EVENTS – LakeLife 24/7 Magazine

Art on the Rocks

Iconic event returns to Noccalula Falls May 4-5

Story by Linda Long
Submitted Photos

Artisans throughout the Southeast, laden with wares ranging from handmade mustache cups to molasses, are heading to Gadsden this spring for a favorite, southern tradition – Art on the Rocks at Noccalula Falls May 4-5.

This semi-annual event is a celebration of beautifully created, handmade arts and crafts of pottery, paintings, jewelry, jams, jellies, candles, soaps, dream catchers, crochet, metal works, wood carvings, and, well, rocks.

Yes, actual art on actual rocks!

Crowds from all over keep returning to Art on the Rocks

“That’s right,” said Laura Gladden, park administrative assistant and event coordinator. “One of our vendors gets large rocks and paints very detailed delicate pictures on them. They’re beautiful. I have one in my house.”

According to Gladden, products offered during the two-day event are as individual as the vendors themselves. “We have a gentleman who paints really big pieces of artwork – so big, that people can actually put it on the side of a barn. Another one works in 3-D art.

When she talks about paintings, she notes that each artist has his or her own unique style. “One person will paint only animals. Beautiful paintings of animals. Another paints only landscapes with colors that pop out at you.”

Gladden has been with Art on the Rocks in its current incarnation since 2019. That’s the year the event returned to the park, after about a 25-year hiatus.

Long time vendor and event participant, Tina Pendley, who, along with her husband David, owns Sweet Tea Pottery, was instrumental in bringing Art on the Rocks back to Gadsden and Noccalula Falls.

Sweet Tea draws its name from its roots. “We wanted something that clearly said the South and what is more southern than sweet tea?,” she asked.

She recalls the historic roots of the festival as well. The event actually got its start back in 1958 as a project of the Gadsden Women’s Club and art-loving member, Mrs. Frank (Merci) Stowers.

Visitors browse the many vendor stalls at the Falls

“Mrs. Stowers, loved to travel,” said Pendley, “and she loved art. After attending an outdoor event in Texas, she brought the idea to the women’s club about having an outdoor art exhibit. The members loved the idea.”

So, she continued, “they started the planning in January, and held the first Art on the Rocks on May 18, 1958. It was a huge success and continued to be successful for 25 years. Eventually, it shut down for about 25 years.”

At some point during the event’s early history, it had come under sponsorship of the Gadsden Art Association, of which the Pendleys were members. She remembers it was at one of the organization’s 2018 meetings when the topic of Art on the Rocks resurfaced.

“We were talking about a fundraiser,” said Pendley, “and I asked the question had they ever considered bringing back Art on the Rocks, and they had not, but they said they would consider it if I would get some information.”

That go-ahead was all Pendley needed to get the ball rolling. She discovered that Noccalula Falls officials would “love” to have an arts and crafts show but didn’t know how to get vendors.

Noccalula Falls is the perfect setting for Art on the Rocks

It was a perfect match. The Pendleys knew how to get vendors because they worked these events with their pottery, but they didn’t know how to set up the park. It was the proverbial marriage made in heaven.

“I met with Christina Richardson (supervisor, Noccalula Falls),” said Pendley. “I knew if we worked together, we could make this happen. She said we’ve got a great crew here at the Falls, and we can make it work. So, I went back to the Art Association and brought back a lot of information about how we can work together with Noccalula Falls.”

And they voted to return Art on the Rocks to its former home at Noccalula.

“It’s just been a great success,” she added. “We’ve gone from having just one show a year to two shows. It’s been a great event to add to the community.”

Gladden agrees. “I love it. It’s my favorite event to work up here. It’s really got a great energy and vibe from not only the people attending but also from all our vendors. I’ve heard many of them say it’s their favorite show to work.

For Pendley, the biggest drawing card for folks to attend Art on the Rocks is the venue itself. “It’s beautiful here. We’ve got not only the waterfall but the green spaces as well. And there’s something for everybody from the train rides to the petting zoo.”

And yes, there will be plenty of food said Gladden. Vendors will serve everything from blooming onions to funnel cakes and everything in between.

Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for kids/seniors/military. Park season passes will be accepted. Pets are welcome everywhere but near the animal habitat. Vendors may register through April 15.

Return of Gadsden’s First Fridays

Coming in April

First Fridays are on their way back and not a moment too soon, for most. When Broad Street overflows with crowds, cars and choruses of entertainment, you’ll know it’s the place to be the first Friday in April and every first Friday thereafter until October.

Talk about a growing success story. First Friday is legendary, regularly drawing from multiple communities throughout the region and states all around the Southeast.

Presented by Downtown Gadsden Inc., it began in 2006 as an effort to bring more people to the heart of the city with the aim of promoting what downtown businesses have to offer.

Vendors, entertainment and of course, the car show – something for everyone

A classic car show was the nucleus in those early years, generating bigger and bigger crowds. Entertainment and a showcasing of downtown stores, restaurants, coffee shops and bars gradually combined for a perfect evening out for the whole family.

And that’s what is in store April 5 when First Friday gets underway once more. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said Kay Moore, executive director of Downtown Gadsden. Just grow it.

Entertainment of all genres will be on 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th streets and possibly, the 600 block. The sounds of Jazz, R & B, Rock ’n Roll, Bluegrass, Line Dancing and the Cowboy Church Band will fill those streets and so will crowds gathering to hear their favorites.

While downtown, you might take a look at some new additions as part of the Main Street program that Downtown Gadsden is investing a great deal of effort. It is an 18-foot kinetic wood sculpture, which comes courtesy of a project envisioned by Moore and spearheaded by Mario Gallardo, Gadsden State art instructor and director of the Walnut Gallery along with Gadsden Museum of Art Director Ray Wetzel.

Titled “Up from the Depths”, was funded through a collaboration between DGI, Walnut Gallery, Gadsden Museum of Art, the Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts, The Chamber, Greater Gadsden Area Tourism, and the City of Gadsden with additional support from the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

It is fabricated in brushed aluminum and features abstract, fish-like forms that turn and shift as the wind blows. They chose the site due to its close proximity to the Coosa River, and Phillip Williams, the property owner, agreed to host the sculpture long-term. It’s all about returning downtown to its days of grandeur and from the looks of it, the investment by all involved is paying sizable dividends for downtown Gadsden.

Editor’s note: For more, go to downtowngadsden.com.

