Thousands of people attended the opening performance of the Brookings Summer Arts Festival this past weekend, according to KELO in BROOKINGS, South Dakota. The celebration holds craftsmanship made everywhere, and it can go from bits of work to unrecorded music.

The Brookings Summer Arts Festival, which was in its 53rd year, attracted a large number of visitors from all over.
One of the first people to put on the festival was Dave Huebner, and he says it looks different now than it did 50 years ago.

This was a fairground the very first year. Huebner stated, “In a vacant building downtown, we had a horse show, a dog show, a gem and minerals show, an antique show, and an art show.”

Now, it’s just art, like Doug Hicks’ wood carving, original music, and one-of-a-kind pieces. He carves wizards, gnomes, and historical Native American figures out of wood by hand. Hicks has been displaying his work at the celebration for north of 40 years.

“Each piece is a little unique, each piece is somewhat fun. Additionally, I enjoy the wood carving process,” Hicks stated.

Fire damages a house west of Colton Hicks’s. Hicks enjoys attending the festival because Brookings always backs the artists, which inspires him to keep doing what he loves.

“You’re making something that you can get focused in on it, you lose time, and it’s tomfoolery,” Hicks said.

Huebner says that is what the celebration is for, and every craftsman is painstakingly inspected prior to offering their fine art to ensure they’re genuine.

We are quite picky. Huebner stated, “They have to make what they sell, and it has to be fairly good quality.”

The quality, according to Huebner, an artist who has been making pottery for 60 years, is very important to both the customer and the artist.

“As far as I might be concerned, it resembles selling my youngsters. I might want to meet individuals that are purchasing my earthenware since I put my entire being in each piece, and I need to ensure it is going to a decent home,” Huebner said.