Eutaw, AL
Come to the only show in town where you can smile and sway to ole timey blues, enjoy the delicacies of right-off-the grill barbecue and polish sausages, feast on freshly cooked country dinners with assorted pies and cakes and then top it all off with hand churned homemade ice cream.
All this and more is happening at the annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival on Saturday, August 27 and Sunday August 28 on the Old Courthouse Square in Eutaw, AL.
The festival features down home blues music, old timey gospel, traditional foods, handmade crafts and special events for the young people.
Saturday’s events are scheduled from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. with Ole Timey Blues and dancing featuring musicians Clarence Davis, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, Jock Webb, Lil Lee and the Midnight Blues Band, Willie Halbert and the Fingerprint Band, Lendell Peebles and the Grapevine, Michael Carpenter and Blu Fusion Band, Lemon Harper and others.
The handmade crafts available at the festival are traditional quilts and other needle works; baskets from white oak, pine needles and corn shucks, handmade jewelry and other decorative items.
The assortments of down-home foods include soul food dinners, barbecue, fried fish, chicken and skins, Polish sausage, homemade ice cream, cakes and pies; snow cones, Italian ice, popcorn and more.
Ole Timey Gospel is reserved for Sunday’s festival beginning at 2:00 p.m. and featuring the The Melody Kings, The Mississippi Traveling Stars, The Golden Gates, New Generation Men of Promise, Greene County Mass Choir, The American Travelers, Maxine Donald and the Chosen Ones and many others.
“The Black Belt Folk Roots Festival is home coming time in the region. Many families, class reunions and social clubs plan their annual activities to coincide with the festival’s schedule,” stated Dr. Carol P. Zippert, festival coordinator. “The festival brings together musicians, craftspersons, storytellers, food specialists, community workers – all who are considered bearers of the traditions and folkways of the West Alabama region. This is a festival where people truly celebrate themselves – their joys and struggles and especially ‘how we made it over,’” Zippert states.
According to Dr. Zippert, the two day festival is open to the public free of charge. The hours are Saturday, August 27, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sunday August 28, 2:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
We will be observing every precaution to assure the safety of all participants and attendees at the festival, encouraging everyone to wear masks, use hand sanitizers regularly and keep safe distances around vendors and in seating.
The Black Belt Folk Roots Festival is supported in part by the Alabama Department of Tourism, Black Belt Community Foundation, Alabama Power Foundation and other contributors.
The festival is produced by the Society of Folk Arts & Culture.
P.O. Box 566, Eutaw, AL 35462
There is no admission fee for the Festival events.
For more information contact Carol P. Zippert at 205-372-0525;
Email: zippert.carol79@gmail.com