Sheldon, Iowa – Along Highway 18 in Sheldon, nestled between Kwik Star and Casey’s East is a small park that houses an array of one-room historic country schoolhouses. This little oasis is known as Prairie Arts Historic Park, and is owned and operated by the Prairie Arts Council. That was the location Saturday of the first annual Hal Tuttle Day, a festival and celebration of art and artists in the Sheldon area.
Tricia Meendering of the Prairie Arts Council says the event is named for the late Hal Tuttle, a long-time Sheldon educator and the person who is largely responsible for the creation of the park, as well as the collection of vintage country schoolhouses that are located there.
Saturday’s Hal Tuttle Day festivities included fundraisers, craft and art displays, a vendor fair featuring handcrafted items from jewelry to wood art to hand-molded ceramics to woven rugs and more. In addition, there was an art show by the Little Picassos group, which is a group of kids who take art lessons at Prairie Arts Historic Park during the school year.
One of the highlights of the festivities was a pulled pork meal that was served at mid-day, for a free-will donation.
Visitors to the event had a lovely shaded lawn through which to wander and visit each of the vendors who were there to showcase and offer for sale their own unique brand of art.
(Shown above) Hal Tuttle Day vendors display their work under the shade trees at Prairie Arts Historic Park (KIWA Staff photo)
