Greene County Democrat

Tag: Alabama Power Foundation

  • Mark Your Calendars

    Preparing for the 49th annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival

    By Carol Prejean Zippert

    Just four months before the annual community celebration of the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival, scheduled for August 24 -25, 2024 on the Thomas Gilmore Courthouse Square in Eutaw, and phone calls, texts, emails, and other contacts are pouring in with the perennial question: We’re having the Festival this year, right? The inquiries are more a declaration than a question. So, yes community, we are preparing for the 49th Black Belt Folk Roots Festival.
    The festival was organized in 1975 to pay tribute to those persons recognized as bearers of the folkway, traditions and culture of the West Alabama Region, exemplified through their creations in craft, music, dance, storytelling and foodways. Recently, in observance of National Small Business Week, Representative Terri Sewell toured small businesses in her 7th Congressional District, stopping for lunch at Travis Chicago Style, a locally owned food truck in Birmingham known for their Polish Sausage and Bear Burgers. Travis Holmes is a regular at the annual festival. During the two-day festival activities, the line of folk eager for his delicacies is unending, continuing long after the day’s programs are closed down.
    Many of the festival’s founding elders, the bearers of the culture, have transitioned, signaling a greater need to preserve the stories of struggle, perseverance and the joy shared in How we made it over. Saturday’s Ole Timey Blues recounts hardship and pain. Sunday’s Ole Timey Gospel lifts the spirit in the joy of faith and hope. The grateful music is accented by the colorful crafts that adorn the grounds as well.
    There are fewer quilts, baskets and other traditional crafts of the earlier years, but the young folk come with their own brand of “handmade.” They bring a variety of handcrafted jewelry and other adornments; home made soaps in exotic scents but with useful purposes. They bring art works depicting their views of the world, or just living in a day. They offer decorative items to cheer a body and a home. But the young crafters come and claim the festival in their own ways.
    Belt Folk Roots Festival will again feature the Kid’s Tent with hands-on art workshops. The Kid’s Tent is a special adventure for children at the festival.  They don’t have to do “grown folk stuff.” They have their own piece of the celebration.  Various art supplies are provided for the children to work at their own creations, which they can keep.  The Kid’s Tent also offers pottery making, face painting and games.
    There are costs in producing the festival and we are grateful for the contributors who value the festival, including the Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Power Foundation, Black Belt Community Foundation, grants from Legislators, other non-profits and local merchants. We appreciate the support of local and county government.
    This festival in unique in that there is no admission charge, simply because it is a community celebration. It would be like charging your family a fee to come home for Thanksgiving. The festival brings people together because they need and desire to be together.
    So, yes community, we are preparing for the 49th annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival.

  • 48th Annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival scheduled for August


    Blues musician Clarence Davis, Union Alabama, is one of founding folk artists of the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival; Ms.Vera Spencer cooking skins; Ms.Odessa Rice with crafts and
    Mrs. Claretha and Mr. James Gaines, Sr. singing old timey gospel.

    It’s that special time of year again and the excitement is escalating. The 48th annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival is coming to town on Saturday, August 26 and Sunday August 27, 2023. This community celebration is held on the old courthouse square in Eutaw, AL, (Greene County). The festival features down home blues music, old timey gospel, traditional foods, handmade crafts and special events for the young people.
    All this and more is happening at the annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival, an event that celebrates culture and traditions.
    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, Scott Percer and the Roadhouse Blues Band, Lemon Harper, Russell Gulley on guitar 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 soaps, candles and scents, handmade jewelry and other decorative items.
    The assortments of down-home foods include, barbecue, fried fish, chicken and pork skins, Polish sausage and Bear Burgers, ice cream, cakes and pies; snow cones, Italian ice, popcorn, freshly squeezed lemonade and more.
    Saturday’s festivities will also sponsor a Kids Tent, with complimentary hands-on art activities for the children. Special features will include pottery making and African drumming.
    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, soloist Ms. Eddie Mae Brown and many others.
    “The Black Belt Folk Roots Festival is homecoming 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 26, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sunday August 27, 2:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
    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. For more information contact Carol P. Zippert at 205-372-0525; Email: zippert.carol79@gmail.com

  • Annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival, time for reunions, good food and music

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    Lemon Harper of Sumter County shows off his dance routine at Annual Festival.  and John Kennedy Byrd prepares his famous Barbecue ribs at annual festival

    Where else can you 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 25 and Sunday August 26 on the Old Courthouse Square in Eutaw, AL.
    The festival features down home blues music, old timey gospel, traditional foods, handmade crafts. 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, The Liberators, Jock Webb, Davey Williams, Russell Gulley, Terry “Harmonica” Bean, 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. The assortments of down-home foods include soul food dinners, barbecue, fried fish, chicken and skins, homemade ice cream, cakes and pies; snow cones, Italian ice, and more.
    Ole Timey Gospel is reserved for Sunday’s festival beginning at 2:00 p.m. and featuring the
    The Echo Juniors, The Melody Kings, The Mississippi Traveling Stars, The Golden Gates, New Generation Men of Promise, Greene County Mass Choir, Glory Gospel Group, Angels of Faith, The American Gospel Singers 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,” she explained. “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 25, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Sunday August 26, 2:00 p.m.- 7:00 p.m.
    The Black Belt Folk Roots Festival is supported in part by the Black Belt Community Foundation, Alabama Power Foundation, Alabama Department of Tourism and other local contributors.
    The festival is produced by the Society of Folk Arts & Culture.
    There is no admission fee for the Festival events.
    For more information contact Carol P. Zippert at 205-372-0525;
    Email: carolxzippert@aol.com