Pretty Parks, Antique Cars, music, food and Smiling Faces by John Dersham

Last Saturday was our second Third Saturday Sunset event. This event is hosted each month by the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce and assisted by the Fort Payne Area Merchants Association with great support from a host of city organizations, the police department, fire department, city council, the mayor’s office and parks and recreation.

My wife and I were talking about how good it feels walking through downtown and witnessing so many people talking, laughing, milling around listening to music, eating and shopping, playing in the parks, dancing and having such a great time in this close knit supportive community where people are eager to volunteer their time and effort to bring us together more often. Carol Beddingfield, Executive Director of the Fort Payne Chamber of Commerce, her staff and board has done a fantastic job along with support groups to really make our Third Saturday event special. The crowd was fantastic. I think even more people attended this time than last. The weather was great and our downtown area was squeaky clean and our beautiful parks were all a show place. My wife and I felt very proud of our town. It looked good and felt even better. We saw lots of friends and had a chance to talk and enjoy this community event together.

 In a time when many cities are having major financial problems and elected officials struggle with the community and with each other to find a way to manage their towns, Fort Payne clicks right along with tax revenue continuing to come in at a rate that supports the services that we all use and enjoy. We really have a beautiful town to be proud of. If you travel around you won’t have to go far to be reminded that Fort Payne is a one of a kind city in Alabama. Our beautiful Boom Days architecture and our lovely view of Lookout Mountain to the east and Sand Mountain to the west gives this small city nestled in Wills Valley a very photogenic appeal.

I think our Third Saturday is good for our community spirit and makes a solid contribution to our tax revenues with open stores and restaurants. It provides an opportunity for food vendors and is a great showcase for the antique auto owners to show their vehicles. It also provides an opportunity for musicians and dance organizations to perform.

Thanks to all of you who have helped make Third Saturday Sunset a successful event.