TUSCUMBIA – Record turnout – record heat was the theme of this year’s annual Helen Keller Festival. Thousands of people swarmed to the 4 day event, despite temperatures that hovered at 100 degrees. This was the 34th such event, The Shoals longest running, and plans are already underway for next year.
The Helen Keller Festival was made possible by the hard work of over 200 volunteers, and the financial and logistical support of community-focused entities such as, Helen Keller Hospital in Sheffield, Attorney M. Chad Smith, Long-Lewis Ford of Muscle Shoals, Big River Broadcasting, Bigbee of Muscle Shoals and numerous banks and other companies.
This year’s festival in Spring Park saw an impressive array of artists and hand-made craft vendors on the north side of Spring Creek. On the south side of the lake, event goers had a huge selection of food and drink to choose from.
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
On Thursday, at Tuscumbia’s newly renamed, “Tuscumbia Market”, the long weekend started on Main Street with Jukebox Jim, followed by The Archie Hubbard Band. Then on Friday, the music moved to the main stage in Spring Park. Artists performing there were, Dillon Hodges, Doc Dailey and Magnolia Devil, then headliner Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit closed out the warm evening. On Saturday the music started in the early afternoon with Luke Dunkin, and as the air temps reached 100 degrees numerous other musical acts performed, like The Alabama Blues Brothers and The Springs.
Diamond Rio
When 9 o’clock rolled around Saturday night, four-time Vocal Group of The Year winner, Diamond Rio hit the main stage and played for a huge audience that numbered in the thousands.
It was a great festival thanks to all the people who worked so hard to put it together. Festival organizers wrote this on their facebook page:
“Thank you to all of our sponsors and to all of YOU for your support of the festival this year! We have something here you can be very proud of. Thanks to all of our Board members and the 200 volunteers who spent the last year and especially the last week keeping this event alive and WELL ! Not one single person associated with the festival gets one dime of pay…we do it because we love our community and love this festival.”
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