Logan Martin Lakefest and Boat Show 2024

Returning to Pell City’s Lakeside Park

Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos

On the social media platform “X” – formerly known as Twitter – Eric Housh made a powerful statement:

“I love the lake. Is it summer yet?”

“The lake” is Logan Martin. And Housh helps run LakeFest, a combination boat show, arts and crafts fair, music festival and block party that in 2023 drew an estimated 45,000 people.

Known as the largest in-water boat show in the Southeast, The Logan Martin LakeFest and Boat Show returns to Lakeside Park May 10-12 as “the place to be” for the past 15 Springs, save one coronavirus year. Some might even call it the unofficial start of another spectacular summer on the lake.

“We’re proud that it continues to grow a little bit every year and get bigger and bigger,” Housh said. “This year, we’ve already had a good response from all our sponsors and several vendors, so we’re looking forward to another really good, full event.

The festival will feature over 80 models of boats and personal watercraft, live music on the Tracker Stage, featuring the popular Louisville, Ky. B and The Velcro Pygmies, gourmet food trucks, lake lifestyle vendors and a fireworks show honoring vets from the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in Pell City.

Admission is free. But food, drink and vendors’ wares will be for sale, so bring your wallet. Also, for prospective car and truck, boat and personal watercraft buyers, on-site financing will be available courtesy of America’s First Federal Credit Union.

LakeFest is an effort to promote Logan Martin Lake, raise money for local charities and build a stronger sense of community.

The seeds for the wildly popular event took root in a conversation between Housh and his next-door neighbor, Mike Riley, then president of the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association, as well as local businessmen Jerry Woods, Lee Holmes, Fred Casey and Joe Paul Abbott. Housh served on the association’s board and ran its website for a time.

“They had this vision of doing an event to really showcase Logan Martin Lake and the surrounding areas,” Housh said.

“If you live here, you know how special the lake is,” he added. “We felt like if we really showcase not only the lake and what it had to offer, but local businesses, vendors, local artisans, craftsmen, restaurants … The event was really about sharing with the outside community. It was kind of a way to welcome them in and share our special little slice of paradise here.”

Folks flock from across the South to the event – Mobile, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Atlanta and points in between. Call it a gathering of 40,000 of your closest friends.

“People come to the lake before then. But that weekend, everybody’s there,” Housh said. “You may see your lake friends year-round. But you may only see friends from Birmingham that weekend. It’s a way to have a celebration and look forward to enjoying another season on the lake and the lake lifestyle.”

Housh sums up the uniqueness of LakeFest in one word – “Community – “the people, the sponsors that make it happen. It’s always been a free event. We’re providing entertainment. We’re providing security. We have this massive fireworks show, and we feed the veterans on Friday night. That’s only made possible by people in this community.”

In its 14 years, the event has never had a safety incident, adding to its reputation as a family-friendly festival in this tight-knit community. And volunteers from church and youth groups man parking, concessions and other responsibilities.

“The public really values this event,” Housh said. “And that’s evident in the fact that everyone just comes out and has a good time. It’s a super-positive atmosphere. You can feel it.”

Logan Martin, it seems, is like New Orleans, in that just about every month, there’s a festival of some sort – LakeFest in Spring, Boo Bash in the Fall, summer’s Rock the Lake in Lincoln, Lakeside Live, Live at Logan Martin and so on. People here respect the lake and its community, celebrating it with family-friendly events.

“There are a lot of different opportunities to come together,” Housh said. “In general, we’re a community that likes to celebrate. We like to celebrate on the lake. We like to celebrate with our friends. So, as a result of that, you see a lot of these festivals popping up.”

Giving back to charity is one aspect that fuels LakeFest. So far, some $500,000 has been donated to local charities – police and fire department foundations, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Boys Ranch, animal shelters, Lakeside Park improvements and the like. Sponsors fund the event, but also boost charities.

“We try to be wise stewards of the blessings that we have and then turn around and give away what we don’t invest in the event,” Housh says.

Looking back, Housh remembers what organizers have overcome, like in year three, when heavy rains nearly washed away vehicles and closed Highway 34.

But one thing remains constant, the glowing, joyous faces of kids and veterans and new boat buyers. And after the event, charities receive big donations.

“Yeah, it’s a little stressful over the course of the weekend. But you always see these glimpses of people being happy, living their best life. Every year, something magical happens,” Housh says.

“If they haven’t come out before, I’d encourage them to come check it out,” Housh said. “It’s fully accessible. It’s pet-friendly. There’s something for the entire family.

There’s a bubbly reason to put LakeFest on your Spring “to-do” list for Mother’s Day weekend: Mimosas for Moms on Sunday. Free Mimosas are in store for mothers on their special day.

And while organizers spearhead the event, Housh is quick to point out that there’s a small army of volunteers – and the community – who help make the magic.

First-time festgoers need to know one thing, Housh said.

“If you haven’t experienced this community yet, this is a great opportunity to feel that. It’s a really special event.”

Alabama Fishing Show and Expo

Event returns to Venue at Coosa Landing

Story by Paul South
Submitted photos

On the Saturday of the 2023 inaugural Alabama Fishing Show at The Venue at Coosa Landing, Gadsden’s director of economic development, John Moore, decided to check things out.

What he saw was jaw dropping.

“The doors opened at 10. I pulled in about 9:45, and I swear to you, there were at least 400 to 500 people waiting to get in,” Moore says. “The thing stretched out from the Venue, and it just wrapped around in the parking lot.

“I was like, ‘What the heck?’ There’s something here on this. I was just amazed. People starve for stuff like this.”

Indeed, there was. An estimated 7,500 visitors streamed to the event, anglers shopping for everything from handmade rods and tackle to high tech electronic fish finders.

The Alabama Fishing Show returns to The Venue at Coosa Landing, March 8-10. Daily prices are $12 for adults, $8 for kids. Children under 5 get in free. Food and drinks are available for sale. Parking is free.

Hours are 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The Gadsden event was years in the making before its debut. Alabama Fishing Show organizer Shelia Bunch began discussions with the city several years ago about bringing the East Tennessee Fishing Show to Alabama. For Bunch, geography was the draw.

“You guys have some of the greatest lakes down there. You’ve got some of the best pro fishermen from that area. One thing that was missing was a true fishing show,” Bunch says.

A true fishing show is about more than watercraft, she adds. “I’m talking about bringing vendors from all over with products that you can’t even get anywhere else except for this show. You’ve got handmade fishing rods, you’ve got crankbaits. You’ve got jigs that you can’t buy anywhere else but this show. And a lot of these vendors are small business people. Their passion is all about fishing and about catching fish. They work day and night on their products.”

