September 2008 Archives
The Dallas County Arts Alliance invites you to see our Spectacular Butterflies:
Local artist and craftsmen have designed and decorated BUTTERFLY sculptures. Friday, October 10th, 2008 dozens of 5-foot tall BUTTERFLIES will be unveiled in the downtown historic district of Selma.
Enjoy a full weekend, October I0th & 11th with the Tale-Tellin' Festival on Friday and Saturday evenings and Riverfront Market Day on Water Avenue all day Saturday.
You are also invited to visit Selma's Museums: Vaughn-Smitherman Museum, Old Depot Museum, Sturdivant Hall Museum, National Voting Rights Museum and Institute and the Slavery and Civil War Museum. For more information, contact Selma, Alabama: 334.418.4889.
Local artist and craftsmen have designed and decorated BUTTERFLY sculptures. Friday, October 10th, 2008 dozens of 5-foot tall BUTTERFLIES will be unveiled in the downtown historic district of Selma.
Enjoy a full weekend, October I0th & 11th with the Tale-Tellin' Festival on Friday and Saturday evenings and Riverfront Market Day on Water Avenue all day Saturday.
You are also invited to visit Selma's Museums: Vaughn-Smitherman Museum, Old Depot Museum, Sturdivant Hall Museum, National Voting Rights Museum and Institute and the Slavery and Civil War Museum. For more information, contact Selma, Alabama: 334.418.4889.
Fall is full of fun in Selma, Alabama. Be sure to get your Kozy Dog at the 52nd Annual Central Alabama Fair sponsored by The Selma Lions Club from October 6th – October 11th. Miss Central Alabama is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7th at 7:00 PM. You can pick up a detailed fair schedule from the front desk at the Centre for Commerce.
The Tale Tellin’ Festival gets everyone in the fall mood with the good ole fashioned entertainment of story telling. The Tale Tellin’ festival is a treat for everyone with guest storytellers and our own Kathryn Tucker Windham, held October 10 – 11th at the Pickard Auditorium beginning at 5:30 – and with tickets only $10 there is no reason to not heed their welcome of “Y’all come!” You may email taletellin@yahoo.com for more information.
The Dallas County Arts Alliance invites you to see our SPECTACULAR BUTTERFLIES. Local Artist and craftsman have designed and decorated BUTTERFLY sculptures. Friday, October 10th, 2008 dozens of 5 foot tall BUTTERFLIES will be unveiled in the downtown historic district as Selma takes flight to greater heights.
Riverfront Market Day is scheduled for October 11th from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Located on Historic Water Avenue, this outside market is sure to have something for everyone. With access to live entertainment, food vendors and numerous wares the admission of only $2 is a bargain! Don’t miss the Butterfly tour!
You don’t have to believe in ghosts to hear the past speaking to you. Two centuries of area history will come back to haunt you during The Haunted History Tours. Scheduled for October 17-18 from 6:30 – 10:30, this event features Old Cahawba Archaeological Park and venues in Selma’s spectacular historic district. Tickets are $15. - ages 12 and up only, please. Don’t forget to bring your camera and a flashlight. Email Candace@SelmaAlabama.com for more information and to order tickets – advanced tickets are recommended.
Kenan’s Mill comes alive on for its 7th annual Fall Festival and Bluegrass Event on November 1st. From 9am-5pm. Kenan’s Mill Festival is a celebration of rural life and traditions in the Black Belt. Harkening back to the days when families drove their wagons full of corn to the mill to have it ground into meal, the large water-powered Admission is only $5 per carload, so bring several friends. Spend the day at Kenan’s Mill. You will feel like you have experienced a little bit of times gone by.
The Tale Tellin’ Festival gets everyone in the fall mood with the good ole fashioned entertainment of story telling. The Tale Tellin’ festival is a treat for everyone with guest storytellers and our own Kathryn Tucker Windham, held October 10 – 11th at the Pickard Auditorium beginning at 5:30 – and with tickets only $10 there is no reason to not heed their welcome of “Y’all come!” You may email taletellin@yahoo.com for more information.
The Dallas County Arts Alliance invites you to see our SPECTACULAR BUTTERFLIES. Local Artist and craftsman have designed and decorated BUTTERFLY sculptures. Friday, October 10th, 2008 dozens of 5 foot tall BUTTERFLIES will be unveiled in the downtown historic district as Selma takes flight to greater heights.
