FORT PAYNE-As spring makes its way into 2022, friends and families look to head outdoors to discover new adventures, and atop Lookout Mountain in northeastern Alabama, an abundance of free family fun, outdoor recreation, culinary delights and beautiful scenery are waiting to be experienced. Along with exploring nature and taking in all that Lookout Mountain has to offer, two events in May – Memories of Mayberry and Antique Alley and Yard Sale – are not to be missed.
On Saturday, May 7, 2022, locals and visitors are invited to a day of fun at Memories of Mayberry in Valley Head, Ala.
Enjoy antics from Barney Fife, Floyd the Barber, Ernest T. Bass, Otis and other Mayberry characters in a real life Mayberry as live music fills the air. Additional activities to enjoy throughout the day include arts and crafts, a cruise in, a pie baking contest, a homemade dill pickle contest and a variety of children’s entertainment including pony rides, train rides, slide and bouncy house and a balloon artist. The day-long event gets underway at 9 a.m. Proceeds benefit the Valley Head Volunteer Fire Department. For more information, call 256-899-3776 or 256-635-6814 or visit the Facebook page at Memories of Mayberry Festival.
For a scenic shopping experience, visitors can take the back roads through the Appalachia region for a shop ‘til you drop experience. Set for May 12-15, 2022, sunrise to sunset, the US 11 Antique Alley Yard Sale offers 502 miles of roadside sales from Meridian, Miss. through DeKalb County, and ending in Bristol, Va. Hundreds of yard sales offering treasures, unique finds and southern hospitality can be found along U.S. Highway 11 through Hammondville, Sulphur Springs, Valley Head, Fort Payne, Colbran, Portersville and Collinsville, all located in DeKalb County. For more information, visit https://visitlookoutmountain.
yard-sale/.
To extend a visit around the two above-mentioned events, pack a suitcase and plan a trip centered on the outdoors. The Lookout Mountain area is home to two of Alabama’s State Parks – Buck’s Pocket State Park and DeSoto State Park – where waterfalls, wildflowers and wildlife are plentiful. For some spectacular views, hop on Canyon Rim Drive and enjoy the drive along the Little River Canyon Nature Preserve. The 11-mile stretch offers eight overlooks providing outstanding vistas of the canyon as well as picnic areas, restroom facilities and interpretive displays on the natural history of the park. Take a break from
exploring nature and plan a stop in Mentone, a mountain village nestled atop the west brow of Lookout Mountain, and indulge in delectable cuisine not found anywhere else in Alabama. For the perfect getaway, check out DeKalb Tourism’s guide to a long weekend in Mentone by visiting https://visitlookoutmountain.
For more information on the above events or on additional things to do in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in northeastern Alabama, visit www.VisitLookoutMountain.com or call DeKalb Tourism at 888.805.4740.
Media Release/John Dersham, President & CEO/DeKalb Tourism
