Two Days of Uplifting, Soul Searching Music at Point Mallard Park

North Alabama’s Largest Christian Music Festival is set for May 17-18, 2013.

Organizers of north Alabama’s largest free outdoor Christian music festival have announced the theme and lineup for the 15^th annual event set for May 17-18, 2013 at Point Mallard Park in Decatur. With a theme of “His Grace is Enough”, SoulStock 2013 features a five-time Dove Award-winning group, a rapper, a contemporary Christian artist with a jazz-infused pop/rock sound, a band with a deep connection to Hands and Feet Project, and other Christian bands.

On Friday, gates open at 6 p.m. and include performances by Jessa Anderson (www.jessaanderson.com), Noah Cleveland, and Grammy-winning Laura Story.  Gates open at 2 p.m. on Saturday with music firing up at 3 p.m. Saturday’s line-up features rapper LP (www.iamlikepaul.com), Pardigm, Christa Jordan, Noah Cleveland (www.noahcleveland.com), Rush of Fools (www.rushoffools.com), Group 1 Crew (www.group1crew.com), and the two-day event comes culminates with Audio Adrenaline (www.audioa.com). 

This year’s featured speaker on Saturday is David Nasser. At the age of nine, he escaped his native homeland of Iran with his family, leaving everything behind to find a new beginning in the United States. Desiring acceptance from his peers, and despite trying to find ways to fit in, he was always left feeling like an outsider. At the age of eighteen, he found true acceptance, when through the persistent witness of a body of believers, he received salvation and accepted a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Today, Nasser speaks to over 700,000 people each year through revivals, citywide rallies, camps, and school assemblies. For more information, visit www.davidnasser.com.   

SoulStock has grown to be North Alabama’s largest free outdoor Christian music festival attracting over 20,000 children and adults to the Spirit of America Field located in Point Mallard Park for two days of uplifting contemporary Christian music and testimonials. Festival goers are encouraged to bring picnic blankets, lawn chairs, and a pair or two of gently used shoes to give to Soles4Souls. A variety of food vendors will be available to suit any taste bud.

SoulStock’s Partners in Ministry for 2013 are Soles4Souls and Hands in Motion. Platinum Level Sponsors committed are ShowHope and Cooks Pest Control. For more information, visit www.soulstock.com.

Located along the Tennessee River, Point Mallard Park is a 500-acre family park and includes one of the South‘s best golf courses, a 25-acre, wooded campground, a waterpark with a new Lazy River, and a year round indoor ice skating rink. Point Mallard's additional facilities include tennis courts, batting cages, hiking/jogging/biking trails, and a driving range. Alcoholic beverages and smoking are not permitted on the Point Mallard property. For more information, visit www.pointmallardpark.com. 

Decatur To Host State's Regional BBQ Sauce Off

In its quest to find the state’s best barbecue sauce, the Alabama Tourism Department is hosting a statewide “Sauce-Off” where community leaders will sample thirty-four sauces during four regional competitions. Decatur will host a regional competition on May 11, 2013 at the Decatur/Morgan County Farmer’s Market. 

The regional competitions began May 4^th in Montgomery at the Southern Makers Festival and in Mobile at the Market on the Square. On May 11^th, competitions will be held at the Decatur/Morgan County Farmers Market and in Tuscaloosa at the Tuscaloosa River Market. 

The Decatur/Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau (DMCCVB), as part of their National Tourism Week activities, will host the “Sauce Off” set for 10 a.m. Local judges for the regional competition in Decatur include WAFF 48 news reporter Bobby Shuttleworth, DMCCVB President/CEO Melinda Dunn, and Evan Carden, publications manager for Decatur Life magazine. Winners from each of the four regional competitions will advance to the “BBQ Sauce-Off” championship set for May 18^th in Birmingham.

