Published: June 07, 2009 08:17 pm      

Cole Porter Festival this weekend

Full weekend planned for event in Miami County.

Organizers are gearing up for the 18th annual Cole Porter Festival.

Presented by the Miami County Historical Society and Ole Olsen Memorial Theater, the event will run the second weekend in June in downtown Peru.

The festival will kick off at 6 p.m. Friday, June 12, with a Cole Porter Garden Party at the Burke Residence, and partygoers can enjoy an array of gourmet hors d’oeuvres.

At 8 p.m., Ole Olsen will premiere its fifth annual original production, titled “Radio Cole,” at the Psi Iota Xi auditorium at Ivy Tech Community College. Desserts will be served at the show. This event is also by reservation only.

On Saturday, June 13, local and regional musicians will perform from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Miami County Museum. Musicians include Mary and Ruth Berkebile, Ann Scheuer, Tom Kraft, the Peru High School Swing Choir, Zak Tschiniak, and Ellen Wilson. Bus tours to Cole Porter historic sites will depart the museum at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Music will begin outside on Fifth Street at 12:30 p.m., with musicians including Tuxedo Junction, Midnight Gypsy, The Joe Cameron Band, Mark and Troy, The Reach and No Identity. Along the street food vendors will be available from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and the “Swell Party” beer and wine tent will be open from 3 to 10:30 p.m.

At 2:30 p.m., Ole Olsen will offer another performance of “Radio Cole.”

At 5:30 p.m., a catered dinner from an original Cole Porter menu will be served at the Miami County Museum. This event is by reservation only. After dinner, at 7:30 p.m., Cole Porter music fans will not want to miss the jazz sensation Spider Saloff in concert at Peru High School. Spider is a five-time winner of the prestigious MAC award. Her newest CD is “Cole Porter Live at Maxim’s.” Tickets will be $25.

The weekend with the Cole Porter Classic Car and Bike Show from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Ole Olsen will offer a matinee performance of “Radio Cole” at 2:30 p.m.

For more information on the Cole Porter Festival, visit www.coleporterfestival.org or contact the Miami County Museum at (765) 473-9183.