Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a Dose of Mardi Gras

Decatur’s Carnegie Carnival is set for February 14, 2015.

On Valentine’s Day this year, Decatur’s Mardi Gras-style celebration hits the streets when the Carnegie Visual Arts Center holds its annual Carnegie Carnival. Set for February 14, 2015, Carnegie Carnival fills Decatur’s historic downtown area with parades, music, a Cajun cook-off, and other free activities, all while promoting art, creativity and family-friendly fun and raising money for the arts and other non-profits located in Decatur and Morgan County.

The fourth annual Carnegie Carnival gets underway at 8 a.m. with the Mardi Gras 5K sponsored by the Junior League of Morgan County. The Cajun Cook-off follows at 10 a.m. at the corner of Bank Street and Cherry Street with the award presentation set for 3 p.m. The tasty event is open to professional and amateur Cookin’ Crewes. There will be first, second, and third place winners and the team with the most “tips” in the Tip Jar will be presented the People’s Choice award.

The first parade of the day, sponsored by Animal Friends Humane Society, is the Carnival Canines on Parade. Starting at 11 a.m., dogs of all shapes and sizes will trot through downtown Decatur beginning on 2^nd Avenue at Casa Grande Park and ending at Founder’s Park, which is located in front of the Old State Bank.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. the Kiwanis of Decatur Creation Station art area will be open with free hands-on art activities for children, and a children’s play area sponsored by Morgan County CAC will provide kid-friendly entertainment. Both of these events will be held at Founder’s Park.

At 2 p.m., the Prince and Princess Parade for children takes to the streets of downtown Decatur beginning at Founders Park and ending in front of the Princess Theatre. The parade, for tots through teens, is sponsored by the Princess Theatre.

New for this year’s event is a bluegrass music showcase that will have festivalgoers on their feet. Carnival Mardi-Grass, sponsored by Valley Budweiser, will be presented at Founder’s Park from 2 to 5 p.m., and, in between parades and activities, stop by the Carnegie Visual Arts Center between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., for an incredible photography exhibit titled “Alabama Revisited: Recent Photographs of Alabama’s Past.”  

The grand finale of the daylong event is the Carnegie Carnival Parade where crewes proceed in traditional Mardi Gras-style complete with themed floats, costumes, “throws”, and music. Set to hit the streets at 6 p.m., the parade route begins on 2^nd Avenue at Gordon Drive, continuing onto Lee Street/Bank Street, and ending at Founder’s Park near the Old State Bank. The parade will be led by 2015 Carnegie Carnival King Jake Reed and Queen Kate Cole. Immediately following the parade, the evening concludes with a headlining band (TBA) at Founder’s Park. The outdoor performance (weather contingent) is free to the public and is sponsored by Valley Budweiser. Anyone participating with a Crewe may attend the Carnegie Carnival Crewe Party at Ingalls Harbor where the 2016 Carnegie Carnival King and Queen will be crowned.

During Carnegie Carnival, downtown merchants will be open and shoppers can browse for locally made and one-of-a-kind items and participate in the Carnival Crawl shopping game. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., shoppers can visit merchants and collect stamps on the Carnival Crawl game sheet for a chance to win a prize basket.

Festival organizers are also pleased to announce a new bead-recycling program for this year’s event. The Carnegie Visual Arts Center, in conjunction with the Decatur High School Developmental Program, will collect and recycle thrown beads from previous Carnegie Carnival parades. Beads may be dropped off at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Albany Bistro and Pool Doctors during their regular operating hours until January 16, 2015. DHS Developmental Program students and volunteers will wash, sort and repackage the beads to make the beads available for resale at an economical price. Beads will be available for purchase beginning February 3^rd at the Carnegie Visual Arts Center. All proceeds from the sale of the beads will benefit the DHS Development Program.

Parade registration forms and activity information are available at www.carnegiecarnival.org. Proceeds benefit the Carnegie Visual Arts Center and other non-profit organizations in the Decatur area. For additional information, call the Carnegie Visual Arts Center at 256.341.0562.

CALL FOR ENTRIES! DECATUR’S PRINCESS THEATRE HOSTS 5th ANNUAL RIVER CITY FILM FESTIVAL ON APRIL 10-11

The Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts hosts the 5th annual film festival at the historic Theatre that once served as Decatur’s movie theater from the 1920’s until 1978.  The annual River City Film Festival, presented by the Princess Theatre in partnership with the Decatur City Schools and Calhoun Community College, celebrates and promotes film as art and education.  The film competition will showcase innovative feature and short films by students and independent filmmakers with screenings, workshops and an awards ceremony on April 10-11, 2015.  Prizes awarded.

