Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Editorial

Hundreds of Shelby County residents stood and sang together with Scotty McCreery during the largest free music festival in the county—Alabaster CityFest—which brought a full day of family-friendly fun, shopping and live-music for the thousands of people who attended on June 1.

While the music acts were the main attraction, more than 150 vendors were present selling a wide collection of goods and services throughout the day. The community showed their support at each booth with some business owners saying that this year’s installment was their most successful ever.

Amidst that action, the sound of children excitedly jumping up and down in the KidsFest area could be heard—with bouncy houses, blow up slides and assorted rides all filled to capacity. It was amazing to see attractions for all ages.

Events like City Fest allow the community to come together and build their ties while interacting with one another. These shared memories can even result in a developed sense of belonging—something everyone needs and what many of us strive to find.

Scotty McCreery, the headline act for the festival, was even spotted in the crowd throughout the day, interacting with fans. Along with Tenille Townes, the two musical guests both took the extra steps to connect with their fans and event attendees prior to each of their shows.

Through radio raffles and giveaways, fans also had the opportunity to win a meet and greet pass for the artists, taking photos and getting personalized autographs. The chance for this interaction bridged the gap between the larger-than-life headliners and the excited fans—allowing for attendees to take home keepsakes in memory of their time at the event.

All of these memories and successes wouldn’t have been possible without the ambition of the Alabaster Arts Council volunteers and numerous event sponsors that made the 2024 installment of Alabaster CityFest a reality. Through countless planning hours and organizing efforts, volunteers in the community once again successfully put on a community event completely free of charge for their fellow residents. Those efforts, which included the donation of time, resources and money deserve recognition.

Seeing hundreds of people in the community come together for the purpose of providing a free event is something not every city or town has the opportunity to do. Here’s to the celebration of another successful iteration of Alabaster’s premier event, it was well worth the wait.