‘Explore Red Bay’ for Founders Day, Sept. 16
By Lauren Wester
lauren.wester@fct.wpengine.com
It’s that time of year again – time for locals to whip up their best fried pies and strap on their buck dancing shoes. The annual Red Bay Founders Day Festival is right around the corner, Sept. 16.
“Explore Red Bay” is the theme this year in conjunction with the state of Alabama’s tourism theme “Explore Our Places.” It’s all a part of the three-year celebration for Alabama’s 200th birthday.
Founders Day organizer and Tracie Clark said she has worked hard over the past several years to grow the festival into what it is today.
“We’ve added some new events but also brought back some old ones that are fun,” Clark said.
Contests like buck dancing and fiddling, plus some big giveaways, are some of the events Clark said she has brought back for this year. The 5K run and fried pie contest are sure to draw passionate participants. There will also be a quilt contest, photography contest and a coloring contest, she added.
Parks and Recreation Director Dean Hubbard will be in charge of the 5K and the barbecue cook-off. The winner of the cook-off will be determined people’s choice. After the cookoff, which will be located beside city hall, free samples of barbecue will be available.
Proceeds from the 5K run and one-mile fun run will go to the local soccer youth league, Clark said.
There will also be samples available from the fried pie contest.
“Bring a lawn chair and your pocketbook and enjoy the entertainment and the food,” Clark said.
Bright and early at 8:30 a.m., the King and Queen of the beauty pageant, which will be held Sept. 10 at Red Bay High School, will take their train ride through the festival. Forms for the pageant can be found at city hall.
Indoor and outdoor music for the day that will start at 9 a.m. Clark said she is still in the planning stages and will announce a performance schedule at a later date. Indoor performances will be held in the senior center, and the proceeds from the concession stand will go toward trips the senior take, Clark said.
Clark has arranged prizes to be given out to the largest family, the longest distance traveled and the youngest and the oldest in attendance.
Downtown businesses will be having sidewalk sales and special deals in conjunction with festival. The Red Bay Museum will be open, and the Weatherford Public Library will be having a book and magazine sale and will also be selling bottled water, Clark said.
Awards for the antique car/tractor/truck/motorcycle show will be announced at 1 p.m., and the proceeds will go to the Red Bay Senior Center, Clark added.
In other prizes, Clark will even be throwing out T-shirts to the crowd that afternoon.
“I just want to welcome everyone to Red Bay, and I hope it’s a wonderful day and that everyone enjoys the festival,” she said.
To sign up for any of the contests or for more information on the festival, call Red Bay City Hall at 256-356-4473 or visit cityofredbay.org.
