TUSCUMBIA – The Helen Keller Festival Board has announced plans for the thirty-fifth annual Helen Keller Festival which will be celebrated June 26 – 30 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. On the last full weekend in June each year, and in the days preceding, thousands of visitors and locals gather in the town of Helen Keller’s birth. They come, not only to pay tribute to one of the most significant women of America’s history, but also to have fun! In doing so, they also learn about the contributions made to society by Keller on behalf of individuals who suffer disabilities. Keller, herself blind and deaf from early childhood, is recognized as “America’s First Lady of Courage”. Events scheduled throughout the five days are centered in downtown Tuscumbia and in the city’s Spring Park, located at the south end of Main Street.
“Setting the stage,” figuratively and literally, “The Miracle Worker” will be presented on Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29, in an outdoor theater at the Keller Home, Ivy Green, on the very grounds where Helen Keller played as a child and learned the meaning of words. The award-winning play, in its 52nd season at Ivy Green, dramatizes Helen’s childhood in Tuscumbia, especially the experiences with her teacher, Annie Sullivan.
It climaxes as Helen’s teacher spells the word “water” into her hand while pumping water and the child grasps the meaning of language. Curtain time is 8:00 p.m. both evenings, with gates opening at 6:30 p.m. Each performance is signed for the hearing impaired. Reserved and general admission tickets are available and touring of the home is included. Ivy Green is also open for tours, Monday – Saturday, 8:30 – 4:00 p.m. and during special festival hours on Sunday, 11:00 – 4:00 p.m. Admission is charged. For more information about the play or to reserve seats, call 256-383-4066 or visit the website, www.helenkellerbirthplace.org.
First Presbyterian Church, Tuscumbia, will offer a mid-week concert on Wednesday, June 26, beginning at 7:00 p.m. with the Keith Connell Group, followed by Stampede and the Kerry Gilbert Band.
No celebration is complete without a parade, so at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 27, the Helen Keller Festival Parade will be led through downtown by its grand marshal Warren Johnson. The great nephew of Helen Keller, Johnson has served the community as a member of the Tuscumbia City Council and on several boards, notably the Shoals Economic Development Authority. He is a past member and chairman of the Helen Keller Festival Board and along with family members and the Henninger, Johnson & Layton Insurance Agency, he is an on-going supporter of the Helen Keller Festival. Johnson is known as “The Voice of the Tigers” during Deshler High School football games. He is an active member of First Presbyterian Church. Parade organizers anticipate this being one of the largest parades in festival history.
A Downtown Street Party will follow the parade in Tuscumbia on Thursday, June 27. Main Street will be blocked off between Fourth and Sixth Streets creating a venue for live music featuring a high energy performance at 7:00 by The Springs. Stores will remain open late and crafters have been invited to set up booths along the sidewalks. This event is sponsored by the merchants of Market 35674.
Art & Crafts
A large number of artists and crafters offering a variety of handmade goods and art are expected to participate in the Helen Keller Festival Arts & Crafts Show. Festival organizers state that this year’s arts and crafts will hold something that fits within every person’s budget, while maintaining the level of quality that is expected at the Helen Keller Festival. The show opens at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, June 28, running until 6:00 p.m. that evening, On Saturday, June 29, the hours are 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday, June 30, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. A popular children’s activity tent, Imagination Station, will provide fun, hands-on projects on Friday and Saturday.
Keller Festival Arts & Crafts
The Tennessee Valley Museum of Art, located on Water Street and North Commons, W. (across the street from the Helen Keller Home) will offer special exhibitions within the museum, during regular week -day hours, and during special festival hours on Tuesday, June 25 – Saturday, June 29, 9:00 am-5:00 p.m.; admission: $5.00 adults, $3 children. Free admission will be granted on Sunday, June 30, 1:00-3:00 p.m. The 2012 Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama is a juried competition of works by Alabama children who are visually impaired, blind or deaf blind. One child’s art piece is selected each year to receive the Patty Johnson Award and is retained in permanent collection. “Elayne Goodman: Art as Life” is on display in the main gallery. The artist’s work is characterized by exceptionally high content and color. Each piece is one-of-a-kind with recurring motifs utilizing recycled materials. “Meet the Artist” from Noon – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Call the Tennessee Valley Museum of Art for information at 256-383-0533 or visit www.tvaa.net.
