One of the year’s first outdoor festivals will invade Eastern’s campus this weekend.

“Celebration: A Festival of the Arts” is designed “to expose people to things they haven’t been exposed to,” Dan Crews, the festival’s coordinator, said.

Throughout the weekend, numerous artistic exhibits will be on display around campus. Everything from an Ecuadorian musical group performance to a wooden shoe carving demonstration will be made readily available to the public.

“For many local residents, Celebration weekend might be the only opportunity for them to experience cultural activities in a direct, up-close manner,” Crews said.

The weekend will begin with art exhibitions on display at 10 a.m. Friday in the Tarble Arts Center. The exhibitions featured include “Animal Art of the Americas” and the 2002 Eastern Graduate Art Exhibition.

Eastern students even have a chance to make some money at the festival. The Bizarre Bazaar will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Friday. The bazaar will give students the opportunity to sell, trade and barter items.

Students are encouraged to bring a blanket to display their items in the Library Quad.

“We’re real excited about the Bazaar; this is the first time we’ve had this type of event as part of Celebration,” Crews mentioned.

During the Bazaar, musical acts such as Ryan Groff, Leigh Woodard, 11th and Cleveland and Touche will perform, Crews said.

Saturday’s festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with the 25th Annual Eastern Illinois University Historical Administration Program Association Symposium on the third floor of Coleman Hall.

At 10 a.m., Martin Dijkman from the Netherlands will begin a wooden shoe carving demonstration. Dijkman, along with his father, has demonstrated his wood carving skills across Europe and in Tokyo, Australia and Canada. Dijkman will conclude his demonstration at 5 p.m. Saturday and will start carving again at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Crews also mentioned Dijkman will have a limited number of his shoes for sale during the festival.

The Phoenix Community Theatre Group from Marshall will perform the musical version of “Oz” at 3 p.m. Saturday in the University Theatre.

Sunday will begin with an Art Fair and a glass blowing demonstration at 11 a.m. in the Library Quad. The day will conclude with a performance from The Boat Drunks, a central Illinois Jimmy Buffett tribute band, at 4:45 p.m.

Crews said all of the weekend’s events will equally attract people.

“People are looking for an excuse to get out,” he said. “This is the first outdoor festival going on around the area.”

Crews mentioned that he didn’t have one particular favorite Celebration exhibit.

“We have a wide array of artistic expression during the festival,” Crews said. “I have a lot of favorites. I always enjoy looking at the different art people are selling.”

The festival is hosted by Eastern’s College of Arts and Humanities.