Along with featuring more than 100 vendors casting their wares upon the water to sell, Bunch hopes to reach a new, younger generation of anglers. The 2024 show will host a kids’ fishing tournament at the Venue on March 9.

Introducing kids to fishing is a goal of the show, Bunch, a mother of three, says. “We feel like kids are our future when it comes to fishing. Our goal is to give kids the opportunity to fish and make it a big deal, right there at the show.”

Pro anglers will appear at the show, and seminars are also slated to educate anglers on how to use the equipment and make their fishing experience more enjoyable.

“We try to make it a fisherman’s paradise,” Bunch says. But the show has something to hook the entire family.

“The mothers are really involved in the kids’ fishing tournament,” Bunch says. “We honor the women and give away hats to the wives who put up with the fishermen. The first 200 (women) through the door get a free hat. They really love that.”

She adds, “It’s a great place for families to connect.”

The show will highlight the hottest trends in fishing. Electronics lead the pack.

“Every year, Lowrance or Hummingbird or Power-Pole or any of them, they come out with something new every year,” Bunch says. Those will be on display at the show. A lot of people buy this equipment and don’t know how to use it, so we will have people who come and do seminars to show you how to use your electronics.”

Safety and environmentally friendly equipment are also trending, Bunch says.

“Safety and taking care of your lakes and taking care of your fish is a big thing. That’s why you have catch and release … When you catch fish, you need to save the fish.”

Like Moore, Bunch was “shocked” by the big turnout in the inaugural show, because it was a new event in unfamiliar waters, so to speak. This year, she expects an even bigger turnout.

“We’re wanting about 10,000 this year,” Bunch says. “That’s my goal.”

As an aside, one in six Americans are anglers. And, the sport is growing.

For Bunch, putting on the fishing show are measured in smiles.

“Truthfully, my favorite part is seeing my vendors do well – for them to walk away with smiles on their faces and me knowing that they did well at the show. My second favorite part is seeing the people leave there with smiles on their faces, knowing they got supplies they couldn’t get anywhere else.” Anglers – from offshore to fly fishermen – who attend the fishing show can up their game without breaking the bank, and they share a common mission with vendors.

“The goal is to catch a big fish,” Bunch says.

Moore believes the COVID-19 pandemic that kept folks shuttered for two years played a role in the huge turnout, and something more.

“I think (the pandemic) had something to do with it. Number two is that there’s nothing like it within a 60-mile radius. You have to go to Birmingham to the (Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center) or to Huntsville to Von Braun to see a show of this magnitude with this many vendors.”

And vendors were hooked on Gadsden.

“They signed up that day for (2024),” Moore says.

The show fits with Gadsden’s branding efforts as a tourist destination, Moore says.

“The mayor (Craig Ford) always says that not only do we have a responsibility to our citizens, but we have a responsibility to our merchants, too, bringing stuff like this in here.

“It actually helps grow our economy. Every hotel room in Etowah County is filled. The shops will be filled. It’s perfect. The wife may go and shop downtown, while the husband looks for fishing supplies. There were a lot of buddies going to the show in sort of a guys’ trip.”

At the end of the day, he adds, “what we’re looking for is to be ‘Fun Town’. We’re looking to be that city that people look to spend three, four, five days enjoying the river, the mountains, the downtown area, the shopping,” Moore says. “I think the fishing show plays into that.”

Along with a crowd, Bunch hopes to hook something else – for vendors and attendees alike. “I just want everyone to do well and be happy.”

Clearly an evangelist for fishing, Bunch captures the spirit of the show. “Fishing is a great time for families, and you can’t get those times back.”

Speed on the Water

Drag boats add another racing venue to region

Story by Paul South
Photos by Mackenzie Free
and David Smith

Indy, hit the bricks. Daytona, Schmaytona.

When it comes to racing fast boats and fast cars, this Alabama city of 6,845 may be –at least per capita – the speediest town in America.

After all, Lincoln is home to the Alabama Superspeedway. And in November, the city’s picturesque Lincoln’s Landing on the waters of Logan Martin Lake, hosted its first drag boat race.

Think drag racing on the water in sleek, low-slung boats. The premier category of drag boats, Top Fuel, can pierce the water at up to 270 mph.

These boats look fast even when they are not moving

The city’s inaugural drag boat event was a success. Even though attendance was hampered by rainy weather, Lincoln has gone throttle up, making a pitch for drag boat racing’s world championship later this year.

The November race was an effort for Lincoln to get “a foot in the door” in the sport, with an eye toward hosting the world championship, Les Robinson, director of Lincoln’s Landing says.

“That’s kind of the way we looked at it and how we approached it,” Robinson says. “It was a new venue for these guys as well. It’s never been done on this part of (Logan Martin). I don’t know if it’s been done on any part of the lake.”

Drag boat race organizers traveled to Lincoln two or three times to evaluate the site, Robinson says.

“We felt like the venue that we have here would be more than adequate for what they were looking for. We came up with an idea for where the course needed to be.”

Rain and cold put a chill on the turnout, but the racing continued.

“They still ran. They contemplated calling it off. But they had people come from all over the United States and Canada to be here and they wanted to do it,” Robinson says.

Most of the Outdoor Drag Boat Association’s regional points race was visible from the grand pavilion at Lincoln’s Landing, where race fans warmed themselves by a roaring fireplace. Boaters from 42 teams competed in a variety of classifications.

If the city lands the world championship, it will be held the weekend before the Lowe’s RV Stop 250 and the 2024 Fall Xfinity Series Playoff Race on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 respectively.

The NASCAR 2024 Yellawood 500 is set for Oct.6, and Lincoln officials want the race to coincide with Talladega’s autumn speed week.

“That was the plan,” Robinson says. “It’s not etched in stone that they’re coming, and it’s not etched in stone for the date. But that’s the plan.”

The ODBA teams arrived at midweek prior to the November race, filling nearby motel rooms and boosting the local economy.

The Lincoln’s Landing staff conducted a post-race review, and the venue and personnel earned high marks.

“The facility and the way the park is laid out was perfect for what (the ODBA) was doing,” Robinson says. “There was one situation where we could have had a little bit better flow where they were weighing the boats and where they were taking the fuel samples … But the park layout was great for the racers as well as the spectators.”

