Red Skelton festival shifts venue in his Indiana hometown

VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) - An annual festival that toasts the life of Indiana-born comedian Red Skelton is moving to Vincennes University's campus.

The festival had long been staged in downtown Vincennes. But on Saturday it will be held at the southwestern Indiana city's namesake university, which is near the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy.

Museum marketing director Anne Pratt says people who visit Vincennes for the festival also want to tour the museum. She tells the Vincennes Sun-Commercial (http://bit.ly/29ty1BP ) that holding the festival near the museum "just seemed like a natural fit."

Saturday's festival will begin with a traditional parade of clowns.

Skelton died in 1997 at age 84. The comic had a big impact on early television and comedy with characters such as Freddie the Freeloader, on "The Red Skelton Show."

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Information from: Vincennes Sun-Commercial, http://www.vincennes.com