Daikin Festival Celebrates 20th Anniversary in 2014

The 20^th anniversary celebration of the annual Daikin Festival is set for Friday, May 23, 2014, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Morgan County Fairgrounds in Decatur. Hosted by Daikin America, the free event offers festivalgoers of all ages an opportunity to experience Japanese culture through music, exhibits, and food.

Festivalgoers are encouraged to wear happi coats and participate in the Japanese folk dances. Happi coats are cloth jackets, or robes, usually containing an emblem, family crest, or logo on the back, and are worn on festive occasions. Live music includes country, Cajun, rock & roll, big band and traditional Japanese music. The highlight of the evening is when Daikin employees take the stage with a Japanese Taiko Drums performance.   

Along with traditional festival food such as hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, and soft drinks, festivalgoers are treated to Cajun jambalaya, barbeque sandwiches, and Japanese Yakisoba, a stir-fried mix of noodles, cabbage, carrots, and beef. All food and drinks are free of charge. In addition to free parking around the fairgrounds, free round-trip shuttle service will be provided to the fairgrounds from Decatur Mall and Austin High School. 

During the festival, festivalgoers can learn more about Daikin America from a display of product exhibits. Other displays include the Daikin Homestay Program, a program where area students and teachers travel to Japan for a two-week stay. Free tethered hot-air balloon rides are also available, weather permitting. The festivities conclude with a grand prize drawing for a free vacation at 8:45 p.m.

For more information on the Daikin Festival, contact Daikin America Community Relations Manager Forrest Keith at 256.306.5000.

About Daikin America, Inc.

Daikin America is a leading global supplier of PTFE Molding and Fine Powders and Dispersions. Daikin also specializes in FEP, PFA, ETFE, PCTFE, EFEP, Fluoroelastomers and Unidyne oil and water repellents. Daikin also is home of the largest solar power installation in Alabama. Daikin is committed to good corporate citizenship, providing new employment opportunities at its various sites. For more information, visit www.daikin-america.com.   

Celebrate Memorial Day at Alabama’s Largest and Oldest Hot Air Balloon Festival and Cool Off at the Point Mallard Waterpark

The Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic has been flying for 36 years in Decatur, Ala. entertaining locals and visitors with free family fun. Always Memorial Day weekend, the Alabama Jubilee is a two-day celebration filled with hot air balloons, live music, tractors, arts and crafts and many other activities. This year’s event is set for May 24-25, 2014 and in between Alabama Jubilee activities, festivalgoers are encouraged to take a dip and cool off at the Point Mallard Waterpark.

The Memorial Day celebration begins bright and early on Saturday, May 24^th at 6:30 a.m. with the Hare and Hound Balloon Race. Saturday’s activities include an antique car show, arts and crafts show, and the Southland Flywheelers will host a tractor show featuring some of the best restored and maintained tractors in the Southeast, engine demonstrations, a tractor parade, pedal tractor pull, and tractor games. At dusk, the Balloon Glow is a must see as towering balloons of all colors light up Point Mallard Park.

Another round of friendly competition between the hot air balloon pilots is scheduled for Sunday, May 25^th beginning at 6:30 a.m. with the Lynn Layton Chevrolet Hot-Air Balloon Key Grab Race. Sunday’s activities include an arts and crafts show and a military tribute for fallen soldiers. For those who want to experience the magic of a balloon ride, free tethered rides are offered from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and a spectacular fireworks show is set to launch at 9:30 p.m.

Live music fills the air both evenings and the Decatur Art Guild arts and crafts show offering only original works will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday in the Pavilion.

Free parking will be available at Wolverine Park and GE with shuttle service to Point Mallard Park from 4 to 10 p.m. for a nominal fee each way. Admission to the Alabama Jubilee is free. Please note all balloon activities are weather permitting.

Picnic blankets and lawn chairs are encouraged. All activities take place in Point Mallard Park, a 750-acre municipal park providing year round recreation facilities in Decatur, Ala. For more information and a schedule of events, visit www.alabamajubilee.net.

