We do love it when the "circus" comes to town

I wanted to clear a couple of things up regarding the arts festivals this past weekend. When I posted the story "Loved the Arts Festivals, but . . .," it wasn't to bash the festivals, it was a few pet peeves that I had.

In fact, I am surprised at all the negative comments about the arts festivals, I actually thought it would turn into a Tom bashing thing, where I would be called a jerk for trying to take pictures of the art or that I would be called cheap for not wanting to pay $7.00 for a pincho, and then I thought I would be called names for liking the English tea room and clotted cream!

The Coconut Grove Arts Festival and the St. Stephen's Art Show are incredible and something to look forward to each year. If you don't like them, there is no one forcing anyone to attend. There is good art and bad art, that is the pleasure of art, it says something to everyone who sees it, what I love, you may hate and vice versa.

I was one of the sponsors of the St. Stephens show, you can see our logo on the back of the brochure, and I would like to be a sponsor of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival next year, so I am proud to sponsor the events. I find them both to be first class. I enjoyed both events beginning with the poster unveiling parties to the last minute the art left at the end of the weekend. I have it all chronicled here, in a positive way, on a day-to-day basis.

Again, I was praising the festivals all weekend and a couple of things stuck in my craw at the end of the long weekend, three small things. My biggest gripe was the tea room not having the clotted cream, which really is not much of a gripe. But I did miss that, although my arteries thank me for not having it. But if that is my biggest complaint, then there are no complaints.

How about now we list the great things about the festivals: the art, the carnival food, the people watching, the music (wasn't Noni Evans incredible? And Ryan Stone, too?) and all the friends we ran into and the beautiful weather and the proud feeling we have that all these people are coming to Coconut Grove to enjoy a great weekend. How about all that?

And residents only had to pay $5.00 for a whole weekend pass. If you lived in 33133, that is what you paid.

Basically it is what it is and if it didn't come around each year, we would sorely miss the whole circus aspect of it all.