Kim Mitchell's favorite way to describe RiverClay starts with an ordinary Thursday. "On Thursday, it's just your normal, typical City Hall," she told me. "And on Friday it becomes an arts festival, and there's white tents everywhere." Every fourth weekend in October, that's exactly what happens…
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I had a question ready about what it was like to move home from Nashville. I never got to ask it, because the premise was wrong. “It's a common misconception that I lived in Nashville,” John Paul White told me about six minutes in. “I never did.” I made my hay here, and by the time I could afford…
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One of Tere Richardson's former board members used to describe downtown Athens in the 1980s like this: on a Friday at five o'clock, he could throw a rock anywhere on the square and not hit anything except maybe a stray dog. This past Friday, 5,000 people were down there. They were eating in the…
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There are some people who find music, and there are some people music finds first. Bay Simpson is the second kind. He was born in Florence, Alabama into a family where his mother sang, his father drummed, and the two of them played in a band together. His stepfather is a hit songwriter. His…
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There are stores that sell things, and there are stores that hold things. History. Memory. The particular smell of old wood and worn floors that takes you back before you even realize it is happening. Downtown Athens has one of those stores, and it has been standing since 1917. U.G. White…
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April means spring is here and trees are blooming and the weather is warming up, which makes it a perfect month for guided walking tours all over north Alabama. Check out the list of walking tours and go explore and learn more about the history of several towns in north Alabama. Tours are free to…
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Check out these fun April festivals in North Alabama! Bloomin' Festival The 42nd Annual Bloomin’ Festival returns April 18-19 at St. Bernard Abbey and Prep School in Cullman. This beloved outdoor event features more than 150 artists and craftsmen from across the Southeast showcasing handmade…
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Some places do not need much to make an impression. They do not rely on flashy entrances or over-the-top production. They just have a presence. A feeling. You pull up, step inside, and immediately know you are standing somewhere that matters. That is exactly what it feels like at Muscle Shoals Sound…
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If you have ever spent a day chasing waterfalls in the Bankhead, driving around Smith Lake, or wandering into a small town just to see what is there, you already understand the kind of magic Winston County can hold. Sometimes all it takes is one unexpected stop to turn a good day trip into a real…
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