FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Nov. 26, 2007
Contact: Barbara Winters, Dean, Marshall University Libraries (304) 696-2318
 

Holly Berry Festival returns to Marshall Dec. 8

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The third annual Holly Berry Festival returns to Marshall University’s Huntington campus from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 in the lobby of the Memorial Student Center.

Sponsored by the Marshall University Library Associates, this year’s Holly Berry Festival is bigger and better, with more vendors, artists and craftspeople participating and more general and holiday-themed items for sale, according to festival organizers. Shoppers who attend the Holly Berry Festival will be treated to an expanded variety of gift ideas presented by a wide variety of tri-state artisans and crafts persons.

“Whether you’re looking for hand-crafted jewelry or for paintings, art, quilts, aprons, kitchen towel sets, scarves, prints, or books, chances are excellent you’ll find what you’re looking for at the Holly Berry Festival,” said Barbara Winters, dean of Marshall Libraries. Winters said 10 percent of all sales at the festival will be donated to the Library Associates endowment fund, which supports the ongoing development of the Marshall University Libraries book collections.

Winters said visitors to the festival will be able to pick up a few pointers about pottery and chair caning from master crafters, who will demonstrate both techniques during the course of the day.  Books about West Virginia and the Civil War and related items will be on display for sale as well.  

Special guest is Jim Casto, former editorial page editor of The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington. Casto will sign copies of his latest book, The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (Arcadia Publishing, 2006), from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the student center. The book traces the history of the C&O from the laying of its first tracks in the 1860s to its role as part of the CSX Transportation giant of today.

Casto also will have copies of two of his previous books, 50 Years Of Caring and Marshall University, for sale and for signature. 

Casto recently retired from The Herald-Dispatch, where he was a reporter and editor for more than 40 years. He now is senior public information specialist at the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing.

Admission is free to the Holly Berry Festival, and there is free parking off 5^th Avenue on the Marshall parking lot opposite Corbly Hall for festival goers.  Free snacks will be provided throughout the event.

For more information, contact Winters at (304) 696-2318 (wintersb@marshall.edu) or Dr. Lynne Welch at (304) 696-6611.

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