Riverfront Market Day is scheduled for October 11th from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Located on Historic Water Avenue, this outside market is sure to have something for everyone. With access to live entertainment, food vendors and numerous wares the admission of only $2 is a bargain! Don’t miss the Butterfly tour!
You don’t have to believe in ghosts to hear the past speaking to you. Two centuries of area history will come back to haunt you during The Haunted History Tours. Scheduled for October 17-18 from 6:30 – 10:30, this event features Old Cahawba Archaeological Park and venues in Selma’s spectacular historic district. Tickets are $15. - ages 12 and up only, please. Don’t forget to bring your camera and a flashlight. Email Candace@SelmaAlabama.com for more information and to order tickets – advanced tickets are recommended.
Kenan’s Mill comes alive on for its 7th annual Fall Festival and Bluegrass Event on November 1st. From 9am-5pm. Kenan’s Mill Festival is a celebration of rural life and traditions in the Black Belt. Harkening back to the days when families drove their wagons full of corn to the mill to have it ground into meal, the large water-powered Admission is only $5 per carload, so bring several friends. Spend the day at Kenan’s Mill. You will feel like you have experienced a little bit of times gone by.
Continue reading Big Events in Selma, Alabama.
The Selma-Dallas County Tourism & Convention Bureau announces a new event for fall – Haunted History Tours.
Scheduled for October 17-18, this event features Old Cahawba Archaeological Park and two venues in Selma’s spectacular historic district.
On October 17 this spirited event begins with an evening of CSI – Cahawba Spirit Investigation - a rare opportunity to experience Alabama’s most famous ghost town at night. Vans will shuttle participants to Cahawba’s most haunted locations where Alabama Historical Commission staff will share documented historical accounts of sightings. Then real life paranormal investigators - members of Central Alabama Paranormal Investigations - will join the group, demonstrate “ghost hunting” equipment, and conduct an “investigation.” Six 90 minute “investigation” tours will be offered with the first starting at 6:30 pm and the last at 9:00 pm. Seating is limited for this exclusive night-time event so advance reservations are absolutely necessary. Linda Derry, site director at Old Cahawba, who is also offering a daylight tour of this ghost town on Saturday morning, October 18th, states “at Cahawba, you don’t have to believe in ghosts to hear the past speaking to you. The relic landscape at this location contains many intriguing messages left behind by long dead inhabitants.”
Scheduled for October 17-18, this event features Old Cahawba Archaeological Park and two venues in Selma’s spectacular historic district.
On October 17 this spirited event begins with an evening of CSI – Cahawba Spirit Investigation - a rare opportunity to experience Alabama’s most famous ghost town at night. Vans will shuttle participants to Cahawba’s most haunted locations where Alabama Historical Commission staff will share documented historical accounts of sightings. Then real life paranormal investigators - members of Central Alabama Paranormal Investigations - will join the group, demonstrate “ghost hunting” equipment, and conduct an “investigation.” Six 90 minute “investigation” tours will be offered with the first starting at 6:30 pm and the last at 9:00 pm. Seating is limited for this exclusive night-time event so advance reservations are absolutely necessary. Linda Derry, site director at Old Cahawba, who is also offering a daylight tour of this ghost town on Saturday morning, October 18th, states “at Cahawba, you don’t have to believe in ghosts to hear the past speaking to you. The relic landscape at this location contains many intriguing messages left behind by long dead inhabitants.”
Continue reading HAUNTED HISTORY TOUR IN SELMA, ALABAMA, OCTOBER 17-18.
November 1, 2008--9am-5pm
Kenan’s Mill Festival is a celebration of rural life and traditions in the Black Belt. Harkening back to the days when families drove their wagons full of corn to the mill to have it ground into meal, the large water-powered stones of the grist mill will again grind corn into cornmeal.
This year’s festival will have several unique events. This year’s festival will host the First Annual Selma’s Best Chili Cookoff. Teams will provide free tasting for the public to enjoy. There will be at least10 artist on hand providing the public with a rare opportunity to see some of the best local art as well as arts and craft vendors.
