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The Helena Buck Creek Festival returned to its usual May time-slot Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14. The banks of Buck Creek Amphitheatre Park were full of people enjoying the live music and hundreds of local vendors. (Special for the reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By MICHELLE LOVE | Staff Writer

HELENA – The banks of Buck Creek Amphitheatre park were full of Shelby County residents on Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14 as the Buck Creek Festival returned to its usual summer time-slot.

The two-day festival was held in September last year, due to being postponed repeatedly with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With rarely a cloud in the sky, Helena, Pelham and Alabaster residents flocked to the festival to soak in the sunshine and have a day of family-friendly festivities.

“It was so great to have the Buck Creek Festival back up and in full swing,” Mayor Brian Puckett said. “The turnout was awesome, and it looked like everyone was having a great time.”

The park was full of local vendors from Daysol Coffee to LaNetta’s Kitchen. Local artists set up shop to sell everything from stained glass trinkets to homemade soaps. Live music played throughout the weekend with the help of local bands, and children lined up to get their faces painted. Nothing brought more excitement, however, than the return of the annual Rubber Duckie Race. Hundreds of rubber ducks tumbled over the waterfall of Buck Creek and were scooped up by Helena volunteers.

“This is one of the many traditions that make us unique as a city,” Puckett said. “I want to thank the Buck Creek Festival Committee for all of the months of planning and the flawless execution of the event. The ducks falling over the dam is iconic for Helena, and this whole festival is a great fund raiser for the High School Band and an economic generator for the city.”

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