"Presented by the Arts Council of Moore County, Convention & Visitor's Bureau, and PineStraw magazine, the second annual Palustris Festival was another huge success with more than 9,000 people attending more than 130 events," says Chris Dunn, executive director of the Arts Council. "As we strive to make the 2012 festival even better, we are excited to make a 'Call for Events' for the Palustris Festival on March 22-25, 2012.

"For this community-wide arts festival, we are seeking a variety of events that will celebrate and showcase the visual, literary and performing arts in and around Moore County. Your group or business may participate in many ways, such as presenting a performance, art exhibit, walking tour or other public event. Any local venue, including theaters, auditoriums, parks, churches and galleries, may be used for an event. Creativity and partnerships are encouraged."

The goal of the Palustris Festival is to offer events that will attract residents and visitors to Moore County and will showcase what makes Moore County unique and special: the artists, musicians and writers we produce locally and attract from all over the world, a variety of art galleries, our unique scenic beauty, our deep-rooted history, world-class golf, B&Bs to 4-star resorts, eclectic restaurants, boutique retailers, and equestrian events.

To build on the success of the first two years of Palustris and improve the experience of festival attendees, a few changes have been made to the endorsement process for 2012. Primarily, there will be fewer events due to scheduling and venue limitations.

"In order to be included as an official Palustris Festival event, your event must celebrate the visual, literary and performing arts and/or our area's richness in history and culture, and receive official confirmation of endorsement from the Palustris Festival," Dunn says.

Event partners must submit one application for each event seeking festival endorsement. Applications are available for download at the website www.PalustrisFestival.com. The final deadline for event submission is Jan. 9, 2012.

The Palustris Festival was started in 2010 with a goal for the Moore County community to host a festival that would include a concentration of many diverse and unique cultural performances and experiences in only four days. The name "Palustris" (pronounced puh-LUS-tris) was chosen because of its unique connection to Moore County, as it is part of the Latin name for the longleaf pine.

Thanks to the thousands of people who attended the events of the first two festivals, the Palustris Festival hopes to transform Moore County into a destination known as much for its arts, culture and history, as it is for its golf, horses and beauty.

If you have any questions about the Palustris Festival or about the event application, contact the Arts Council at (910) 692-2787 or info@palustrisfestival.com.