Watson and Robinson praised the work of Lincoln’s first responders – law enforcement, fire and EMTs, a veteran force familiar with staffing these types of events.

“Most of these folks have been with us a long time. This is part of their training. It’s their training and their dedication to the job. It’s the whole team,” Watson says.

The only downside – the park had to be closed for fishing on race day because of the course layout. And there is noise.

“(The boats) do create a bit of noise, but we did put that on Facebook that they would be running from 9-5 every day.”

As far as the city’s pitch for the 2024 ODBA world championship, Lincoln’s Landing did the talking.

“I think the park did all the pitching we need,” Robinson says. “I think our facility gave them the idea that ‘This is where we want to be.’ We hope that’s the case. I’m hoping for a positive outcome.”

Mayor Carroll “Lew” Watson agrees.

“We have facilities that aren’t matched by anybody else,” Watson says. “Our facilities are really the top of the chart. We may have to add viewing stands to attract more visitors so they can sit and watch. We have good sites, so that probably will be something for the future.”

Watson thinks city officials should travel to the sites of similar events to learn how those communities prepare and execute those events.

As for Lincoln becoming a racing capital, Robinson says, “If we’re fortunate enough to land this, and we’re pretty confident the races aren’t going anywhere at Talladega (speedway), (ODBA World Championship) could become an annual event for us, I like the analogy.”

If the city gets the world championship, what about the idea of Lincoln becoming a racing capital.

“It would certainly suggest that,” Watson says.

On drag boat racing, Watson says, “I never even knew such an animal existed. But it was interesting to watch. It came off very well. When you go see a drag race, it’s not much different, except one’s on the road and one’s on the water.”

The race and other events are evidence that Lincoln officials are using the landing for more than just a fishing spot.

“We’re capitalizing on what we’ve got, and we’re making the most of it,” Robinson says. “We’ve had three world class fireworks shows out here attracting thousands of people. We never thought that was anything that could be done at the landing until we tried. Everything we’ve done, we had to work really hard to make it happen.”

And the staff had to weather tornadoes and floods, cold and snow to pull off events.

“My staff and I joke, ‘What are they going to throw at us next?’” Robinson says.

The new year is setting up to be a good one for Lincoln’s Landing, which opened in 2020. Fireworks, bass tournaments, a kayak fishing tournament and other events – and a possible world championship – are on the calendar for 2024.

“No matter whether they’re fishing in a bass boat, a kayak or driving a drag boat, they’re all contributing to the local economy. That’s what this place was built for – to bring in events and bring in revenue.”

Historic Gadsden Carriage Tours

Seeing things from a very different view

Story by Linda Long
Contributed photos

Sounds of a different sort fill downtown Gadsden streets these days.

The clip clop, clip clop of horseshoes against pavement, lend a staccato hoofbeat keeping a brisk pace this winter’s day.

Wheels on the jaunty orange-fringed carriage provide tickety-tick clicks on the hard surface. An occasional neigh and a whinny are appropriate sounds to take this scene straight to what could be another era.

It’s a scene that brings a smile to Gadsden businessman and former state Rep. Mack Butler’s face. He is the mover and shaker behind Historic Gadsden Carriage Tours, an idea which he says came to him as he toured other cities.

“In our travels, we love to visit historic cities, and we always take carriage rides if they’re available because you get such a unique perspective of the city, the ambience and the history. It’s just a passion of mine.”

He figured Gadsden would be a “perfect” city to offer such an attraction. “Here, we’ve got this unique history. We live in this beautiful historical town.”

Gadsden began in the 1840s as a stagecoach stop called Double Springs.

“Life was along the river. So, I kept reaching out to other people to try to get them to start this,” said Butler. “I kept on trying to get somebody else to do it.”

When there were no takers, Butler decided to take on the project himself. He reached out to friends, Emery and Emily Williamson, who run an animal farm in Cherokee County called Feathered Friends Cockatoo and Horse Sanctuary.

He asked if they would be interested in partnering with him and according to Butler, “they jumped at the chance. They have about 50 or 60 horses and know how to handle them. So, that’s how we got rolling. “

Butler is renovating a downtown building which he says is a perfect place to park carriages. “The Williamsons can trailer their horses here, hook them up, and we’re ready to tour.”

Perhaps the stars of the show are the four-legged critters who are often the main attraction, especially when children are passengers — Mr. Smack and Miss Betty.

“Mr. Smack is a horse from Amish country and Miss Betty is a mule,” he said.

They alternate pulling the carriage though Mr. Smack goes on most tours.

The carriage tour follows a route along Chestnut, Broad and Locust streets.

“We’ve done history tours and the carriage tours (and most recently Christmas tours), but the thing we get the most requests for is the ghost tour,” said Butler. “We pick you up and take you to as many spots as we can in 30 minutes, and we tell you the haunted history of Gadsden. We take you to what was originally the county jail and of course, there was the first execution there. That gentleman is rumored to haunt the building.”

Butler said the site of a Confederate hospital and cemetery are also on the tour. “The cemetery is said to be very haunted.”

Another stop, the Phoenix Hotel, was supposed to have been the site of “a grisly murder. I’ve had people tell me about the ghost they see there. We have a number of stops like that.”

There’s one building on the tour, he continued, that back in the 1800s used to be a hotel. Another, a house of ill repute and across the street was the medical clinic where they took care of the ladies of the evening.

“We have a very colorful past,” he added, “which makes for a great ghost tour as we offer these rides.”

Ghost Tour of Downtown Gadsden on Historic Gadsden Carriage Tours

Butler says he personally has never actually seen a ghost, “but I have talked to a number of people here in town that are well respected. They tell me they have actually seen ghosts in some of these buildings.”

According to Butler, the carriage rides complement what is already going on in downtown Gadsden. “We’re in total transformation now as the new administration (Mayor Craig Ford) is focusing on all the positive attributes we have that have not been utilized. There’s talk of creating green space and a new river walk. I’ve never before seen the spirit of cooperation we have right now between city and county and state. Everybody is holding hands and pushing in the same direction.”

Gadsden Economic Development Director John Moore agrees, saying the city is moving toward becoming “a destination spot, where visitors come to stay for a long weekend. That’s what we’re working on. The Falls (Noccalula Falls) gets 350 to 400 thousand visitors a year. We want to bring those visitors downtown. So, when people leave the Falls, they come right to the downtown area. They grab a a drink. They go out to eat. They shop at downtown shops on Broad Street, and then they go out and utilize the riverfront development,” which he said will include a boutique hotel.