Opening day for the Point Mallard Waterpark is Saturday, May 24^th. With plenty of water action, the waterpark offers a welcoming reprieve from the warm temperatures summer brings. The Waterpark is open daily beginning May 24 to August 10 with hours 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. all other days. General admission is $20 for adults (ages 12-61 years old), $15 for youth (ages 5 to 11 years old), $15 for seniors (62+) and military, with half price days offered Monday through Thursday (excluding holidays). For more information, visit www.pointmallardpark.com or call 256.341.4900.

The best seat for viewing the Alabama Jubilee’s firework show may be from the water. The Pickwick Belle is offering an Alabama Jubilee Fireworks Dinner Cruise on May 25^th. Departing from Ingalls Harbor at 8 p.m., the cruise offers a hearty barbeque meal while making its way along Wheeler Lake to Point Mallard. Steve Hopper will entertain with his “Floribbean-style” music (a mix of Florida and Caribbean) before and after the fireworks show. A cash bar will be available and complimentary patriotic party favors will be provided. Cost is $54.99 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 877.936.2355. For more information, visit www.pickwickbelle.net/cruise-schedules/.

Wheeler Lake to Host Fourth Stop of Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series’ Northern Division May 31

On May 31, 2014, Ingalls Harbor will welcome 400 anglers who will be in the River City to compete in the new Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series where a guaranteed first place prize of $10,000 is up for grabs. Hosted by the Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the tournament on Wheeler Lake, is attracting amateur anglers from across the southeastern United States and is expected to generate an approximate $300,000 economic impact for Decatur and Morgan County.

Ingalls Harbor, located at 802 Wilson Street NW in Decatur, will host the takeoff and weigh-in. Takeoff is set for approximately 7 a.m. and weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are open to public with no admission fee.

Tournament registration is from 5 to 7 p.m. and the pre-tournament briefing follows at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 30 at the Ingalls Harbor Pavilion.

According to Alabama Bass Trail Director Kay Donaldson, registration is full at 200 boats. With hundreds of participants and accompanying family members, the B.A.S.S.-sanctioned tournament is expected to generate approximately $300,000 in direct economic impact for the community. The opportunities for economic impact will reach numerous businesses in Decatur and surrounding areas including hotels, restaurants, bait and tackle shops, convenience stores, gas stations, and more.

For more on the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series, visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

For more information on the May 31^st tournament on Wheeler Lake, call Decatur-Morgan County CVB President Melinda Dunn at 256.350.2028 or 800.524.6181.

EMP Studios grand re-opening

EMP Studios will have a grand re-opening on May 17th from 3-7pm. They will have live music, food, drinks, & lots of door prizes from local business (including a yeti cooler), raffle tickets can be purchased for $2 and all proceeds go to Habitat.

Mother's Day Buffet at the Garden Plaza Hotel & Suites

Need a place to eat lunch on Mother's Day? Call the Garden Plaza Hotel & Suites Decatur to make your reservations today!

Free Strawberry Shortcake and Cooking Demonstrations by Chef Jake Reed at the Morgan County-Decatur Farmers Market May 10

Strawberry season has arrived in North Alabama and in celebration, free strawberry shortcake will be provided on May 10, 2014 during the annual Strawberry Day at the Morgan County-Decatur Farmers Market. In addition to an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables for sale, chef Jake Reed of Albany Bistro will be demonstrating and sharing cooking tips using fresh local strawberries.

From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or until supplies last), free samples of strawberry shortcake and soft drinks will be available for festivalgoers. In addition to strawberries, jams and jellies, fresh-baked goods, flowering plants, and other fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables will be available for purchase. Event organizers suggest arriving early for the best selections of produce.

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 Morgan County-Decatur Farmers Market Manager Burl Slaton.

Albany Bistro Chef Jake Reed will do two short demonstrations of a recipe using fresh strawberries from the Farmers Market. The first one is set for 10 a.m. with the second one following at 11 a.m. Free samples will be provided following each demonstration.

The Morgan County-Decatur Farmers Market, located at 211 First Avenue SE in Decatur, also celebrates Corn Day on July 12^th, Tomato Sandwich Day on July 26^th, and Watermelon Day on August 16^th. 

For more information on Strawberry Day, call Manager Burl Slaton at 256.476.5595. For more information on the Morgan County-Decatur Farmers Market, visit them online on Facebook or at www.decaturfarmersmarket.org.