             

The River City Film Festival invites filmmakers of all ages to submit short (less than 20 minutes) or feature films now by the deadline of February 17, 2015. The Festival is open to all movie genres with entries for original short and feature films in one of the following categories, Young Filmmaker Short (grades k-12), Young Filmmaker Feature, Independent Filmmaker Short and Independent Filmmaker Feature.   The competition rules, entry form, deadlines and submission information are posted and can be downloaded on the Princess Theatre website at http://www.princesstheatre.org/events/river.php.  Film and video production workshops will also be scheduled during the Festival.

The River City Film Festival is made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts with additional support by Watkins College of Art, Design & Film and The Daniel Foundation.

          For more information on the Film Festival, call 256-350-1745 x 301 or visit                                           https://www.facebook.com/rivercityfilmfestival.

A One Day Event for the Birds

Festival of the Cranes Returns to Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge January 10, 2015.

A fun-filled day of nature walks, live raptors, and special programs is planned when the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge holds the third annual Festival of the Cranes. Set for January 10, 2015, the celebration of Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes will bring together experienced birders and those who would like to learn more about birding and other wildlife that call the Refuge home. Featured presenter at this year’s event is internationally renowned storyteller and naturalist Brian “Fox” Ellis.

Over 14,000 Sandhill Cranes along with several pairs of Whooping Cranes spend the winter each year at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. Hosted by the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association, the Festival of the Cranes kicks off at 6:30 a.m. with a Sunrise Breakfast in the Visitor Center classroom. Following breakfast, Refuge Manager Dwight Cooley will lead an early morning birding walk to see cranes and other waterfowl arrive in the fields to begin their day of feeding and loafing. A donation of $5 per person will be accepted to benefit future refuge programs. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes and to bring binoculars and a camera.

During the day-long event, the enclosed Wildlife Observation Building will offer views of thousands of Sandhill Cranes, along with Whooping Cranes, ducks, geese, raptors, and maybe a bald eagle. There will be bleachers and spotting scopes available along with volunteers and staff members on hand to answer questions.

Acclaimed author, storyteller, and naturalist Brian “Fox” Ellis will be the featured speaker and will be presenting his “Crane Tales Around the World” at 10 a.m., “Birding with Audubon” at 12:45 p.m., and “Adventures with John James Audubon” at 2 p.m.

Additional activities include two showings of Hope Takes Wing, a film by and about Operation Migration chronicling the history of the Whooping crane, and two presentations by the Auburn University’s Southeastern Raptor Center to teach about birds of prey and offer an up-close look at owls, hawks, falcons, and eagles. Children can take part in a special activity in the classroom from 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be a pizza lunch with proceeds benefitting the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge Association. The daylong event concludes at 5 p.m.

In conjunction with Festival of the Cranes, the Alabama Center for the Arts, located at 133 2^nd Avenue NE in downtown Decatur, will host the inaugural juried Festival of the Cranes Art Exhibit. Featuring selected artwork from students, alumni artists and faculty of Athens State University and Calhoun Community College, the show includes a diverse collection of art forms and media that depicts cranes, birds, waterfowl, ducks, geese, raptors, eagles, falcons, wildlife and nature. The art center will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and admission is free.

 

The Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is located at 3121 Visitor Center Road in Decatur. For more information on the Festival of the Cranes, visit www.friendsofwheelerrefuge.org or call Teresa Adams, supervisory ranger for Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, at 256.350.6639.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was established on July 7, 1938 by Executive Order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt as the first National Wildlife Refuge placed on a multi-purpose reservoir to provide habitat for wintering and migrating birds. Covering 35,000 acres, it attracts thousands of wintering waterfowl each year and is home to Alabama’s largest wintering duck population. The Refuge also supports the state’s largest concentration of Sandhill Cranes and the endangered Whooping Crane. For more information on Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge, visit www.fws.gov/wheeler. 

Historic Decatur Christmas Tour Set for December 13

The Albany and Old Decatur Historic Districts will present their annual Historic Decatur Christmas Tour on Saturday, December 13, 2014. Ten homes and sites, trimmed in traditional decorations, will be open for viewing as part of the self-guided tour from 3 to 8 p.m. Along with the tour, the annual event offers holiday decorating tips, carriage rides, refreshments, and live holiday music.

Residences in the Albany and Old Decatur Historic Districts are not normally open for public viewing except when a select number of homes open their doors during the annual holiday tour. This year’s tour features 10 beautiful homes and sites each beautifully decorated with luminaries, fruit, greenery, and thousands of lights.

Participating homes and sites include:

-        The Lighton House (506 Ferry Street NE)

This one-story Queen Ann style Victorian was built in 1906. From an inscription found on the basement wall, indications are the Brown family was one of its first inhabitants.

