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PAGE 3A September 2025 E-Edition
News & Events ATTALLA HERITAGE DAY - Visit North Alabama invites everyone to step back in time and enjoy a day filled with music, food, art and community at Attalla Heritage Day Festival. Set for October 18, 2025, this annual free festival takes place in the heart of historic downtown Attalla along 4th Street NW, offering a variety of activities for the entire family to enjoy. The event celebrates the city’s history and vibrant community spirit with a variety of activities and entertainment, including arts, crafts and handcrafted treasures from talented regional artisans, a car show, live music, food vendors and a kid zone with rides, games and activities in a safe, fun-filled space. Always held the third Saturday in October, festival hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information about the Attalla Heritage Day Festival visit https://www.facebook.com/attallaheritageday/. FIDDLERS CONVENTION - Many old time music lovers and musicians will be in Athens, AL this fall for the “Granddaddy of Midsouth Fiddlers Conventions.” The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention returns to the campus of Athens State University for the 58th year on October 1-4, 2025. Along with the crowning of a new Tennessee Valley Old Time and Alabama State Fiddle champion, the four-day event offers concerts, food vendors and arts and crafts on a theme of authentic workmanship while celebrating traditional old time music. The Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention attracts approximately 10,000 folk music fans and more than 200 musicians who will be vying for over $47,000 in prize money in 20 different categories of competition, including several fiddle and guitar categories. Musical competitions are held on the main stage in front of Founders Hall, Brown Hall and the Delmore Brothers Stage in McCandless Hall and get underway Friday, Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and resume Saturday, Oct. 5 at 9:00 a.m. on the Brown Hall Stage and the Founders Hall Main Stage. Finals are held on the Founders Hall stage immediately after all preliminary rounds of competitions. The Convention culminates on Saturday. Cost starts at $20. For more info visit www.athensfiddlers.org. FOUNDER'S FEST - The North Alabama town of Red Bay presents its annual Founder’s Fest on Saturday, September 27, 2025, and everyone is invited to celebrate the town’s heritage with a day of free family fun. Founder’s Fest is situated under the shade trees of Bay Tree Park offering an escape to September’s warm temperatures as festivalgoers enjoy arts and crafts, contests, sidewalk sales and live music. Founder’s Fest gets underway at 8:00 a.m. with the King and Queen’s Train Ride of the winners of the previously held beauty pageant. At 9 a.m., live music cranks up and festival goers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets and enjoy the sounds. A contest to see who has the best fried pie entries with the best tasting, most unusual and best of show taking home a cash prize, and there will be quilt, coloring and photography contests for participants to take part in. Additional activities include arts and crafts and an antique car-truck-motorcycle- tractor show. The Red Bay Museum will be open for tours and Weatherford Library will host a book sale and will have entries for the quilt, photo and coloring contests on display. Many merchants will offer sidewalk sales, specials and door prizes throughout the day. A variety of festival food will be available, and another crowd favorite are the giveaways to be presented. Prizes will be awarded to the largest family, longest distance traveled to the event, and youngest and oldest attendees. Bay Tree Park is located between 2nd and 3rd streets, along 4th Avenue SE in downtown Red Bay. Festival hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on the festival or to register as a vendor, contact Amber Hardin at Red Bay City Hall at (256) 356-4473 ext. 3. For the latest updates, follow on Facebook at https://www. facebook.com/RedBayAlabama/. HARTSELLE DEPOT DAYS FESTIVAL - The Depot Days Festival rolls into Hartselle September 20, 2025, bringing a day of family-friendly fun and entertainment to the historic depot and downtown area. Hosted by the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by Decatur Morgan Hospital, the free event is the city’s largest event and is a tribute to the railroad industry and its contribution to Hartselle and the North Alabama region. Now in its 45th year, the Depot Days Festival gets underway at 8:00 a.m. on September 20 with activities lasting throughout the day until 4 p.m. Activities include shopping for original art from local artists and unique crafts from dozens of vendors, savoring mouthwatering treats from food vendors and food trucks, enjoying the car show and dancing to live music. There will also be a kid station, located at the Hartselle Farmers Market. This shaded, family-friendly zone will have inflatables, games, crafts, face painting and more. Be sure to visit Hartselle’s past at the Depot Day Museum, a special festival feature hosted inside the historic Hartselle Train Depot. Presented by the Hartselle Historical Society, this unique experience transforms the depot into a walk-through museum filled with fascinating artifacts, including a surviving piece of the bank vault from Hartselle’s famous bank robbery, stories, and treasures from Hartselle’s rich history. From railroad relics to local memorabilia, visitors will get a rare glimpse into the people, places and events that shaped the town. Each year, the Depot Days Festival rolls into Hartselle on the third Saturday in September and takes place at 110 Railroad Street SW and surrounding streets in downtown Hartselle. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on the Depot Days Festival, visit the event on Facebook or on the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce website or call the Chamber at 256.773.4370. The City of Hartselle was established in 1870 as a site considered strategic alongside the South and North Alabama Railroad (later the L&N) which began construction through the area in 1869 in an effort to connect the mineral rich areas in the southern part of the state with major shipping areas in north Alabama. For more information on the history of Hartselle, visit https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/hartselle/. WINFIELD MULE DAY - Mule Day, a two-day event centered on mules and their role in rural farming, hits the streets of downtown Winfield on September 26-27, 2025, for the 51st year, bringing with it free family fun. Vendors of all kinds, local merchant sales, 5K run, car show and antique tractors, mule judging, live music, disc golf tournament and a parade are all on the agenda as the North Alabama town celebrates its agricultural heritage. Mule Day kicks off on Friday evening, Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. when shoppers are invited to shop with local merchants and among 300 vendors during the Mule Night Madness. There will also be live music on the stage behind Citizens Bank of Winfield and runners can take part in a midnight 5K run. Onsite registration for the 5K is from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m. at the Winfield City Hall or may be completed at https://runsignup.com/Race/AL/Winfield/ MULENIGHT5K. On Saturday, Sept. 28, the festivities get underway at 7 a.m. As festivalgoers wander through the town, approximately 300 arts and crafts and flea market vendors will be selling their wares. Starting at 8 a.m., antique vehicles will be on display in the grove at Winfield Middle School, and the Mule Day Disc Golf Tournament, PDGA- sanctioned event by Prodigy Disc, gets underway at 9 a.m. in Ivan K. Hill Park. At 11 a.m. is the highlight of the annual event, whiscch isthe downtown parade of mules, horses, jacks and jennies and throughout the day, there will be live music on the stage behind Citizens Bank of Winfield. Admission to the Mule Day festival is free. For more information, call Amy Burleson at (205) 487-3002.
Athens Storytelling Festival The College will continue its centennial celebration with a 100-year celebration event on Sept. 16 at the Wallace Drive Campus and the Cardinal Gala on Oct. 9 at the Venue in Gadsden. For more information about the events, visit www.gadsdenstate.edu/celebrate. Green also recognized past and current campus directors for their leadership and dedication, including: Diann Cruickshank, Dr. Martha Lavender, Luanne Hayes, and Randi Wright Dr. Derrick Griffey, director of distance education, faculty development and learning resources, highlighted the College’s archives and historical journals, offering a glimpse into the people, programs and milestones that shaped Gadsden State over the past century through historical displays. The program concluded with closing remarks from Dean Green and a call to continue supporting students through strong community engagement and investment in modern facilities and programs. Current Cherokee Campus Director Randi Wright reflected on the milestone, saying the Cherokee Campus has been a tremendous success story for Gadsden State, providing local students with access to quality education close to home. “As we celebrate this milestone, we’re excited about the future growth and opportunities this campus will continue to bring to Cherokee County and beyond,” she said. GSCC Cherokee Celebrates College's Centennial Year Gadsden State Community College marked its 100th year with a special celebration on Aug. 27, 2025, at the Cherokee Campus, highlighting the College’s legacy of service in East Alabama and its ongoing commitment to student success and regional workforce development. The celebration was well attended by students, employees, alumni and community members, reflecting the strong support for the Cherokee Campus and its role in the region. Andy Green, Dean of Student Services, opened the program with a welcome and remarks recognizing the Cherokee Campus’s role in expanding access to higher education for students across Cherokee County and surrounding communities. President Alan Smith followed with remarks that highlighted Gadsden State’s momentum in academics, health sciences and workforce training, as well as the importance of community. “I have a heart and passion for helping our students in our service area, because somebody helped me many years ago,” Smith said. “We’re moving forward to help people, we’re putting students first, and we’re helping our community partners.” President Smith recognized