Marksville's beginning can be traced to 1794 when Venetian peddler Marco Eliché's wagon wheel broke while traveling through the area. He decided to stay and open a trading post.
He spent August 2024 as the school's artist-in-residence working with faculty, students, staff and animal patients, all of whom inspired his work as a composer.
The arts festival once spanned an entire weekend during the spring before it was replaced by the Ebb & Flow festival in 2017. This year, the council is trying something new.