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CONTACT: Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association

PHONE: 256.350.3500 / 800.648.5381

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ANNUAL ARTSTRAVAGANZA CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

Decatur, AL – Offering the best in music, dance, theater, and visual art, the Panoply® Arts Festival celebrates its 30^th anniversary in 2011. Set in downtown Huntsville’s Big Spring International Park and Von Braun Center, this year’s celebration with a theme of “The ARTS Fell on Alabama” runs Friday-Sunday, April 29-May 1, 2011. The 30^th annual event concludes with a special performance by 2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks.

Throughout the three-day event, Panoply hosts several competitions such as the Official Alabama State Fiddling Championship; The Beat: Choreography Competition; and the Homegrown Talent Contest. Global Village introduces attendees to the region’s diverse, international culture; interactive performances take place in the Theatre Demo Tent; “Arts in ACTION!” allows festivalgoers to see artists working in “real time”; and the “Get Rhythm!” drum circle provides stress-reducing musical recreation.

The Art Marketplace boasts fine artists from all over the nation, ranging from potters to jewelers to photographers, who enter their one-of-a-kind works to win the “Pat Flynn Kyser” Best in Show Award. Fans of the visual arts will also find Featured Artists from throughout Alabama, Emerging Artists (amateur artists selected through a jury process), and Junior Emerging Artist tents. All artwork is available for purchase and the “First Dibs Art Investor Program” allows preview/prepayment options for new art collectors or those seeking to enhance their existing collection. Attendees can also view the artwork of area youth in the Student Art Tent, which also houses the handiwork of Panoply’s Student Billboard Contest winners.

The Community Art Project allows festivalgoers to make their mark on a large mural spelling out PANOPLY that can be seen from across the park. Other features include street performers and six performance stages presenting jazz/blues, gospel, bluegrass, musical theater, international artists, storytelling, and kid-friendly performances.

The festival will also feature very special performances by guest stars, concluding with Alabama native and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks as the featured performer on Sunday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Each evening the festival concludes with a spectacular fireworks display.

Panopasses are $5 per day or $10 for the weekend (children 12 and under are admitted free) and can be purchased in advance at The Arts Council office (located in the Von Braun Center) or Regions Bank branches throughout North Alabama. Festival hours are Friday 5-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday noon-8 p.m. Panoply is a production of The Arts Council, Inc., a Huntsville-based, non-profit, 501(c)(3) umbrella organization for over 100 arts organizations and advocates. Visit www.panoply.org or call 256.519.2787 to find out more or volunteer.

About Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association (AMLA)

AMLA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of the travel industry within the 16 northernmost counties of the state. It is supported by 500-plus members consisting of chambers of commerce, convention & visitors bureaus, attractions, campgrounds, festivals, communities, counties, golf courses, restaurants, tour operators, accommodations, vendors, financial institutions, and individuals. Counties included within the AMLA region are Blount, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Morgan, and Winston. Additional information on North Alabama destinations, accommodations, and special events is available by calling 800.648.5381 or by visiting www.northalabama.org.

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