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Shelby County residents far and wide will be able to support small businesses at the first Happy Hippie Festival on Sept. 18.

The festival will be held at the Shelby County Exhibition Center and will feature local businesses, artists and crafters.  Haley Wright, the owner of the Travelling Gypsy Consignment Shop in Columbiana, is the organizer of the event. Wright said she wanted to host a festival that would be “an upbeat, fun way for folks to gather, see live musicians, reminisce of youthful days, shop and eat.”

“I couldn’t be more excited,” said Wright. “We know this will turn into an event that people will certainly look forward to every year. We hope to see it grow into a three-day festival showcasing the wanderlust and abundant talent our great state of Alabama has to offer.”

Wright was born and raised in Shelby County and said she always wanted people to see how special the area really is. She hopes the event will be fun for adults and kids alike, and she said she is sure there will be something for people of all tastes to enjoy.

The event will feature over 100 vendors and a car show in addition to live performances by four different musicians. “Travelling Gypsy teamed up with Shops on Main In Jemison and booked four different musicians: Jason Henley, Amber Jean, Ben Mosely and the Contraband, and headliner Jessica Meuse for live performances throughout the day,” said Wright.

Festivalgoers will also have plenty of dining options with food trucks featuring Tamale Queen and D’s Soul Food and Pastries.

Wright said she wants the event to allow people to “create new happy memories and be able to walk away from this affordable event with a sense of nostalgia.”

“I know it has been a challenging year and a half for us all,” she said. “It can seem like we’re all just disconnected with online shopping and self-check outs [and] like we’re just working to pay bills. It will be refreshing to be able to get out and stretch in this wide-open space.”

The event will take place from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Entry fee is $5 if you prepay via the Facebook page.

Tickets at the door day of will be $15.