Alexander City Jazz Fest
For a taste of New Orleans, look no further than downtown Alexander City in June. The annual Alexander City Jazz Festival gives the community a chance to get together and dance to live music.
The free festival, which draws about 4,000-plus people, was started by Ralph Froshin, who wanted to thank the community for his store's 100th anniversary.
Musicians perform on a stage erected downtown in Strand Park which is located between Tallapoosa and Alabama streets. Streets are closed off for the event because the jazz fest committee sets up about 250 tables that seat about 10 people each in front of the area stores for dining and partying.
As the bands play their tunes for people to clap and stomp to, judges are touring the tables that are decorated with an assortment of food and different themes. Some people decorate their tables with a New Orleans flavor, while others decorate them with flowers, hats and streamers.
The 250 tables are reserved about four weeks in advance and ideas for table decorations begin at about the same time. However, the actual decorating of tables is about an hour before the music starts. The competition is intense; therefore, the themes are creative and innovative, ranging from crawfish to Mardi Gras displays.
While some people dress up in theme costumes for the event, most showcase their jazz fest T-shirt or cap. And also available are limited editions of posters for the festival, which are designed annually by a different artist. The jazz fest committee encourages local artists to design the posters. The winning poster is signed and numbered by the artist, and only 50 are printed.
Information taken from "The South's Best Kept Secret 1997-98" published by The Outlook
Linda Shaffer, ABR, GRI
Serving the Lake Martin Area
e-mail: shaffer@lakemartin.net
256/329-0088 Home
256/794-4641 Cell
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