Live music starts at 10 am, with 7 year old Caleb Bryant and his grandfather playing dueling fiddles. Around 12 noon Alabama’s premier jug-less band the Gravy-Soppers will take the stage. This band has been a real crowd-pleaser in previous events at Kenan’s Mill. The HemHawers will also take the stage in the afternoon with a lively set.
Other activities include corn-grinding demonstrations, tours of the mill, cottage, and demonstration gardens adjacent to the cottage. You can also walk across the swinging bridge to see the “beehive” kiln. Hint; test the neat acoustics in the kiln by standing in the very center and vocalizing.
A vintage 1951 Ford tractor will be providing wagon rides for the kids all afternoon and other children’s activities will be available also.
When you work up an appetite, head for the vittles wagon for southern favorites such as hamburgers, hotdogs, and beverages, or calm your sweet tooth with some home-made cookies or a fried apple pie.
The usual seating on hay bales will be available, but you may want to bring a chair to sit on while you enjoy the music.
Admission is only $5 per carload, so bring several friends. Spend the day at Kenan’s Mill. You will feel like you have experienced a little bit of times gone by.
For more information contact
Ken Smith
M-F 7am-4pm 875-2600 X234
After 4pm 875-3160
email: ksmith@henrybrick.com
Kenan’s Mill Festival is a celebration of rural life and traditions in the Black Belt. Harkening back to the days when families drove their wagons full of corn to the mill to have it ground into meal, the large water-powered stones of the grist mill will again grind corn into cornmeal.
This year’s festival will have several unique events. This year’s festival will host the First Annual Selma’s Best Chili Cookoff. Teams will provide free tasting for the public to enjoy. There will be at least10 artist on hand providing the public with a rare opportunity to see some of the best local art as well as arts and craft vendors.
Live music starts at 10 am, with 7 year old Caleb Bryant and his grandfather playing dueling fiddles. Around 12 noon Alabama’s premier jug-less band the Gravy-Soppers will take the stage. This band has been a real crowd-pleaser in previous events at Kenan’s Mill. The HemHawers will also take the stage in the afternoon with a lively set.
Other activities include corn-grinding demonstrations, tours of the mill, cottage, and demonstration gardens adjacent to the cottage. You can also walk across the swinging bridge to see the “beehive” kiln. Hint; test the neat acoustics in the kiln by standing in the very center and vocalizing.
A vintage 1951 Ford tractor will be providing wagon rides for the kids all afternoon and other children’s activities will be available also.
When you work up an appetite, head for the vittles wagon for southern favorites such as hamburgers, hotdogs, and beverages, or calm your sweet tooth with some home-made cookies or a fried apple pie.
The usual seating on hay bales will be available, but you may want to bring a chair to sit on while you enjoy the music.
Admission is only $5 per carload, so bring several friends. Spend the day at Kenan’s Mill. You will feel like you have experienced a little bit of times gone by.
For more information contact
Ken Smith
M-F 7am-4pm 875-2600 X234
After 4pm 875-3160
email: ksmith@henrybrick.com
There will be a flat water scenic river paddle in Monroe County on the Alabama River from Haines Island (Davis Ferry) to Isaacs Creek Campground at Claiborne. This paddle will be led by Don Self, a knowledgeable naturalist and birdwatcher who has studied William Bartram’s travels through the area. He is a retired geologist who lives near Gallion. He will be assisted by Randy Nalley a forester for Weyerhaeuser.
This Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) Paddle is sponsored by the Board of the ASRT, ALA-TOM R C&D, Southwest Alabama Tourism, Monroe County Heritage Museum, and the Army Corp of Engineers. The purpose of the paddle is to get people interested in exploring the Selma-Gainestown portion of the ASRT. The cost of the paddle is $55 which includes: a tour guide, a portable breakfast and lunch on Saturday, Oct 4, a dinner and entertainment that night at the Isaacs Creek campground, a breakfast on Sunday, October 5 as well as an old fashioned Sunday Dinner to end the activities. It also includes transportation for paddlers back to Haines Island to get their vehicles to return to Isaac Creek to pick up their canoes as well as admission to the Alabama River Museum.