Musical Entertainment in Spring Park, featuring Headliner Concerts:
The musical line-up in Spring Park on Friday, June 28, begins at 5:00 p.m. with Chelsea Yarber, followed by Chris Lucas, Aaron Blades Band and the Kerry Gilbert Band, all popular local artists. At 8:00 p.m. the headliner concert will be performed by Darryl Worley. Worley’s career has included three # 1 hits on the country charts.
Darryl Worley
Performances throughout the day on Saturday, June 29, beginning shortly after noon, will include back- to-back performances by Sherry Lints, Rick Mitchell, Valley Roots, Max Russell, The Local Saints, Wildwood Ruminators, and 2nd Creek. Voodoo Bayou will offer their special blend of “funk rock” fused with bluegrass and rockabilly at 7:15 p.m. followed at 8:30 p.m. by headliner Restless Heart, known for their record-shattering string of hits, such as “I’ll Still Be Loving You,” “Fast Movin’ Train” and “When She Cries.”
A Sunday morning Praise and Worship will be sponsored by Calvary Baptist Church, 9:30 – 12:30 a.m. Sherry Ann Lints returns to kick off the evening at 5:00 p.m., followed by Archie Hubbard at 5:30 p.m. The Sidewalk Prophets perform at 7:00 p.m. to wrap up the 2013 Helen Keller Festival.
For complete information about performers and the entertainment schedule, visit the website: www.helenkellerfestival.com or refer to the printed schedule which will be available at information tables throughout Spring Park and at other sites around the area. Contact entertainment chairman – Steifon (Fletch) Passmore, archer1222@gmail.com.
Additional Special Programs and Events:
A number of special programs and events are planned to add to the festivities.
Keller Kids, a program designed to bring awareness to children about the problems faced by disabled individuals, has been an important part of the Helen Keller Festival since 1994. Approximately 100 fourth – sixth graders will be involved, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 27. Pre-registration is required. For more information about Keller Kids, contact Tammie Wright, 256-381-4622 or 256-627-3255.
An Antique Car and Truck Show set for downtown along Main Street on Saturday, June 29, from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 will offer $1,200 in cash and prizes for winning entries. Registration information: Bobby Bates at 256-383-9478 or www.shoalscarandtruckclub.com.
Story-teller Sarah Ann Maples returns to the 2012 Helen Keller Festival to hold her audience spell-bound at the Helen Keller Public Library on Friday, June 28, at 7:00 p.m. The Library also hosts a book sale annually during business hours, Thursday and Friday. For more information: 256-383-7065.
The Coldwater Stagecoach Stop (log cabin) will be open for visitors to view (at no charge) on Friday and Saturday, June 28-29, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Glencoe Cemetery will be open for free, self-guided tours of the final resting place of several members of the Keller and McDonald families, ancestors of Helen Keller during regular business hours all week, Monday, June 24-Friday, June 28. Tours will be offered at the Tuscumbia Railway Depot ($2.00 admission) which houses local history memorabilia and model railroad collections. The depot will be open Tuesday – Thursday, June 25-27, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, June 28-29, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Special screenings of historical documentary films will be presented at The Roundhouse at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Sat., June 29. $3.00 includes one or all films and admission to tour the depot. Information: 256-383-0783.
Local history programs will be presented at announced times at Cold Water Books, where participants will also gather for the Tuesday Evening Trolley Tour (pre-festival, tickets required) and free Walking Tours, which will depart from the bookstore on Friday and Saturday, June 28-29, at 10:00 a.m. These tours will be led by knowledgeable volunteer guides who will take participants into historic homes and other buildings along the way. A Piano Concert by Dinie Stone at First Presbyterian Church, Tuscumbia, will be presented on Saturday at the culmination of the Walking Tour at 11:00 a.m., when tribute will be paid to “America’s First Lady of Courage.” First Presbyterian is the home church of the Keller Family.
Rounding out the 2013 Helen Keller Festival will be several sporting events, including a 5 Mile and 23 Mile Family Bike Ride, a Five Mile and One Mile Fun Run, and the Helen Keller Golf Tournament. Local civic clubs and churches will be offering meal events (See festival schedule).
For more information about any festival activity or to inquire about bringing organized groups of 20 or more to the festival, contact the office of Colbert County Tourism & Convention Bureau at 256-383-0783. Visit www.helenkellerfestival.com for additional festival details or www.colbertcountytourism.org for information about lodging, dining, and other area attractions.
