Artist Betsey Fowler creates a piece depicting colorful giraffes for the Quick Draw Auction, a new event featuring items created on-site, during Saturday’s Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival.

Saturday was a day for children and adults alike to embrace the beauty and wonders of the natural world with the 15th annual Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival.

The event, held at the Thomasville Cultural Center, included lectures, demonstrations and displays from more than 60 artists in mediums such as oils, pastels, photography, and bronze sculpture.

“It’s been fabulous,” festival chair Debbie Gaskins said Saturday. “We’ve been told this is the best show in years. I’ve seen a lot of excited people, both artists and community participants.

“This show consistently has fine art and I think people are really excited that we are thinking outside the box with this year’s show.”

A new attraction that drew lots of attention from festival-goers Saturday afternoon was the Quick Draw Auction participation from several artists.

Artists, in a variety of mediums, created a piece of work on the spot to be auctioned off during the new Southern Soirée that was to be held that evening, a chance for regular ticket-holders to experience a more casual version of Friday’s gala for underwriters and artists that included food, live music, shopping and the auction.

Featured Artist Paul Rhymer, of Point of Rocks, Md., created quail sculpture “Bob Bobwhite” for the auction. He models a wildlife creature in clay and then casts it in bronze.

“This is a well-known show,” Rhymer, a festival newbie, said. “I’m thrilled with the invitation. I think it’s a wonderful festival. I’ve experienced great hospitality and there are fantastic people here that are sophisticated and who know about wildlife art.”

Artist Betsey Fowler also created a piece featuring colorful giraffes for the Quick Draw Auction.

She has been a festival participant its entire run and is married to Jim Fowler, who often performs wild animal shows at the event.

“I’ve always loved Thomasville,” Fowler said. “The people are wonderful and it is a great environment.”

There were plenty of activities for the kids to be found outside, including face painting, fossil dig and a tent from the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory that included a touch tank filled with a variety of sea inhabitants.

Max Telfer, 8, who expressed interest in marine biology, touched a starfish and other live creatures. He said the starfish felt a little rough and the horseshoe crab shell was “very hard.”

Addison Sterling, 7, used a hammer to happily chip away at a rock in the fossil dig. She said her favorite part of the festival was “smashing the rock” and she hoped to find “anything interesting.”

Attapulgus resident Chuck Ponder brought his family to the event.

While the kids explored outside, he took time to enjoy something more his speed by conversing with artist and author John Seerey-Lester, who was at the festival to promote his artwork and new book, “Legends of the Hunt.”

The book, Seerey-Lester said, is dedicated to “thrilling” stories pulled from journals of well-known hunters such as Teddy Roosevelt.

“Fact can be stranger than fiction,” he said. “It took me four years to put this book together and then I did the paintings for it.”

Participant Carol Preston, of Tallahassee, Fla., is a loyal festival attendee.

“I like the quality of artwork and the variety: there’s almost every medium you can think of here,” she said. “It’s a good time to get Christmas gifts — I got some for my daughters-in-law today — and see what is different each year.”

The Plantation Wildlife Arts Festival wraps today at the Thomasville Cultural Center.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and activities include the art show and sale, several lectures and demonstrations, and a local and emerging artists show and sale held at Thomasville Visitors Center.