By Joseph M. Morgan
joseph@southerntorch.com
FORT PAYNE, Ala.—In early 2015, the 10th annual Boom Days Heritage Celebration was named the Alabama Department of Tourism’s Event of the Year. The festival did not disappoint. Saturday’s event drew in the largest crowd in the ten-year history of Boom Days. DeKalb County Tourism President and CEO John Dersham estimated Saturday’s attendance at 10,000-12,000.
“We had a great turnout to Boom Days this year,” Dersham said as the event wrapped Saturday night. “It will do a lot to boost our local economy through tourism and lodging and the increased spending in Fort Payne and throughout DeKalb County.”
The weather was excellent on Saturday and the event offered music and other entertainment, art, food and fun for all ages. The city blocked off downtown traffic during the festival and pedestrians and performers alike took to the busy streets to take in the sights as a variety of music flowed from three stages.
Covering five blocks of the downtown district in Fort Payne, many downtown merchants held sidewalk sales as a variety of local food vendors lined the streets and dozens of skilled art professionals including quilters, potters, painters, and workers in iron, wood, and glass demonstrated their crafts and offered their wares to the public. There was also a children’s activity area located in City Park.
Entertainment included special performances by Dean’s High-flying Disc (frisbee) Dogs, Yo-Yo professional Matt Mullins, YouTube hula-hoop superstar Katie Sunshine, No More Mondays herding dogs, trapeze performances by Aerial Fabricators. In conjunction with the festival, there were cultural and historical exhibits on display at the Depot Museum, Hosiery Museum and Coal & Iron Building, and a 5K run the morning of the festival.
Musical performances included Leah Seawright, the legendary Muscle Shoals Swampers featuring Jackson Nance, Midnight Mob, Madd Wikkid, Rock Candy, Tucker Yochim Band, and headlining 3-time Grammy winner Delbert McClinton. Other performances included Grammy winner Norman Blake, DieDra & the Ruff Pro Band, Pierce Pettis and New Orleans JazzFest veterans Flow Tribe.