“We’ve got amazing hiking trails. We’ve got rock climbing. We’ve got mountain biking, pretty much anything you want when it comes to outdoor enthusiasts,” Moore said. “So, I think you’re going to be seeing more people coming to Gadsden to enjoy those types of things, and the carriage rides are just something that’s going to entice more people to come into downtown.

“The Mayor and I did the carriage ride for Halloween. To go through Gadsden and get told some ghost stories and some stories of the different buildings in the city was pretty cool. They also had a Headless Horseman that chased you down Chestnut Street. I thought that was great,” Moore said.

“We never did see a ghost,” he laughed, “but I think you might see one next year. They’ve got some plans coming up.”

Plans call not only for the ghost tour, but across the board. According to Butler, “Looking to the future, we’re thinking maybe about Valentine’s and Valentine tours. Or a tour where we shuttle you out to dinner. Or maybe tours associated with prom season.”

The number of carriages and horses they have “is still to be determined based on demand. Of course, we’ll be willing to step up our game if the demand is there. Right now, it’s just a community that’s been booking the tours but down the road, with the new hotel and its rooftop bar and all kinds of neat stuff, I see Gadsden becoming like a Franklin,Tennessee, a town where they have festivals all the time and a lot of trendy shops and eateries.”

Editor’s Note: Tours are all weather dependent. Cost is $25 per person for a 30-minute ride. The carriages hold four people.

Rotary run a success story

Photos by Kathy Burke

On a misty Saturday morning, just after daylight tried its hardest to peek through a solidly overcast sky, Lakeside Park was just awakening.

The gates opened, and volunteers scurried about, preparing for the big event. Tents went up. Swag bags, Tshirts, runner bibs and a host of ‘must haves’ for a 5K run were readied. Sound system? Check. Runner check-in apps? Downloaded. Volunteers in their positions? Ready.

And at 8 a.m. on Dec. 9, runners from throughout the region took off to make history in the inaugural Pell City Rotary 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk to benefit the St. Clair Sheriff’s Boys Ranch.

From the starting point to the finish line, the event evolved as a true success story, raising over $50,000 to help build a new home at the Boys Ranch and bringing a community together for a common cause. Santa was there, much to the delight of smaller runners, walkers and spectators, and the event is well on its way to becoming a Christmas tradition for Pell City Rotary Club, a leading civic service organization.

“Since I became president of the Pell City Rotary Club, it has been my goal to lead the club in serving the community,” said Serge Brazzolotto. “I wanted to create a new event that would be close to Christmas and that would involve the entire family from infants to grandparents.” A 5K run/1-mile fun walk was a perfect fit.

After hearing a presentation from Michael Smith, the executive director of the Sherrif’s Boys Ranch, about the need for a new house to be built, “I talked to our Board of Directors and Service Club Committee Chair Bill Ellison about the idea, and everyone said, “let’s go for it,” Brazzolotto said.

“Our only problem was that none of us had experience to prepare for such an event,” he added. “I told myself a few times, ‘don’t fool yourself, it won’t happen.’ We had only three months to get all this done.”

Ellison put a 5K team together, and they were – pardon the pun – off to the races. “That team worked tirelessly for three months, day and night, even weekends to get everything together, to get sponsors, social media advertisement and registration and much more,” Brazzolotto said.

The team – Gay Blackwell, Kelly Furgerson, Melanie Housh, Kathy Burke, Jaxon Phillips and Casey Cambron –were determined to not only meet the goal, but exceed it. And they did. Because of the effort of all involved, he said, the Boys Ranch will now be able to build its third home for youths.

“Teamwork makes the dreams work,” Ellison said. “I picked people with unique and diversified talent to serve on the 5K committee. They all showed strength, wisdom, courage, commitment, passion and focus throughout the planning, fundraising and day of the event.”

Brazzolotto agreed. “I don’t have the words to thank all who have made this event possible and be such a success – the Rotary 5 K team, the Rotary Club members, the sheriff’s department, the police department, the fire department, Pell City Park and Recreation, Partners by Design, The City of Pell City, all the participants and especially, all who have made donations and sponsored this event and fundraising.”

It was all done in service to the community, in keeping with its motto, “Service Above Self.”

“All Pell City Rotary members enjoy giving back through community service to the community that has been so good to them,” Ellison said. “We’re already planning for next year.”

For more images and news about the event, check out the Pell City Rotary website.

Fly Fishing Expo

Bringing anglers and vendors to Gadsden

Story by Paul South
Staff and submitted photos

In a continuing effort to cast a wider net marketing the Coosa River and the waterway’s lakes and streams into a fly-fishing destination, Gadsden will host its inaugural Fly-Fishing Expo on Jan. 20 and 21, 2024, at The Venue at Coosa Landing.

“We would love for Gadsden to be known as a fly-fishing destination as well as for the other amenities we offer,” says Deborah Hawkins, administrative supervisor of The Venue.

Alabama Fishing Show and Expo drew vendors and a crowd

This free expo will host fly-fishing-related vendors and exhibitors of all kinds from the neighboring states and counties at the gleaming 55,000 square foot facility on the banks of the Coosa River.

The fly-fishing event comes on the heels of the successful Alabama Fishing Show at The Venue this past March.

The expo is the latest move by Gadsden to grow fly fishing in the region. The city invested $10,000 to stock the waters around Noccalula Falls with Rainbow trout.

Along with the success of the Alabama Fishing Show last spring, Hawkins credits one man – the owner of Rainbow City Auction and Fly Fishing – who lured the city with the idea for a fly-fishing focused event.

“It was the work and due diligence of Frank Roden that brought this event to Gadsden,” Hawkins says.

A sign of things to come

On the streams around these parts and beyond, Frank Roden is known as “the guy with the tie,” his homage to a more elegant time when fly anglers – clad in hats, shirts, boots, waders and Windsor-knotted neckties – took to the waters. For traditionalists like Roden, the tie seems as important as the right feathered fly or the perfect 10 o’clock-two o’clock cast, the perfect fly-casting motion.

Roden, one of area fly fishing’s most fervent evangelists and an instructor for the iconic fly-fishing merchant Orvis, saw the sport’s growth coming over 20 years ago.

Somewhere around 2001, Roden recalls, he and his wife, Tammy, couldn’t get the gear they wanted locally, even around the state. So, they opened their fly-fishing shop as part of their antique furniture business.

