By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The 2019 Tinglewood Festival on Sept. 7 drew an estimated 7,500 people to Orr Park for the city’s second installment of what has become a widely popular event for woodworkers and residents alike.

The all-woodworking event featured onsite chainsaw wood carving, numerous woodworking artist vendors, a whittling contest, a classic car show, a wooden boat race in the creek and live music.

This year’s festival, endorsed by the Alabama Bicentennial Commission, also included the unveiling of a special carving done by the festival’s namesake, Tim Tingle, to commemorate the state’s 200th birthday.

Adults and children stopped by the chainsaw carving exhibition to watch woodworkers Heather Bailey, Justin Bailey, Corey Lancaster, Abby Peterson and Justin Driver turn large pieces of wood into works of art before their eyes.

An auction of the items the artists carved was held in the afternoon.

Music kicked off with Phil & Walon, a local acoustic duo who met at the University of Montevallo, followed by the Vegabonds, an Alabama-born, Nashville-bred group that has completed three European tours and four full-length albums.

Festival headliner 20 RIDE, a Zac Brown tribute band, closed out the night.

The Tinglewood Festival is organized by the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, Montevallo Main Street and the Montevallo Arts Council.

Members of the Montevallo Junior City Council worked at the festival.