HALEYVILLE - The City of Haleyville’s Fall Festival is only in its second year, but has already grown by leaps and bounds to include a spooktacular full day of activities and some new additions as well.
“We’re excited about the fall festival, and the amount of planning that has gone into it,” stated Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri. “And we hope to have an excellent program for the citizens of Haleyville.”
“It is a big day for the city of Haleyville,” noted Will Walker member of the committee for the City of Haleyville Downtown Pocket Park, which is planning the festival.
“It’s turned into a full day event,” Walker added. “Everything is free. We want our businesses in town to participate and get involved and be a part of it.”
Committee member Katie Tidwell said the additions made to just the second annual festival, prove that the festival will continue to grow each year.
“Who knows where we will be in five years,” Tidwell pointed out. “It’s just to keep growing and getting even better.”
Auto tech car shows begins day’s events
The day’s events will kick off with a car show in the parking lot behind the downtown public library and Dixie Theater.
The show, which was postponed due to inclement weather, will benefit the automotive technology department at the Haleyville Center of Technology, noted Auto Tech Instructor Steven Howard. The show will be sponsored by O’Reilly’s Auto Parts and Howard Family Dentistry.
Car show registration will be from 8-11 a.m. in the parking lot behind the library, with the entry fee set at $20 per vehicle, Howard said.
Door prizes, plus a 50/50 drawing will be held, with awards for Best In Show, Most Unique, People’s Choice, Teacher’s Choice and O’Reilly’s Choice, among other awards, given out at 1 p.m., Howard stated.
All proceeds raised from the show will go to the automotive club’s account to help with competition expenses and field trips, Howard said.
The show, usually held during the city’s 9-1-1 festival, raises around $1,500 for the auto tech program, he noted.
Businesses urged to decorate store fronts
The next event at the fall festival will center along Main Street, where trick or treating will take place 3-5 p.m. among various decorated displays and booths, according to Tidwell.
“There are no actual vendors, no selling,” Tidwell emphasized. “If you have a booth, it is strictly to hand out candy.”
The store front decorating contest is underway, not just for merchants in the downtown area, but throughout the city, to decorate their store fronts for Halloween or for the autumn season, organizers indicated.
The Haleyville Fall Business Beautification Award will be the highlight of awards given out at 5 p.m., based on these creative store fronts, according to Tidwell.
Any business wishing to compete for this highly coveted award need to email Tidwell at ktidwell@cityofhaleyville.com by the Oct. 17 deadline, Tidwell urged.
“That way, we’ll know to put them on the list, because they are going to go around and take pictures of the businesses on Oct. 19,” Tidwell pointed out.
These pictures will be posted on social media on Oct. 21, and all voting will be done on social media, with the winning store front having received the most likes, according to Tidwell.
“It’s like a public vote, basically,” she said. “The public will like whichever store front they like the best,” Tidwell said.
Flyers containing this information about the store front decorating contest have also been posted on the city of Haleyville’s Facebook page, Tidwell said.
“The contest is a way for businesses to get involved with the festival,” Tidwell stated. “They can make the city look nice...Any business in Haleyville can participate in this decorating contest.”
Hot dogs, cotton candy, shaved ice and popcorn will be given out free of charge from the downtown pocket park, to those attending the festival, organizers said.
Awards given out, costume contest
Awards will be given out at 5 p.m. from the main stage area of the pocket park located on Main Street across from the Dixie Theater, for the best decorated booths giving out treats, as well as best decorated store fronts, Tidwell stated.
Deejay Kevin Garner will be played Halloween themed music starting at 3 p.m. and going throughout the afternoon, organizers said.
A costume contest for all ages will start at 6 p.m. with prizes awarded for first, second and third place creative costumes, Tidwell explained.
Historical
downtown walk new to festival
An addition to the fall festival this year will be the historical downtown walk, where participants can meet at the park area beside BankFirst on Main Street, and go with guides Chad Fell and Vicky Dean, who will be dressed in period costumes and carrying lanterns.
Those participating in the walk need to meet their guides by 5:15 p.m., with the walk starting at 5:30 p.m., with plans to end the walk by 7 p.m., according to organizers.
The walk, which is open to the public and free of charge, will make seven to 10 stops in the downtown area, while explaining the significance and history of those sites or present structures.
A sampling of stops on the tour include historical Feldman House, former Feldman’s Department Store, site of the former Haley House, where Rose’s is currently located, as well as sites where the Cleare Hotel and Lehman’s store were once located, along with some surprise stops.
“We just want to invite everybody down to take the historical walk with us and go back in time,” Dean stated.
“Going back in time helps us appreciate where we are, where we can be and where we’ve come from,” Dean added.
“So it will be a great addition to the fall festival, and you will probably hear things you have never heard, and might be able to join in and tell us some things that we don’t know,” she said.
Live music on stage concludes event
After the costume contest and historical walk, live music from Wendell and Shane will be performed on the pocket park stage starting at 7 p.m.
The public is invited to bring portable chairs as well as utilize seating along the wall and areas provided at the pocket park, while the live music is being performed.
Members of the City of Haleyville Downtown Pocket Park committee are, in alphabetical order, Jade Bice, Chad Fell, Mandy Little, Brandon Norris, Holly Sutherland, Katie Tidwell, Carla Waldrep and Will Walker.
See complete story in the Northwest Alabamian.
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