When the couple announced their first fly fishing seminar, locals predicted a sparse turnout, 20-25 people, tops. What occurred was something akin to a fly angling tent revival.

“When the instructors and manufacturers pulled up 15 minutes before we were supposed to start, they had 169 people waiting under the tent. That was just the tip of the iceberg.”

He sees the January event as a positive step for the city and the sport.

“Someone for a long time has needed to bring a fly-fishing expo to the state of Alabama,” Roden says. “Gadsden has that facility right there on the Coosa. They brought a general fishing show to The Venue last spring, and it was huge. They did a great job with it.”

Gadsden has the formula for a fly-fishing show that will mirror the success of last spring’s effort.

The Venue at Coosa Landing continues its success story

“They have the space available,” Roden says. “They have the stuff that can support it around The Venue there (restaurants, gas stations, shops and hotels). Now we just need the wholesalers and dealers.”

The expo is the latest evidence of Gadsden’s commitment to the sport.

“Boy has that been good,” Roden said in a past issue of LakeLife 24/7 Magazine®. “We should give them a lot of credit for putting the winter trout fishery in. Greater Gadsden Area Tourism has done a lot to promote the fly fishing here.”

And organizers hope that tackle, equipment, wholesalers and dealers from across the country come to Gadsden for the expo. After all, fly anglers travel from the streams of Maine to the big waters of Montana and points north, south, east and west.

“Don’t assume that (fly fishers) just fish locally,” Roden says. “They go to the Gulf Coast; they go to the mountains. They travel out west and to the Appalachian chain. We needed (to keep that in mind) when we started hunting new equipment.”

Roden adds, “The sport has grown, not just in the Gadsden area, but to the places people are going. The population of the Gadsden area can travel all over now that they know what they’re looking for.”

A study from Grand View Research quantifies the growth in the popularity of fly fishing through the sale of fly-fishing equipment and apparel, a $3.1 million business in 2022.

The industry is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 4.1 percent.

The increasing popularity of the sport isn’t the only driver. People are drawn to more environmentally friendly sports and sustainability efforts like the fishery stocking areas in Gadsden, as well as the diverse needs and preferences of the fly-fishing community, the study said.

The expo may lure more fly-fishing shops and merchants to the area. Surprisingly, Roden sees that as a positive.

“I think it’s great, Roden says. “Bring ‘em on. I’m not getting a lot of business off the trout fishing because most of the people who come here come here for tourism, and they already had their gear before coming to Gadsden.”

He said many who come to areas like Black Creek to fish move their homes and businesses to the area.

Roden says he doesn’t have to aggressively sell fly fishing in the region. “That’s the good thing. I don’t have to sell it. They come to me looking for it. My business is soft sell.”

While there are skeptics about the future of fly fishing in Etowah and St. Clair counties, Roden points to the Coosa and talks about streams like Black Creek, Big Canoe Creek and the Noccalula Falls area and others.

“Man, that’s a lot of water out there.”

For non-anglers who may be film buffs, the two-day expo will include the Fourth Annual Fly-Fishing Film Festival, beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday. And of course, there are shops and restaurants nearby.

Tickets for the expo are $25. Vendor booths, including tables chairs and power are $200 for the weekend.

Hours for the festival are 10-5 on Saturday with the film festival screening at 5. The festival continues on Sunday from 10-4.

While city officials have not projected the Fly-Fishing Expo’s economic impact, Hawkins is optimistic that local businesses will see a ripple effect – like a rainbow trout jumping in a cool, quiet stream – for the area economy.

“This absolutely will have a ripple effect such as lodging, restaurants, shopping, license fees for the city, gas and other necessities … Since this is our first fly fishing expo, we don’t have a projected economic impact. But we will work as hard as we do for anything else to bring income and awareness to our great city.”

Editor’s Note: For more information on the Fly-Fishing Expo, call 256-549-4587.

Documenting cardboard boat races

Story by Paul South
Photos by Richard Rybka
and Carol Pappas

“The best way to make friends with the audience is to make them laugh. You don’t get people to laugh unless they surrender – surrender their defenses, their hostilities. And once you make the audience laugh, they’re with you.” – Frank Capra

Most documentarians – Ken Burns springs to mind – want audiences to examine society’s ills through film.

For award-winning documentary filmmaker Sam Frazier, the direction he heads is quite the opposite. Laughter, he says through his work, is the best medicine.

Frazier, a Birmingham native, has captured the hearts of audiences at prestigious film festivals like, Indie Memphis and Birmingham’s blossoming Sidewalk Film Festival and across the United States and Europe through old-fashioned absurdist escapism.

Videographer films interview with racers

Think sketch comedy – Monty Python’s Flying Circus or Saturday Night Live plus pro wrestling – meets reality. Or as he puts it, “Smart people being stupid for no apparent reason (except it’s fun).”

His current effort uses an unusual vehicle, or in this case, vessel. They are cardboard boats held together by miles of duct tape – as college professors, doctors, engineers and the like try to build seaworthy boats that can successfully allow them to navigate Alabama waterways, including Logan Martin Lake.

As Frazier and his crew began filming the races at Lakeside Park in September, a crowd of about 50 gathered to watch filming that leg of the inaugural Cardboard Boat Racing World Cup. Each competitor—mostly Frazier’s friends – earns points depending on their finish in each race. Even a boater who finishes “DFL” (Dead Freakin’ Last) earns points.

Just as in NASCAR or Formula I auto racing, the points leader at the end of the heats will win the Cardboard Boat World Cup championship trophy.

“That’s pretty prestigious,” Frazier says, laughing.

His friends are folks he’s known for years, through a charity kickball league he created or through years of hanging out with pals who are in his words, “weirdo artistic types.”

“They are a bunch of weirdos who are up for almost anything, like myself,” Frazier says. “And that helps. The weirdos that I don’t know, all you have to do is tell them what you’re doing, and they’re all about it. If you’re talking to the right person, they say, ‘Oh, this is something I’ve got to do.”

The final film will be roughly half script – featuring scenes with Sportscenter-like studio anchors – and half improvisation, including interviews with competitors.

His road to filmmaking is as colorful as his subject matter. A graduate in philosophy from Washington & Lee, who also studied abroad at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, Frazier described it this way. Law school, the track chosen by others in his family, wasn’t for him.

“You have three choices,” Frazier said. “You can either get in the unemployment line, or you can try to use philosophy for extortion … That’s not really an option, or you can do something weird and creative. I went with weird and creative.”

