By C. Campbell, Staff Writer
cody@southerntorch.com
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — While there is no doubt that this year’s Boom Days festival in Fort Payne will be an exciting event, thanks in part to the wide variety of musical acts taking the stage over the weekend, there will be far more to see and do during Boom Days than simply enjoying musical performances.
According to Maurey Roberts, the festival’s chairman, there will be no shortage of activities available to be a part of on Saturday. The local Kiwanis Club will host a pancake breakfast in the parking lot next to the Southern Properties offices at 7 AM.
At the same time, in the parking lot of the Sawyer Building across Gault Avenue, a Farmer’s Market will set up, At 8, a 5K race to benefit the Three Arts Club of Fort Payne will take place, beginning on 5th Street Northwest, by the parking lot for Hammers and the Salvation Army store.
Later in the morning, a Chalk Walk art competition will be held in the parking lot of the Depot Museum. Each space will be its own “canvas,” with the artists working from 10 until 12, followed by the judging at 1.
An arts and crafts show will open at 10 in the city park, while a book sale in Hunt Hall, next to the Opera House, and a Quilt Show in the Coal and Iron Building will both begin at that time as well.
If you got your fill of the Kiwanis Club’s pancake breakfast, but still find yourself hungry, head down to the Rotary Pavilion for the DC Gas BBQ Bash, starting at 11 AM. The proceeds from the barbecue lunch will go to the Lions Club.
On Saturday afternoon, there will be a wine tasting in the Coal and Iron Building at 1 PM, followed by a spirits tasting at the Mid Town Cafe at 3. Both of these events will require a ticket in order to participate. And, as the sun begins to set, the monthly Third Saturday Sunset Cruise-In will be held on Gault Avenue between 3rd and 6th Streets North.
Begun approximately a decade ago, as a way to bring tourists to the area, the Fort Payne Boom Days celebration has grown every year since its beginning.
Named 2015’s Event of the Year by the Alabama State Tourism Department, the 2016 Boom Days festival promises to be no less spectacular of an event.
