The final countdown of the days remaining until Charleston’s Oct. 22 Gateway to the Delta Festival is on, but anyone wishing to get a jump on some festival gear may do so now.
Officials with the Charleston Arts and Revitalization Effort, which through its Gateway to the Delta Committee organizes the annual event, recently unveiled the official poster for the 2022 festival.
Longtime creator of the Gateway poster, artist Cristen Craven Barnard — a Clarksdale native and former resident of Tutwiler — crafted this year’s distinctive work, as well.
“I think the poster is gorgeous,” said CARE Executive Director Dana Clolinger. “The color is very vibrant.”
Clolinger added that the 18-by-24 work cleverly incorporates many design elements that are representative of Charleston and Tallahatchie County, ranging from Scissors the world champion Duroc-Jersey hog, cotton bolls and a patchwork quilt, to the old county courthouse bell tower, the meandering Tallahatchie River and Gateway class reunion tents.
The poster sells for $20.
This year’s all-cotton, official Gateway T-shirt, which features the Gateway poster on the back, is aqua blue and available in sizes ranging from small to 3X.
Shirts sell for $25 apiece.
Clolinger said both the poster and shirt are available for purchase now at the Charleston Arts Center, aka the CARE building, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
These items may be shipped for an additional fee, she added. For more information, call 662-647-0942.
Clolinger said a new item that is bound to be a favorite of Gateway fans is a color-changing stadium cup.
“The blue cup changes to purple when it gets cold,” Clolinger noted.
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A new addition to this year’s Gateway lineup is a children’s pageant.
Winners will be crowned in three divisions:
» Tiny Miss Gateway to the Delta, ages 0 to 5
» Little Miss Gateway to the Delta, ages 6 to 10
» Little Mr. Gateway to the Delta, ages 0 to 10
The registration deadline — Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. — is fast approaching.
For more information, call Clolinger at 513-491-8015.