Unlike today, when documentaries find homes on multiple platforms from PBS to streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV and HBO, that wasn’t the case as Frazier came of age.

“I saw Roger and Me (Michael Moore’s expose’ on GM), for the first time, and it blew my mind. Then I found out all the ethical problems with that movie, I guess you could say, that were egregious, and it broke my heart.

“I also remember seeing Hoop Dreams (the story of two African-American high schoolers dreaming of playing professional ball) for the first time, and it equally blew me away,” Frazier says.

The genesis of his films comes from comedy and the land of Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair or masked villains from “parts unknown.”

“I’ve always been into comedy,” Frazier says. “It’s an influence to have sort of an absurd style and kind of the pomp of professional wrestling, along with different sorts of comedic approaches of how to do a documentary.

“Nobody really does a documentary like me,” Frazier adds. “I’m the world’s only comedic, short documentarian.”

Most documentary films don’t yuk it up, he acknowledges, instead focusing on sober subject matter.

“It’s not funny when you hear about people in war-torn nations trying to survive. That’s not going to be a laugh riot. It’s also hard to watch. You have to be in the right frame of mind.”

Frazier’s approach?

“I focus on events that mostly people can do on any given day on their own, just with some friends.”

Network sports shows, like ABC’s iconic Wide World of Sports, also influence Frazier’s films. Remember Mexican cliff diving, logger sports and wrist wrestling, along with NASCAR, the British Open and table tennis from the People’s Republic of China?

“I always thought that was an inherently sort of a silly way to view the world,” he says. “These are sporting events. This is not a world war. But it’s treated on that level of importance. So, I thought, let’s take unimportant sporting events and raise them to the level of a World Cup or Super Bowl.

“I think that is inherently funny to treat something like a cardboard boat race like the World Cup. That’s essentially what we’re doing – a carboard boat race World Cup.”

Fans of the British comedy troupe Monty Python doubtless recall The Upper-Class Twit of the Year sketch, satire on dimwitted members of England’s upper class. There’s a dash of that in his cardboard boat racing series, Frazier says.

“Shooting this at times, I realize that I have these highly successful people building cardboard boats, people you’d think would be naturally really good at it.”

Not necessarily so. One of the film’s boat builders, for example, is a successful architect.

“He’s designed Lord knows how many buildings, and he’s a terrible cardboard boat designer,” Frazier said. “His boats barely got off the beach. That is inherently funny to me.”

Audiences seem to think Frazier’s films are funny, too.

Frazier’s films have captured “Audience Choice” Awards at the Sidewalk Film Festival, Indie Memphis, the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival and others. The Santa Fe recognition came after a vigorous write-in campaign by festivalgoers.

The first Cardboard Titanic film was done while Frazier was “retired” from moviemaking. He screened it at Sidewalk, intending to go no further.

“People asked, ‘What’s your next project?’ ” When he responded that he was retired, the response was surprising and made his calling clear.

“You don’t understand,” he recalled moviegoers saying. “You’re not good at anything else.”

From there, the film was screened at some 50 festivals in the United States and Europe, winning a “ton of awards,” including Best Documentary at the Louisville Film Festival.

And it led to a sequel: Cardboard Titanics: Smart People Being Stupid. “Cardboard Titanics was in competition with the short documentary winner at that year’s Sundance Film Festival.

The film that was in part shot with Go Pros, cameras, drones and the like on Logan Martin is the latest in what Frazier hopes will be a six-part series.

And cardboard vessels aren’t his only methods of fun filmmaking. He’s also had tall bicycle jousting films – riders on stacked bikes bearing lances tipped with cushions and boxing gloves.

“When you’re doing a comedy, (festival) audiences are going to like you,” Frazier says. “Especially if they’re getting a lot of very dark things and documentaries. People would really rather laugh than be miserable or be outraged on a certain level. It’s a happier way to live.”

Asked if the positive audience response is the result of these days of COVID-19 and polarized politics, Frazier didn’t mince words.

“Damn right,” he says. “Social media has polarized us to a different level of conflict. We’re becoming increasingly tribal, and I’m not a very political person. I’ve spent my life trying to get people to get along.”

So Alabama’s happy warrior of independent documentary soldiers on, dumpster driving for cardboard, hoping to outrun the winter chill in his latest project, all while funding his films from his own pocket.

Pell City and Lakeside Park drew rave reviews from the filmmaker who shot a portion of his current project in August. He still has two more races to film.

“It was the perfect location, and they were so nice to us,” Frazier says. “The staff helped tremendously. They were so enthusiastic about it. We would love to shoot there again. Maybe there will be season two of the Cardboard Boat World Cup. I hope so.”

His mission is simple. Unlike other documentarians who hope their films will change the world, Frazier charts a different course in part with a small fleet of soggy cardboard vessels and a crew of more than 30 people.

While audiences may see the glamour of film, Frazier compares his calling to “herding cats and walking into traffic. The only thing I can do is make people laugh and enjoy their lives for a certain period of time.”

Frazier recalls an encounter at the Atlanta Film Festival with a California filmmaker, who looked every bit the part of a surfer dude, with attitude to match. As an Oscar-qualifier festival, Atlanta is a marquee indie film showcase.

“He watched the film and said, ‘That was a joyous celebration of life,’ ” Frazier recalls.

“That’s what I can do.”

A moveable feast

September events offer a buffet for tastebuds, heart and eye

Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos

The American standard “September Song”, sung by the late, great Tony Bennett, Nat “King” Cole and countless crooners, reminds us that days grow short, dwindling to a precious few, when the calendar flips to the ninth month.

Three events in the month – the Alabama Wine Festival, Art on the Rocks and A Taste of Northeast Alabama – make the precious – and prayerfully, cooler – days more wonderful.

Here’s a brief look at three events set for the Neely Henry Lake region of the Coosa River:

The Alabama Wine Festival

Wine lovers will sip the traditions of Europe crafted here by Alabama vintners. The third annual Alabama Wine Festival, hosted on the grounds of Duck Springs’ Wills Creek Winery, celebrates the state’s growing winemaking industry.

The festival is set for Sept. 16 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets for the adults only event are $30 per person. Designated driver tickets are free. Designated drivers must be 21 or older. Identification is required.

Eats will be available from local food trucks, and wine will be available to sample and purchase. And festivalgoers will be serenaded by live music.

