FLORENCE – The Music Preservation Society, Inc. (MPS) announces its 2017 Handy Festival Design Competition has been extended. Artists of all ages are invited to participate in the contest to have their creation compete to be the featured design on 2017 W.C. Handy Music Festival Brochures, official posters and t-shirts, and other marketing materials. The winning artist(s) will receive a cash prize of Five Hundred Dollars. Entries will be judged on merit, suitability as a visual image, originality, and how well the design reflects the spirit of the Festival. Designs must be original, copyright free creations and should include the W.C. Handy Music Festival name, dates (July 21st – 30th, 2017), and primary location. Deadline for entries is April 21, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. The winner will be notified by April 22, 2017. Entry forms are available by calling the Handy Festival office at 256-766-7642 or on line at: www.WCHandyMusicFestival.com. For further information, contact the Festival chair at 256-394-8674 or at ToriBailey@aol.com, or Alison Stanfield at 256-740-4141 or Alison@VisitFlorenceAL.com.
The W.C. Handy Music Festival is presented annually by the Music Preservation Society, Inc. and honors Florence, Alabama, native William Christopher Handy, who has been recognized internationally as “Father of the Blues”. The Handy Festival is a ten day long, multiple event celebration throughout Northwest Alabama which attracts attendees from around the U.S. and abroad. Events featuring music are held in parks, restaurants, retail stores, churches, theatres, libraries, and other venues. They include concerts, shows, dramatic plays, athletic events, car shows, art displays, and more. Festival music ranging from spirituals, to jazz and blues, and the “Muscle Shoals Sound” is performed live both indoors and outdoors. The Handy Festival is one of the top music events in the Southeast, has been selected several times as a Top Ten Event in Alabama; is a three time Cultural Olympiad Designee by Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games; a Location/Destination on the National Geographic Appalachian Regional Commission’s Featured Sites Map; and has been designated a Top Twenty event in the Southeast since 1986 by Southeast Tourism Society.
Media Release/Alison Stanfield, TMP – Director of Operations
Florence/Lauderdale Tourism