According to the Alabama Tourism Department’s Brian Jones, thirty-four sauces were gathered from restaurants and grocery stores across the state to be sampled by judges in blind taste tests. Sauces in the contest include: Bailey’s, Baumhower’s, Berdeaux’s, BBQ Shack, Big Bob Gibson, Bishop’s, Bob Sykes, Bryant, Carlile’s, Costas, Crusty Butts & Bones, Dale’s BBQ, Demetri’s, Dreamland, Fat Boy’s, Full Moon, Golden Rule, Jim ‘N Nick’s, Johnny’s BBQ, LawLers, Mike & Ed’s, Mike Elliott’s, Moon Hollow, Noodie’s, Ollie’s, Perfect Bite BBQ, Phil’s, Rob’s, Saban Sauce, Saw’s, Saucy Q, Slaphappy BBQ, Thomas Rib Shack and Viper.

The search for Alabama’s best commercial barbecue sauce is part of the ongoing Year of Alabama Food campaign. Only bottled barbecue sauces available in retail outlets such as stores and restaurants are eligible. All sauces also must be made in Alabama or bottled for an Alabama-based company, and they have to include the word barbecue or variation thereof in the name or description on the bottle. For more information, visit www.yearofalabamafood.com or Facebook.com/AlabamaFood.

For more information on the May 11^th regional competition in Decatur, call DMCCVB President/CEO Melinda Dunn at 256.350.2028

Decatur's Princess Theatre Showcases String Programs on the Decatur City Schools

Decatur’s historic Princess Theatre presents the annual VIOLINS! VIOLINS! VIOLINS! on Monday, May 13, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. The annual concert celebrates excellence in arts education and features performances by students in the string programs of the Decatur City Schools and the Symphony School of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and the Decatur Youth Symphony, directed by Jacob Frank.  The concert is made possible by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

The event is an annual tradition at the Princess Theatre as part of its partnership in arts education with the Decatur City Schools.   Julie Noles, Director of Education for The Symphony School in Huntsville, is programming the concert with young musicians from the third grade violin program, featuring students from Julian Harris Elementary School.  There will also be a violin, dulcimer and guitar demonstration by students of Music Specialist Kay Grubbs from Woodmeade Elementary and a performance by the Decatur Youth Symphony’s Apollo Strings and Solaris Strings.  The concert is presented by the Princess Theatre as part of its partnership in arts education with the Decatur City Schools. 

The one hour concert is free and the public is invited.  A reception honoring the young musicians follows the concert in the lobby.

Free Strawberries at the Decatur/Morgan County Farmer's Market

Strawberry season is officially here in North Alabama and in celebration, free samples will be provided on May 4, 2013 with the 4^th annual Strawberry Day at the Decatur/Morgan County Farmer’s Market.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or until supplies last), free samples of the sweet red berry, along with strawberry shortcake and soft drinks, will be available for festival-goers. In addition to strawberries, jams and jellies, fresh-baked goods, flowering plants, and other fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables will be available for purchase.

Locally-grown berries are much sweet and juicier than those transported in from across the country. The berries are only expected to be available now thru early June as they do not respond well to heat, according to Decatur/Morgan County Farmer’s Market Manager Burl Slaton. Due to limited availability, those who crave the sweet berry can stock up and freeze for year-round enjoyment.

The Decatur/Morgan County Farmer’s Market, located at 211 First Avenue SE in Decatur, also celebrates Corn Day on July 13^th, Tomato Sandwich Day on August 3^th, and Watermelon Day on August 17^th. 

For more information on Strawberry Day, call Slaton at 256.476.5595.

Get the Ride of Your Life and Raise Money for Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation

The Dragon Boat Festival made its debut last year where over 1,100 participants got the ride of their life in the Tennessee River as a way to raise money for the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation. Set for May 11 in the Point Mallard Park Aquatic Center, the event promises to make waves again in 2013 as paddlers compete for medals and bragging rights and spectators cheer on their favorite teams.

