We’re now three days past the fifth annual Art on the Prairie event in Perry and organizers are already thinking about how to make next year’s festival even better.

When asked how they felt this past weekend went, both President Mary Rose Nichols and Vice President Jenny Eklund summed it up with the word “success”.

Eklund says not only does this event attract others from out of town, it also helps rejuvenate the spirits of those who live in the community.

“I think all of us on (the Art on the Prairie committee), the joy that we feel is that that people are now calling it “their” Art on the Prairie.  That was our whole goal five years ago, and we’ve reached many goals but that one is dear to our hearts.  The community has surrounded their arms around it and it is now theirs and they’re bragging about it, and they’re sending it out to all of their family and friends” says Eklund.

And plans are already underway for 2015.

“After all of the artists are gone, everyone is on their way, the town is quiet, Mary holds a meeting” says Eklund.  “We have to go up to the meeting, we have to plan next year.  So you would not believe how much we have started for next year because of Mary and her leadership.  But we all want to, we just love it so much.”

She says artists are already reaching out, asking to be included in next year’s event.

We’ll have more with Eklund and Nichols on today’s Let’s Talk Dallas County during the 9am, noon and 5pm hours on AM 1310 KDLS.