Jahn (cq) and Janie Coppey own Wills Creek Winery. Born in Switzerland and a former NASA engineer, Jahn is a dual Swiss-American citizen, as is his American-born bride, Jamie.

Fitting for the makers of wine, romance is at the heart of the Wills Creek story. When Jahn Coppey came to America in 1971 to work in the space program in Huntsville, he spoke four languages – French, German, Spanish and Italian. He moved to London to learn English, but by his own admission, his understanding was “very poor.”

When he came to Alabama, he was introduced to a teacher who spoke some French. She was tasked with growing the young mathematician’s English fluency. The language of love took over, and a year later, Jahn and Janie Coppey were married.

That was 51 years ago.

Jahn and Janie opened Wills Creek Winery in 1996. And while at first blush, the journey from working on the space program to owning a winery may seem a giant leap, Jahn is a third-generation vintner, with roots in Switzerland’s breathtaking Rhone River Valley. Wine has been made in the region since the time of the Romans.

There’s also some heritage in Janie Coppey’s family, which has called Duck Springs home since the 1830s

Since Wills Creek opened, the couple has worked tirelessly, not only to grow the state’s winemaking industry, but also to advocate for a change in Alabama’s antiquated liquor laws. The Alabama Wine Festival’s aim is to grow the industry and deliciously make visitors aware of the state’s wine business.

Interestingly, Alabama’s soil is one of two places in America perfect for growing exclusive Pinot Noir grapes. The sweltering, unpredictable Southern summers aren’t cooperative. Still, native Muscadine grapes and their more than 100 varieties thrive here, and the Coppeys craft wine from Alabama Muscadines and other fruits found across the globe.

When Wills Creek opened, there were only three wineries in the state. Now there are 37 federally permitted wineries in the state, but less than half are working wineries.

Last year, 11 Alabama wineries participated in the Alabama Wine Festival, attracting 300 people from 15 states.

Jahn Coppey sees vintage years ahead for the wine festival and the growth of the winemaking art in Alabama. But people still ask the same question.

“We’ve been in business 22 years, but people still ask if we’re legal,” Jahn says.

They also have to endure some skepticism from Jahn’s family across the Atlantic.

“They say I’m crazy,” he says. “But what I tell them is I can sell my wine. You can’t.”

And the Coppeys hope to take a page from a small Swiss village near Lake Geneva, that conducted its first wine festival 30 years ago. “They have grown so much,” Jahn says. “They have built some hotels. They’ve built some Air B&Bs all around. Now 30,000 people have been coming to that event.”

The festival benefits neighboring cities and towns, like Gadsden.

“Anytime somebody comes like the wine festival – even though it’s not located in Gadsden, typically they’ve got to stay in Gadsden, John Moore, the city’s director of commercial development, says. “So, it always helps us with our tourism dollars. Even though it’s not in Gadsden, we will help support it. No matter who comes to Etowah County, as long as it’s in Etowah County, Gadsden’s going to benefit.

And the Alabama Wine Festival is catching the public’s attention.

“It’s the thing to do. People want to come and drink wine and have a good time. We have a lot of property here. We can expand and do a lot of things.”

Tourists, including some in RVs are discovering Wills Creek and Alabama wines. The Alabama Wine Festival hopes attract more wine explorers. “We have people driving from New York to New Orleans, and when they’re on the way back, they stop again … It’s beautiful.”

For more information on the Alabama Wine Festival, go to willscreekwinery.com.

Art on the Rocks

Beauty is at the heart of one of Alabama’s great natural wonders, Noccalula Falls. On Sept. 16 and 17, the banks of falls and that part of the Coosa River will come alive with artists, craftspeople and artisans, with everything from paintings to homemade pottery, candles and farm-raised jars of sweet honey and homemade jellies and jams. Woodcarvers and homemade soap makers are among the cornucopia of craftspeople.

Art on the Rocks happens twice annually, this year in April and September. A mainstay on the Alabama festival calendar for nearly two decades, creative folks from across the Southeast come to Noccalula Falls to show their wares. And those items must pass muster, Moore says.

“The coolest thing about what we do is – that not everybody does – is that we vet every single vendor to ensure that their arts and crafts are all handmade,” Moore says. “I don’t think that every arts and crafts festival does that. We’re ensuring that every single vendor out there has homemade arts and crafts.”

The setting adds to the joy of Art on the Rocks, with cool breezes easing the summer heat. Vendors are spread throughout the park, giving visitors a real taste of the outdoors. And food vendors are also at work during Art on the Rocks.

“The setting of it is in Noccalula Falls and it is in the fall so you get a little bit of a taste of the whole area,” Moore says.

September events like Art on the Rocks mean hundreds of thousands of tourism dollars to the local economy, Moore says.

“You’re talking about 2,000 people that are coming into Etowah County to spend their money,” Moore says.

“I preach the fact that we always want to put out a good product,” Moore says. “Because if we put out a good product, we can build on that.”

For more on Art on the Rocks, visit noccalulafallspark.com.

A Taste of Northeast Alabama

One of the newer events on the Neely Henry Lake region’s festival calendar is a foodie’s Nirvana.

Now in its second year, A Taste of Northeast Alabama features restaurants and caterers from all over Northeast Alabama, clear to the Tennessee line.

The Venue at Coosa Landing in Gadsden is home to the culinary celebration, held this year on Sept. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. Only 500 tickets are available at $20 each. Some 40 to 45 caterers and restaurants will be on hand, serving up their kitchen magic. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Altrusa of Gadsden, an international service organization made up of local clubs.

Visitors can leisurely stroll and taste the best the region has to offer.

The bounce of the festivals, whether for wine, or food, or arts and crafts is that people come to the region, stay in local accommodations, eat locally and shop in local stores.

“It’s huge for us,” Moore says.

And from Gadsden to Duck Springs and across Etowah County, local communities benefit from the natural beauty.

“Most communities would give their left arm to have a natural falls with a huge gorge that sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, or a city would give their left arm to have a Coosa River running through their town, or to have a thriving downtown Broad Street like we have, Moore says. “And to have all three of those, that’s what we capitalize on. That’s our strength here in Gadsden.”

The September festivals are part of a concerted effort to transform the region into a tourist destination, not a quick stop on the way to Atlanta. Think concerts at the Depression-era Mort Glosser Amphitheater, an entertainment district, more campgrounds, recreation and more.

“We want Gadsden to be known as ‘Fun Town,’” Moore said.

For more information, visit A Taste of Northeast Alabama at greatergadsden.com.