting together another family-based, family-focused festival that we think is going to be our best one yet," said Jeff Doremus, chairman of the Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce's Ole Brook Festival Committee.
      The admission-free festival will begin Friday, Oct.2, at 5 p.m., run until around 10 p.m. that night and pick back up the next morning, going until around 10 p.m. again. All festivities will take place in and around Railroad Park in downtown Brookhaven.
      The festival has always been a Saturday-focused event, Doremus said, but the decision was made the prolong the party this year to give visitors and vendors more time to meet, make friends and strike a deal.
      Organizers are also hoping to avoid the weather in 2009, he said. Rain dampened the festivities in 2008, though strong crowds broke through with the sun around noon.
      Doremus said chamber officials have invited new food and craft vendors to the festival this year, promising to spruce up the time-proven event with new tastes and sights. Organized sections of the festival include Art Alley, which will feature a variety of artists and their works from around Mississippi; a number of craft vendors and exhibits; and two children's areas.
      Doremus said chamber officials took special care when screening vendor applications this year, looking to add more quality to the lineup.
      "What we're looking for is a craft of type of item that stands out as being made of a very high quality type of material, or what they are bringing is significant," he said. "What we are not looking for is the plastic flag-sellers. We're really kind of looking for those kinds of folks who are bringing that higher quality type of merchandise for our folks to choose from."
      Extra attention has been paid to the non-spenders as well.
      The Friday installment of the festival will feature live entertainment performing throughout the night, while an improved, lengthened talent show will go on throughout Saturday. Special guests attending this year's festival include Christian illusionist Jared Hall, a NASCAR display featuring the Joe Gibbs' Racing Sprint Cup Show Car and Mississippi School of the Arts senior and former "American Idol" contestant Jasmine Murray, who will be the talent show's celebrity judge.
      Entertainment Chairman Tyler Bridge said the Friday night performances on the festival's stage near The Inez will follow a country music theme and feature experienced acts. The music begins at 5 p.m. and ends around 9 p.m.
      Scheduled to perform that night are youth singer Hannah Belle Sutherland, Brookhaven vocalist Vonda Laird and local bands The Colonels and Ghost Town.
      Bridge said the acts were selected because their experience in live music should translate into a lively show for Ole Brook attendees.
      "These guys have been doing it a long enough time that they know how to read a crowd," he said. "They know if they need to kick it up a notch or turn it down a notch. They know how to please a crowd."
      Saturday night's performances will already be kicked up a notch because those singers will be competing for cash prizes.
      Chamber program director and talent show chairwoman Kay Burton said the prize for the first place overall winner would be $500, with second place earning $250 and third, $100. The Ole Brook talent show will also serve as a qualifier for the 2010 Mid-South Fair Youth Talent Contest, a national competition.
      "We hope to have 40-50 competing," Burton said. "We've tried to cut it short in years past because we've had to be off the stage by 1 p.m. But since we have more time on the stage this year and we're offering pretty nice cash prizes, we're hoping to have more contestants."
      Interested performers may enter the talent show by calling the chamber at 601-833-1411. The registration deadline is Wednesday, Sept. 30.
      Chamber Executive Vice President Cliff Brumfield said last year's show produced a record crowd, estimated at around 7,000, despite morning rains. He expects more of the same this year.
      "Pending good weather, this should be the best festival in 35 years," he said. "A lot of planning, continuous improvement and feedback from our vendors and participants have helped us fine tune the event."
      Brumfield said the enlargement of the Ole Brook Festival this year is meant to negate the impact of the shaky economy by giving vendors more time to peddle their wares. The expense associated with booking multiple big name musical acts has been replaced by local talent and a focus on one entertainer, this year illusionist Jared Hall.
      Brumfield said the 2009 festival was running "neck and neck" with last year's expenses, which were more than $20,000.
      "All indicators so far are that the event will be a tremendous success," he said.
      Not just for the festival, but for Brookhaven as a whole.
      "(The festival) brings crowds of people into town who drive through our major retail thoroughfares," Brumfield said. "We hope they'll stop and shop with those retailers on their way, eat at out restaurants and maybe take a drive through our car dealerships and check out the 2010 models."
      Additional information on the Ole Brook Festival is available by calling 601-833-1411.