Good weather and interesting vendors drew large crowds to the Buffalo Roundup Arts Festival on Saturday and Sunday in Custer State Park, an official said.

"In any special event the weather is a critical element," Craig Pugsley, visitor services coordinator for the park, said Sunday. "But the sun has been out and it's been comfortable for people to

"We've been quite pleased with the attendance," Pugsley.

He said initial counts showed attendance at the festival was up from last year.

About 150 vendors set up shop over the weekend near the state game lodge in Custer State Park. A tent featured entertainment by area bands, cowboy poets, Native American musicians and cloggers.

The festival began 14 years ago as part of a celebration of the park's 75th anniversary.

"People enjoyed it so we continued," Pugsley said.

He said having the festival in conjunction with the roundup draws more people to both events.

"We've been trying to build the tourism shoulder season in this area," Pugsley said. "Having the arts festival with the roundup has helped accomplish that goal."

Many of the vendors will move their booths to the buffalo roundup area. The roundup begins today at 9:30 a.m.

Anyone coming to watch must be parked by 9 a.m. Parking lots open at 6:15 a.m. Coffee and other concessions will be available for sale in the parking areas.

One of the vendors who will set up today is Sheep Motifs owned by Nancy Sharps of Chadron, Neb.

Sharps makes and sells whimsical ornaments shaped like animals.

"I started making sheep but then saw an antelope and decided 'hey, I can make that,' and before long I was making a moose and other animals," Sharps said.

She said she has made a lot more buffalo ornaments for her booth at the roundup.

Melissa Horton, director of Wildlife Experiences based near Rapid City, said she was pleased with the size of the crowd at the arts festival.

Horton spent Sunday afternoon introducing festival goers to several species of birds that can be found in South Dakota including a turkey buzzard named Kern.

"It's been a good group and they've seemed very interested," Horton said. "I like doing the buffalo roundup because people who come are usually interested in wildlife."

Glendon Shearer owner of Cow Creek Cedar, a furniture-making business based in Wall, said he set up at the festival mostly for advertisement.

Shearer said festivalgoers usually do not load up the large cedar furniture pieces the day of a show, but he expects to get orders over the next few months from people who saw the furniture and liked it.

All the cedar used in the furniture is grown on Shearer's ranch and he hopes showing a good use for the cedar will open the door for another agricultural industry.

"A lot of people think of cedar as a weed but we want to show you can harvest it and turn it into furniture," Shearer said.

He said the response to his booth over the weekend was good.

"It's been our first time to this show but it's been good," he said. "We will probably be back next year."

Contact Katie Brown at 394-8318 or katie.brown@rapidcityjournal.com