The paddlers must provide their own canoe or kayak, paddles, life jacket, tent and sleeping bag. They must reserve and pay for camping. They will be required to transport their own canoes from Isaac Creek Campground on Sunday. The paddlers will be transported to their vehicles at Haines Island, the starting point of the paddle.
The schedule of events will be:
October 4:
October 5:
This Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) Paddle is sponsored by the Board of the ASRT, ALA-TOM R C&D, Southwest Alabama Tourism, Monroe County Heritage Museum, and the Army Corp of Engineers. The purpose of the paddle is to get people interested in exploring the Selma-Gainestown portion of the ASRT. The cost of the paddle is $55 which includes: a tour guide, a portable breakfast and lunch on Saturday, Oct 4, a dinner and entertainment that night at the Isaacs Creek campground, a breakfast on Sunday, October 5 as well as an old fashioned Sunday Dinner to end the activities. It also includes transportation for paddlers back to Haines Island to get their vehicles to return to Isaac Creek to pick up their canoes as well as admission to the Alabama River Museum.
The paddlers must provide their own canoe or kayak, paddles, life jacket, tent and sleeping bag. They must reserve and pay for camping. They will be required to transport their own canoes from Isaac Creek Campground on Sunday. The paddlers will be transported to their vehicles at Haines Island, the starting point of the paddle.
The schedule of events will be:
October 4:
7:00 AM - Haines Island (Monroe County side of the Alabama River), bird watching for interested paddlers
8:00 AM - We will Leave Haines Island for daylong paddle to end at Isaacs Creek Campground (Monroe
County). There will be side trips to view wildlife, plant life, and geology.
4:00 PM - (approximate) land at Isaacs Creek Campground.
6:00 PM - Barbeque and entertainment. Any paddlers wanting to bring musical instruments can have themtransported by the Trip Coordinator from Haines Island to Isaacs Creek Campground.
October 5:
8:00 AM - Breakfast at Isaacs Creek
8:30 AM - Side Trip paddle of the area
10:00 AM- Tour of the Alabama River Museum at Claiborne
11:30 AM - Sunday Dinner at Isaacs Creek
12:30 PM - Depart for Haines Island to retrieve vehicles
The Alabama Tourism Department produced a very impressive booklet about the many resources found in Alabama's Black Belt last year. Take a look!
The Black Belt is named for the rich black soil that grew superior cotton during the 19th century. The collapse of the plantation economy during the Civil War left a legacy of "soul food" cooking, art fashioned from found materials, vast stretches of pristine river bottom land and, most recently, the Civil Rights Movement.
The Black Belt is named for the rich black soil that grew superior cotton during the 19th century. The collapse of the plantation economy during the Civil War left a legacy of "soul food" cooking, art fashioned from found materials, vast stretches of pristine river bottom land and, most recently, the Civil Rights Movement.
The people of this remarkable remnant of the Old South invite you to explore what you've heard about: Tuskegee Institute, the Edmund Pettus Bridge at Selma, Gee's Bend and the famous quilters, quaint shops in Marion, mansions in Demopolis and Greensboro, and candies made by hand at Priester's Pecans. The terrain formed by the meanderings of the Black Warrior, Tombigbee and Alabama rivers is home to numerous species of flora, birds and other wildlife. Explore the biologically diverse state parks and other natural habitats. Take your time. Spend several days here. Be transported back to an era that you thought had vanished.
Click here to download the complete Alabama Black Belt Nature and Heritage Trail brochure (10.4MB PDF).
Source: Alabama Tourism Department
al.com story
And, while you are there enjoying the mural trail, be sure to check out the Gee's Bend community.
Description: The Gee’s Bend community has become famous for its quilts, which are now highly prized by collectors and were celebrated nationally in 2006 in a U.S. postage stamp series. The quilters usually gather at the Boykin Nutrition Center by 8:30 am and quilt until 1:30 pm Monday through Thursday, but this may vary. Gee’s Bend quilts are housed at the Community House, which can be visited by appointment. There is no food available in Gee’s Bend, so plan accordingly.
The Gee’s Bend Ferry crosses the Alabama River several times daily, linking Gee’s Bend and Camden. Gee’s Bend Park is on the left just above the ferry stop. It has a pavilion and a small deck overlooking the river. At this picturesque site, you can observe avian and aquatic wildlife, including White Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants and ducks as well as the comings and goings of the ferry.
