More than 300 children and adults gathered Saturday at Memorial Park to make crafts, browse the arts booths and enjoy food and music at the Arts in the Park festival.

The event was held to raise money to buy benches, picnic tables and trash cans for the park.

&uot;And having an event like this is especially good because we don’t have a lot of events for children (downtown),&uot;&160;said NDDA Director Tammi Mullins, who was dressed in a Raggedy Ann costume for the occasion.

Under the watchful eyes of their parents, groups of children gathered around tables throughout the park, making collages and Mother’s Day cards and gifts and their own version of Silly Putty.

For 4-year-old Amelia Conn, who wore a bead necklace she made at the festival, the best part of Art in the Park was decorating a frame for a picture of her and her 2-year-old brother, Richard.

&uot;It’s a nice family atmosphere,&uot;&160;said their mother, Virginia Netterville Conn. &uot;It’s got a lot of entertainment for the children, and the weather is perfect for it.&uot;

The park’s sidewalks were covered with pastel-colored art created by children — and, in a category added by popular demand, adults — participating in the event’s chalk drawing contest.

Music by Burnley Cook, Susie Shiplet, Shirley McClerkin, Rex Pruitt and the Maggie Brown Band was another of the festival’s attractions.

The festival was sponsored by Entergy and Plantation Oaks Landfill and coordinated by the Natchez Downtown Development Association and the Pilgrimage Garden Club’s Beautification Committee.