Big plans announced for Arley Day on May 16

ARLEY - Are you ready for summer? Members of the Arley Women’s Club sure are and have been working toward Arley’s gateway to summer: the annual Arley Day Festival. Organized and presented by the AWC, Arley Day is in its 47th year. Plans have already begun, and the event looks to be the best yet. Save the date: Saturday, May 16, and get ready to begin the summer off right. Approximately 20 vendors have already signed up to help the community celebrate.

A surprise announcement is due over the next couple of months concerning Arley Day and will guarantee a big turn-out.

Arley Day will kick off at 7 a.m. at the fire department for a pancake breakfast, sponsored by Arley First Baptist Church. There will also be a 5k run sponsored by the Meek Band of Champions. The parade will follow at 8:30 and the car show at Hamner Park, where the rest of the celebration will take place.

There are plans to have a DJ and bluegrass musical groups. A fire blower with fire dances, jugglers, water slides, inflatable obstacle course, bungee trampoline jump, dunk tank and a hula hoop contest are just some of the activities in the works this year. Some of these will be in an area designated as Toddler Town, geared only toward toddlers.

“We have plenty of parking at Hamner Park,” Montie Pafford of the AWC stated. However, there will be a golf cart shuttle according to AWC member Nancy Carlisle.

“We also park at the Meek Baptist Church, and we have golf carts  that will shuttle people in and back if they need it,” Carlisle said.

“The event is totally free to come to as far as coming in the gate,” Carlisle continued. “There are rides, games and food vendors. We had a pizza truck (last year).”

“Our sponsors are stepping up,” AWC President Cindy Bryant said. “I am so excited about that. We’ve had several (give us) larger donations.”

The AWC is welcoming additional sponsors to make the event even better.

“We really want to be able to do this in the continuing years,” Carlisle said. “This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Everything we do and everything committed to it financially and otherwise goes back into the community: the library, the park, the fire department, the schools, scholarships.”

The Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries will be giving a demonstration on archery shooting at Arley Day.

Always a big hit is the car show, where enthusiasts gather every year to look at antique cars and trucks, classics and hot rods. Participants can join in on the parade, too. Line up will be at 8 a.m. at the Dollar General parking lot.

Vendor booths are available (10’ x 10’), for $50 per space – and ‘early bird’ rates are only $35! Non-profit groups and churches receive special pricing. All food booths (10’  x 14’) are $60 - those spots are limited and go quickly. Applications are available on the Arley Day 2020 Facebook page. Artists, craftsmen, service organizations, churches and student groups are invited to participate. Everything from original artwork, crafts, beauty items to clothing, jewelry, books and home decor will be available in the marketplace.

There will be drawings, giveaways and a 50/50 during the day.  To pre-register, look for information on the AWC Facebook pages: Arley Women’s Club and Arley Day 2020.

The entire day is a family-oriented event. Come out one and all and enjoy the beginning of summer!

Sponsoring the AWC are Melissa Dodge with ARC Realty, Scott Crump Toyota, Traditions Bank, Sons of Arley, Arley Coffee Shop, Bank of Walker County, Honda of Jasper, Hyundai of Jasper, Joni L. Owens, Smith Lake Electric and a new sponsor, Southern Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Associates.To become a sponsor, contact Joni Owens at 770-500-7733.

The Arley Women’s Club, Inc. is a non-profit organization of over 150 volunteer members and is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. All proceeds will stay in the community they serve.