Directions: From Montgomery, go west on US 80 to Selma. Go west on AL 22 that becomes
AL 5 South. Near Alberta at mile-marker 32, go southeast on CR 29 for 14 miles. Turn left toward the Boykin Nutrition Site for 1 mile to the Quilters Collective. (The Collective is near the Boykin Post Office.)
Access: Park- Daily; Free
Community House - call (334) 573-2323 for
appt, GPS coordinates: N 32.05830, W 087.30583,
Site Contact: Dannelly Reservoir Resource Office and Visitor Center, 1226 Powerhouse Rd. , Camden, AL 36726
(334) 682-4244
http://al_lakes.sam.usace.army.mil
And, while you are there enjoying the mural trail, be sure to check out the Gee's Bend community.
Description: The Gee’s Bend community has become famous for its quilts, which are now highly prized by collectors and were celebrated nationally in 2006 in a U.S. postage stamp series. The quilters usually gather at the Boykin Nutrition Center by 8:30 am and quilt until 1:30 pm Monday through Thursday, but this may vary. Gee’s Bend quilts are housed at the Community House, which can be visited by appointment. There is no food available in Gee’s Bend, so plan accordingly.
The Gee’s Bend Ferry crosses the Alabama River several times daily, linking Gee’s Bend and Camden. Gee’s Bend Park is on the left just above the ferry stop. It has a pavilion and a small deck overlooking the river. At this picturesque site, you can observe avian and aquatic wildlife, including White Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants and ducks as well as the comings and goings of the ferry.
Directions: From Montgomery, go west on US 80 to Selma. Go west on AL 22 that becomes
AL 5 South. Near Alberta at mile-marker 32, go southeast on CR 29 for 14 miles. Turn left toward the Boykin Nutrition Site for 1 mile to the Quilters Collective. (The Collective is near the Boykin Post Office.)
Access: Park- Daily; Free
Community House - call (334) 573-2323 for
appt, GPS coordinates: N 32.05830, W 087.30583,
Site Contact: Dannelly Reservoir Resource Office and Visitor Center, 1226 Powerhouse Rd. , Camden, AL 36726
(334) 682-4244
http://al_lakes.sam.usace.army.mil
http://blog.al.com/bn/2008/07/in_his_own_words_gees_bend_art.html
The Birmingham News offers a pictorial of the Gee's Bend Mural Trail (set for a Fall 2008 opening) and an interview with creator Tyree McCloud.
Very interesting.
The Birmingham News offers a pictorial of the Gee's Bend Mural Trail (set for a Fall 2008 opening) and an interview with creator Tyree McCloud.
Very interesting.
http://blog.al.com/scenesource/2008/08/windhams_wit_insight_revealed.html
Interesting article on Kathryn Tucker Windham from the Birmingham News.
Encounters: Photographs By Kathryn Tucker Windham. Jennifer Hunt Gallery. Through Sept. 20.
For those that do not know, Kathryn Tucker Windham is from the Black Belt near Thomasville, Alabama. She's famous for her storytelling abilities--I remember going to see her frequently in Selma, Alabama at their annual Storytelling Festival. What fun we had.
She recently celebrated her 90th birthday and really is an Alabama icon. Her stories--ghost stories in particular, but--but many, many stories that simply celebrate Alabama's deep south--are wonderful. Mama read many of them to me, and I have a nice collection of books by Ms. Windham. You can find many of them by clicking the link below!
Books by Kathyrn Tucker Windham
Interesting article on Kathryn Tucker Windham from the Birmingham News.
Encounters: Photographs By Kathryn Tucker Windham. Jennifer Hunt Gallery. Through Sept. 20.
For those that do not know, Kathryn Tucker Windham is from the Black Belt near Thomasville, Alabama. She's famous for her storytelling abilities--I remember going to see her frequently in Selma, Alabama at their annual Storytelling Festival. What fun we had.
She recently celebrated her 90th birthday and really is an Alabama icon. Her stories--ghost stories in particular, but--but many, many stories that simply celebrate Alabama's deep south--are wonderful. Mama read many of them to me, and I have a nice collection of books by Ms. Windham. You can find many of them by clicking the link below!
Books by Kathyrn Tucker Windham