dignitaries and elected officials in attendance before introducing Boone Kinard, executive director of external affairs for the Alabama Community College System. Kinard shared the mission of the ACCS and recognized the importance of Gadsden State’s presence in the region. “That’s why the campus here in Cherokee County is so important, because it gives an opportunity for students to stay at home and be able to further their education,” said Kinard. “If Gadsden State was not here, there may not be another opportunity for students in this area.” Following Kinard’s message, nursing student, Olivia Monterrojas, shared her story about how Gadsden State has been an incredible part of her life. “From my first day at Gadsden State, it has supported my personal goals and helped me be the person that I always wanted to be,” said Monterrojas. Monterrojas emphasized that her experiences at Gadsden State have prepared her for success in both her studies and her future career in nursing. The program also featured Mr. Richard Lindsey, who served as the representative for Alabama House District 39 for 35 years and was instrumental in securing the construction of the Gadsden State Cherokee Campus. Lindsey reflected on the campus’s impact and the doors it opens for learners at every stage. “Gadsden State Cherokee is here for many reasons, but mainly because of the hard work and contributions of many forward-thinking leaders in Cherokee County. We began meeting and discussing the need for this facility, bringing people together to support it, then involving the Gadsden State team, and finally going to Montgomery to speak with Governor Riley and the chancellor’s office to make this happen. You don’t make anything happen without cooperation and people coming together, and that’s what it took to get this done,” Lindsey said. Some of the nation’s most highly acclaimed storytellers, award-winning liars and world-class musicians will make their way to North Alabama at the end of October to celebrate the art of storytelling during a multi-day festival. Now in its nineteenth year, the Athens Storytelling Festival returns to the campus of Athens State University Oct. 21-25, 2025, bringing with it stories of life, legends, lies and excitement. The Athens Storytelling Festival kicks off on Tuesday evening, Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. with a Student Tellers Exhibition where representatives from area city and county schools compete on stage for braggin’ rights and the opportunity to take the stage again Thursday night. Admission is free. All festival tellers take the stage Thursday, Oct. 23 beginning at 7 p.m. for an Olio and joining them will be student tellers with winning performances. Slated to appear on Friday and Saturday are four performers from the inaugural year 19 years ago: Andy Offutt Irwin, Carmen Deedy, Bil Lepp and Donald Davis. Irwin is a recipient of the 2013 National Storytelling Network’s Oracle Circle of Excellence Award and a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival nine times. He also works as an arts educator, keynote speaker, theatre director, songwriter, comedian, newspaper columnist, camp counselor, and Shakespearian actor. Lepp is a nationally renowned storyteller, award-winning author and five time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Contest. An award-winning author and storyteller, Deedy is also an accomplished lecturer, having been a guest speaker for both the TED and TEDx Conferences, the Library of Congress, Columbia University, the National Book Festival, and the Kennedy Center, among other distinguished venues. Davis, author of 18 books and more than 40 original recordings, is the recipient of both the Circle of Excellence and the Lifetime Achievement Awards from the National Storytelling Network. Stories will be told under the big tent on the campus of Athens State University by Sandridge Student Center, located at 300 N. Beaty Street, five blocks from downtown Athens. Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. with ghost stories by Athens State University Student Tellers from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. In addition, food vendors, food trucks, local restaurants and an eclectic mix of shops will be open just a short walk from the festivities. Ticket price for admission to all events are $95/adult and $49.50/child (13 years and older). Admission is free for children ages three to 12 years old (no babies under two years old). Tickets for any combination of events or daily admission are also available and may be purchased here. All ticket holders must stop by the Gift Shop inside the Sandridge Hall Student Center to pick up their swatches which will allow them entrance to the tent during their ticketed times. The Ticket Office opens one hour prior to festival events. For complete ticket pricing visit www.athensstorytellingfestival.com.
JD AUCTION AND SALES Formerly Barry’s Mountain Top Auction and Sales Store Hours Monday - Closed Tuesday 10-5 Wednesday 10-5 Thursday 10-5 Friday 10-6 Saturday 10-6 Sunday - Closed THREE WEEKLY AUCTIONS Monday Dealer Sale Starts at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday Auctions Start at 6:30 p.m. 1615 County Highway 55 Blountsville, AL 35031 Barry Dickerson 256-606-3464
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