FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association
PHONE: 256.350.3500 / 800.648.5381
EMAIL: info@northalabama.org
Art and Music Come Together for a Three-Day Celebration in Huntsville’s Big Spring Park
Decatur, Ala. – Art and music come together the last weekend in April for a three-day celebration in downtown Huntsville. Now in its 41st year, the annual Panoply Arts Festival takes over Big Spring Park April 28-30, 2023, offering three days of live music, shopping for original works of art, demonstrations and hands-on activities along with two nights of fireworks.
Panoply kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday, April 28 and during the three-day event, over 30 local and regional musical acts in a variety of genres – jazz, rock, R&B, indie rock, blues, pop and more – will entertain the crowd on Panoply’s two stages. Friday’s lineup features a homegrown favorite, The Wanda Band. Wanda made her solo debut at Panoply in 2012 as a Panoply Homegrown Talent Winner and in 2019 she debuted her band at Concerts in the Park. She was recently named one of the “5 Huntsville Bands with the best shot to become Famous” by Matt Wake, entertainment reporter with Alabama Media Group.
On Saturday, the music starts when the gates open at 10 a.m. and closes out with Huntsville’s own Rob Aldridge and the Proponents. Uncut Magazine wrote in 2022 that “Rob is an Alabama native who is finally starting to get noticed as a songwriting frontman capable of gnawing a hook and a finely weighted turn of phrase,” and NPR calls them “an Alabama rock & roll band you need to know.” Sunday’s lineup features local favorite and up-and-coming performers.
As music fills the air, festivalgoers can shop, participate in hands-on activities and watch demonstrations. Festivalgoers can put their creative side to the test with UNITY, a hands-on large-scale community art activity. Local artists will offer demonstrations of their craft at Panoply’s Arts in Action tents, allowing festivalgoers a first-hand look at the process of book binding, paper flower making and street art creations. The juried Art Marketplace, one of the most popular features of the festival, showcases the works of more than 100 visual artists from 23 states, with some traveling from as far as Connecticut and New Mexico. Panoply’s STEAM Street and Creativity Corner will have several special hands-on activities that all ages can partake in.
The Art OutLoud Stage, featuring spoken word performances from local literary figures and poets, made its debut last year and returns this year, along with the Panoply Face Painting Tent and the Student Art Tent, which showcases budding talent across the community.
Festival patrons are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to enjoy the entertainment each day and Friday and Saturday evenings conclude with a spectacular fireworks display. Along with a diverse array of art and music, the Craft Beer and Wine Tent returns featuring beer from Yellowhammer and Straight to Ale and there will be a great assortment of local tastes from 13 food trucks.
Arts Huntsville is offering a Panoply weekend pass available online until 4 p.m. April 28 for $18. Day passes are $15 at the gate. Admission is free for children 12 and under. Festival hours are 5-9 p.m. on Friday, April 28; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday, April 29; and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.artshuntsville.org/event/panoply/ or call (256) 519-2787 (ARTS).
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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. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @VisitNorthAL and like us at www.facebook.com/VisitNorthAL.
