Ballyhoo Fest March 5-6 at Gulf State Park
Ballyhoo Fest March 5-6 at Gulf State Park
By Eloise Thomley
It’s almost time to Ballyhoo! The Ballyhoo Festival is a unique blend of fine art and cultural exchange, and it’s set for March 5-6 at the Gulf State Park, 20115 State Park Road, Gulf Shores. With more than 80 vendors, visitors will have the opportunity to see some of the best original fine art and fine crafts in the Southeast. The festival times are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, March 5, and 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday March 6.
In addition to fine art, the Ballyhoo Festival will share the culture of the Poarch Creek Indians, the only federally recognized tribe in the State of Alabama. The PCI Cultural Director will provide historical narrative about the tribe and will describe the meaning of each tribal dance. The Poarch Creek (pictured) will perform original tribal dance in ceremonial regalia at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 5.
Sunday, March 6, will feature Early Americana music in the form of a Fiddle/Banjo Competition, sponsored in part by FloraBama and Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival. Fiddle and banjo players will be competing all day and will be warming up at different areas of the park before getting on stage. At 3 p.m., there will be a special performance by the Cotton Pickin’ Kids, an Alabama family of three brothers and three sisters, ages 11 to 19, all who play different instruments and specialize in bluegrass music.
Bring your lawn chairs or enjoy sitting on the soft grass surrounding the Wind Creek Stage. Our performers always enjoy a big crowd. The emcee for March 5 and 6 will be Darwin Singleton of Channel 15 (NBC), Mobile.
Kid’s Korner will have art projects for children and the Wind Creek Stage will feature The Destinations (pictured), Rollin’ in the Hay and Emily Stuckey and Amanda Donald. Visitors will enjoy live art demonstrations by Greg Cartmell, a renown artist from Meridian. The food will be bountiful and the friendly hospitality of the fun-loving residents of Coastal Alabama will make visitors want to spend the day.
Parking will be at the Gulf State Pier, the Gulf State Lodge and the Gulf State Pavilion. Park Rangers will be on hand to provide directions and assistance. Attendees can drop off guests at the park entrance, then park at one of the parking sites and walk over the bridge to the festival. All handicapped parking will be available inside the festival grounds. Shuttles will be available at the Gulf State Pavilion.
The Ballyhoo Festival is an event of the non-profit, Gulf Coast Arts Alliance, with office and Gallery at 225 E 24th Ave., Gulf Shores, Al. This event is assisted by Gulf Shores-Orange Beach Tourism and the State of Alabama Tourism Dept., and the State of Alabama Parks and Recreation.