The Dragon Boat Race and Festival is a unique cultural event featuring adrenaline-pumping action while also serving as a fundraiser for the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation. Teams, comprised of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a trained dragon boat steerer/coach, will race in authentic Asian-style, 46-foot-long dragon boats. Teams may have four alternates, for a total of 25 team members, or can race with a minimum of 16. There must be at least eight female paddlers and minimum age for adult teams is 15 with parental consent. Each team is guaranteed at least two races on the 250-meter race course with winners advancing to the finals.

Racing starts at 9 a.m. and events last throughout the day until approximately 4 p.m., rain or shine. Spectators may watch and cheer on their favorite team from the beach area of the Point Mallard Aquatic Center or from the water at a safe distance from the race course. The concession stand will be open throughout the event. Water Park pools and rides will be closed.

Admission and parking are free. Donations will be accepted with proceeds benefiting the Decatur General Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization providing financial support to the programs and services of Decatur Morgan Hospital.

Sponsors for the 2013 event include Presenting Sponsor Toray, BP of Decatur, The Decatur Daily, Boeing, Clear Channel, Daikin, Decatur Parks and Recreation, FOX 54, Garden Plaza Hotel and Suites, Lynn Layton, Nucor, Temple, Inc., Valley Budweiser, Bryant Dental, Decatur/Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Regions Bank, Pepsi of Decatur, Point Mallard Park, Volunteer Center of Morgan County, and Warren Averett Kimbrough and Marino.

Dragon boat racing is the eighth fastest growing sport in the world, with more than 50 million people in 63 countries participating. The tradition of Dragon Boat Racing is an annual Asian rite commemorating the idealistic poet and reformer Qu Yuan who drowned himself in the third century B.C. to protest against his emperor’s policies. The locals raced in their boats in an attempt to rescue the poet, and beat their drums and splashed their paddles to prevent fish and water dragons from eating his body. This was considered the beginning of Dragon Boat Racing. For more information about dragon boat racing, visit www.racedragonboats.com.

For more information on the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation Dragon Boat Race and Festival, visit www.decaturdragonboat.org.    

Decatur to Host SWAC Softball Tournament 2013-2015

The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has announced Wilson Morgan Softball Complex in Decatur, Ala., will be the site of the 2013, 2014, and 2015 SWAC Softball Championship Tournament. The Decatur/Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the City of Decatur’s Parks and Recreation Department will host the event for over 200 athletes and coaches, along with their families, traveling from Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama.

The 2,000-seat facility will serve as host venue for the 13 game double-elimination tournaments May 8-11, 2013, May 7-10, 2014, and May 6-9, 2015. The top eight teams in the SWAC East and West Divisions qualify for the championship tournament and teams are seeded based on regular season results among the conference programs. Championship game time is 3 p.m. CST on May 11^th. The event will receive live coverage on ESPN3and will broadcast later on ESPNU at 9 p.m. CST. ESPN3 is available to 83 million households via the multi-screen network platform, which is available online at the WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets with the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox Live. ESPN3 broadcasts are carried by Time Warner Cable, Cablevision and Verizon, the main cable providers of New York and the tri-state area.

Daily admission is $6/adult and $3/child and weekend passes are $20/adult and $10/child. Parking is free. Wilson Morgan Softball Complex features six lighted fields, centrally located concessions, quad, press box and batting cages. Each field has a clay infield and beautiful grass, maintained by electronically controlled underground irrigation systems. Located at 300 Beltline Road, the facility can seat over 2,000 spectators with additional seating available. For more information on Wilson Morgan Softball Complex, visit www.decaturparks.com.

For more information, contact Melinda Dunn at 256.350.2028 or 800.524.6181. 

SWAC is organized exclusively for the purpose of encouraging, promoting, advancing, and conducting intercollegiate sports activities and other recreational and not-for-profit activities among the members of the Conference. Current member schools are (East Division) Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, and (West Division) University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Grambling State University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University and A&M College, and Texas Southern University. For more information, visit www.swac.org.