Thursday, September 15, 2016

Boom Days Heritage Celebration and \3rd Saturday-it here!

Boom Days Heritage Celebration and \3rd Saturday-it here!

 Boom Days Heritage Celebration is a family-friendly event offering an incredible lineup of music, a children’s entertainment area, arts and crafts, exhibits and more. Now in its eleventh year, the annual event attracts music fans from across the southeastern United States. Along with headliner Atlanta Rhythm Section, the lineup includes over 30 bands on seven stages. This year’s event Friday night and all day Saturday from early till late. 

On Friday, September 16, a special kick-off event featuring Highway To Hell and Appetite For Destruction is set for the Main Stage from 5 to 10 p.m.

Covering five blocks in the downtown district, street performers will take to the streets as a variety of music flows from seven stages on Saturday, September 17. Early risers can enjoy a feast at the Kiwanis Pancake breakfast beginning at 7 a.m. (admission charged). The city’s downtown district will be closed to traffic from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Activities held throughout the day include our traditional 3rd Saturday vintage automobile cruise-in, cultural and historical exhibits on display at the Depot Museum and Hosiery Museum, a children’s activity area in Alabama Walking Park, and sidewalk sales from downtown merchants. The popular pet parade takes to the streets at 10 a.m., there will be a wine tasting in the Coal and Iron Building at 1 p.m. (admission charged) and dozens of skilled artisans including quilters, potters, painters, and workers in iron, wood, and glass will be demonstrating their talents in City Park.

Live music cranks up at 10 a.m. and thirty-seven bands on seven stages are lined up for this year’s event. All outdoor music is presented for free. Scheduled to perform (subject to change) are:

City Park Stage
10:00 a.m. Trade Day Troubadours
11:00 a.m. Will Dooley and the Tatum Brothers
12:00 p.m. Eric McKinney and Bent Creek
1:00 p.m. Grace Pettis
2:30 p.m. Judge Talford

Courtyard Stage
10:00 a.m. Michael Cooley
11:00 a.m.  Jared Cushen
12:00 p.m. Dana Owens
1:00 p.m. Billy Louvin
2:00 p.m. Chris Hale
3:00 p.m. Marc Womack

Rotary Pavilion Stage
10 a.m. Wolves of Chernobyl
 11:30 a.m. Jess Goggans Band with Ryan Chambliss
1:00 p.m. Permagroove
2:30 p.m. If Birds Could Fly

Rock the Block Stage
11:00 a.m. Prolific
12:30 p.m. Soul Karnival
2:00 p.m. 3 Times Driven
3:30 p.m. The Protest
5:00 p.m. Men and Mountains
6:30 p.m. Katrina Barclay
8:00 p.m. Headwires

Fort Payne Opera House
11:00 a.m. Underwood Sisters
11:15 a.m. The Underwoods
11:30 a.m. Simply for Jesus
11:45 a.m. The Williams Brothers
12:15 p.m. 5 for the Lord
2:00 p.m. The Church Sisters
3:00 p.m. A Tribute to the Louvin Brothers

DeKalb Theatre Stage
5:00 p.m. N 2 Christ
5:30 p.m. Soul Redeemers
6:15 p.m. The Spiritual Highlights
7:00 p.m. The Gospel Legends
8:00 p.m. Doc McKenzie and the Hi-Lites

Main Stage
4:00 p.m. Jacob Stiefel
6:00 p.m. The Kentucky Headhunters,
8:00 p.m. Atlanta Rhythm Section

The Atlanta Rhythm Section has been a part of the Southern Rock scene for more than 40 years. In 1977, “So In To You” became the band’s breakthrough single, reaching the U.S. Top 10, and the album from which it came, A Rock and Roll Alternative, went gold. Their platinum follow-up album, Champagne Jam, broke into the Top 10 in 1978, together with the blockbuster single “Imaginary Lover.”

During the late nineteenth century, Fort Payne experienced a huge coal and iron boom, and in the twentieth century, a boom in textile manufacturing led to the city’s one time claim of “Sock Capital of the World.” As a nod to its manufacturing heritage, the mountaintop town hosts the Boom Days Heritage Celebration. In 2015, it was named Event of the Year by the Alabama Tourism Department during the 2015 Alabama Tourism Awards.


Friday, September 2, 2016

Ider Mule Day - Labor Day Festival




Set for September 5, 2016 and now in its 30th year, Ider Mule Day is a one-day family-friendly festival in celebration of the town’s agricultural heritage and along with mules, tractors, and horses, there will be a parade, live music, a vintage baseball game and more.

Mule Day kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with a parade featuring mules, horses, carriages, antique tractors and wagons. At 10:30 a.m., the competitions get underway. The mule pull gets the action started followed by a draft horse show. A trail horse competition is slated for 11:30 a.m. Entry fee to compete is $10 for children 12 years old and under and $15 for adults. For more information, call 256.899.4011.

The daylong event also offers an antique engine and tractor display, blacksmith demonstrations, a car, truck and motorcycle show, arts and crafts, and a vintage baseball game will take the crowd back to 1860 when the rules to play by were a little different than today. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m.

Live music gets underway at 11:30 a.m. A great entertainment line-up featuring Just One, Jordan’s Crossing, Shaunta Dalton, Consider the Ravens, Resource and Master of Ceremonies Ryan Watkins will keep festivalgoers on their feet and plenty of food vendors will keep everyone’s appetite satisfied.

Admission is $2 per person. All activities are held in and around Ider Town Park located off of Highway 75 at 183 Sweet Gum Road. Pets are not allowed inside of the park. For more information, visit www.idermuleday.com. 

My family and I try to go every year. Mule Day is one of our favorite family days together each year. We always get there in time for the parade that begins at 9:30 AM. This parade is filled with rural Americans finest visual attractions such as horseback riders, ponies, hay wagons, horse drawn carriages, mules, tractors, antique automobiles, elected officials, fire departments, police departments, local school marching  bands and all the other colorful things that are working their way to the park for a great day of wonderful family oriented events.
Our family loves the look and feel of rural America. I guess that is why we city folk moved to the top of Lookout Mountain on a farm. We love all the animals at Mule Day and the events that go with it like the Mule Pull and Draft Horse Pull. It is amazing to witness the strength and drive of these very large animals. There will be a big crowd at the horse arena cheering for their favorite horse and mule. As you walk around the park you will see people brushing and washing their horses, ponies and mules. There are competitions for each category. You can hitch a ride on a horse pulled carriage and enjoy a ride more similar to 100 years ago. For the kids there are pony rides, miniature train rides,  inflatable’s for jumping or getting lost in brightly colored plastic balls. This event has something for everyone in the family. You will find antique cars and tractors, arts and crafts, live music and food and drink all taking place in Ider City Park. This is an event you will not want to miss and it makes a fantastic way to spend your Labor Day holiday.