The sounds of drums and cymbals came from the corner with the sight of four women moving their bellies while balancing silver plates topped with burning candles on their heads.

Booths containing varieties of art lined the spacious Hilton Coliseum floor Sunday for the Octagon’s Art Festival.

About 40 people sat and stood around the live performance area at Hilton to watch The Mirage Middle Eastern Belly Dance Troupe from Ankeny, just one of the live performances scheduled for the festival.

A total of 85 exhibitors from around Iowa came to Hilton, bringing with them with their artistic talents, to show and sell their work. Products such as wooden shelves, lamps, candles, paintings, clay products and jewelry were among others that were on display.

“The artists represent Iowa,” says Amy White, Octagon Shop manager. “The festival is really a showcase of Iowa’s phenomenal talent.”

At noon, the Kids’ Co-Motion Dance group performed some of its selections from “Connections.” The performers ranged from 8 to 10 years old and were directed by Valerie Williams.

Drums and cymbals crashed as the dancers made sharp movements to the sounds. They performed group and individual work dressed in white tights and long-sleeved turtlenecks. The long sleeves became extra long in one piece when the dancers surprisingly unrolled them. With these props they stretched their “arms” and danced with them intertwined with the sleeves of others to form shapes and connections.

The festival was not only held to showcase talent and sell art, but also to reward those with outstanding ability.

“We give out five awards,” says Mike Miller, festival director of development. “Three judges walk around and give best of show and three outstanding artist awards. Then the chairmen, Erin Wilgenbusch and Glenda Stormes-Bice give the chairman award.”

The festival is promoted by art organizational newsletters and word-of-mouth by return exhibitors.

“A lot of artists have been here previous years,” White says. “They are faithful to the festival.”

One faithful couple has been coming for 15 years. Gloria and Jim Nielson, of Marion, have spent 22 years making hand-woven rugs.

“I started making rugs after I saw an ad in the paper for a loom years ago,” Nielson says. “Now that we are getting older, we are going to start making wood crafts because it takes less hard labor.”

Nielson enjoys the connections she has made by coming to the festival.

“You get to know people here,” Nielson says. “It starts to be like a family. You might only see people one or two times a year, but we always have our arms open. We have formed a great bond.”

Eloise Stearns, known as the “egg lady” to exhibitors, agrees. She and her husband, Bill, have come several years to Ames to display their ostrich, emu and rhea egg ornaments and decorations.

The eggs, which Stearns receives from hatcheries and farms in Iowa, need to be blown out first after a small hole is poked through the shell. The shell then becomes the decorative ornament that Stearns has been able to manipulate through the years.

Some eggs have pictures on them, some are twisted and some are hinged to create containers. Stearns calls them “heirloom eggs” because they last forever. All the decorations are gold-plated to ensure lasting quality.

“It takes us all year to get ready, but we like coming to the fall festivals,” Stearns says. “We’ve been side-by-side with this next booth for four or five years now.”

Stearns is speaking of Nancy Shaul, who makes clay products and has come to the Art Festival since 1980. Her booth is stacked with both functional and decorative work, with products ranging from ear rings to coffee mugs. Shaul thinks this is a good festival.

“It is a great way to advertise for my store in Valley Junction,” Shaul says. “When people come to look, they come to buy.”