-        The Lyons-McNeill Apartments (406 Lafayette Street NE)

The Lyons-McNeill Apartments are located on land that was part of a 307-acre land grant in 1821 from President James Monroe to five north Alabama citizens. Some of the family names of these citizens were Garth, Rhodes, Peck and others. (Two apartments will be open for viewing.)

-        The Jacobs House (515 Canal Street NE)

This home was originally built in 1910 as a Victorian style one-story house using “balloon” framing techniques. The home has a truncated hip room pent at the porch and the front entry features pilasters, which flank the front door.

-        The LeVenne Terrace Apartments (508 Oak Street NE)

The Tillery family built this historic home in the Greek-Revival style in the early 1870s as a two-story, single-family home of about 2,000 square feet. More than 70 years later, the Harris family converted the home into the LeVenne Terrace Apartments.

-        The Williams-McKay House (1044 Jackson Street SE)

Prevalent in the United States in the early 1900s through the 1950s, the Williams-McKay House is an excellent example of the Colonial Revival style. Based on the English and Dutch colonial styles popular in the early colonies on the Eastern seaboard, there were many variations on the shape of Colonial Revival homes.

-        The Pirie-Johnston House (634 Grant Street SE)

This location was originally part of a land grant from the U.S. Government to the State of Alabama in 1828. In 1887, it became part of the incorporation of the Decatur Land Improvement and Furnace Company, Inc. The home was built around 1909 as a two-story residence.

-        First United Methodist Church (805 Canal Street NE)

Decatur’s First United Methodist Church was officially organized in 1834.

-        St. John’s Episcopal Church (202 Gordon Street SE)

Serving as Tour headquarters this year, St. John’s Episcopal Church is one of the most beautiful structures in Historic Decatur. After a fire burned St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, originally organized in 1867, to the ground in 1888, its parishioners differed over where to rebuild, in Old Decatur or in New Decatur (now Albany Historic District).

-        The Old State Bank (925 Bank Street NE)

The Old State Bank remains at its original site from when it first opened in 1833. The two story structure sports Federal Empire period architecture, which was popular in the 1830s.

-        The Carnegie Visual Arts Center (207 Church Street NE)

Originally constructed in 1904 as The Carnegie Library with funding from the Carnegie Foundation, the Carnegie Visual Arts Center is one of the few remaining original Carnegie Library buildings in the nation.

Visit www.decaturchristmastour.com/sites.htm for a more detailed description of each site.

Along with the self-guided tour of homes, neighborhood churches will open their doors for inspirational concerts and refreshments. Carillon Christmas music can be heard throughout the afternoon and evening at First Presbyterian Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church. During the Tour of Homes, refreshments from local eateries and restaurants will be served in the Parish Hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church and carriage rides will be offered beginning at 3 p.m. departing from the Carnegie Visual Arts Center (weather permitting).

Designers from Townhouse Galleries will demonstrate ways to transform the dining table into an inspiring holiday tablescape. Set for 5 p.m., the workshop will be held in the Parish Hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church. The Decatur Youth Symphony will present a program of holiday music at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church and the Alabama Center for the Arts will offer a tour of their facility, a variety of activities including a pop up art gallery with original works of art for sale, and a Painting Pizazz class beginning at 3 p.m. Cost for the painting class is $35 per person (all supplies provided) and pre-registration is required by calling 256.260.2462.

Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased in advance at the Decatur-Morgan County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bank Street Art and Antiques, the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, Tammy Eddy Antiques and Interiors, and Jimmy Smith Jewelers. On the day of the tour, tickets can also be purchased at the Old State Bank, the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, and First United Methodist Church from 2 to 7 p.m. Proceeds from the tour are used to preserve, protect and enhance the character and legacy of the historic neighborhoods.

For a schedule of events and more information on the participating historic homes and sites, visit www.decaturchristmastour.com.

A Jolly Good Time in December in Downtown Decatur

Extended shopping hours, twinkling lights and 3^rd Friday fun will have downtown Decatur filled with locals and visitors during the month of December in celebration of the holiday season. Shoppers can tackle their Christmas lists on Tuesday evenings while enjoying the sights and sounds that Christmas brings and 3^rd Friday returns for the final time in 2014 offering its usual free family fun.

The Downtown Decatur and Merchants and Business Association has announced extended hours for many downtown businesses. “Shop till 7” will be held every Tuesday in December until Christmas. The extended hours one night a week will allow holiday shoppers extra time to complete their holiday shopping. Each week, the Downtown Decatur and Merchants and Business Association will post a list on its Facebook page of the stores participating.

Thousands of twinkling lights have Bank Street and Second Avenue shining brightly as shoppers search for one-of-a-kind gifts and other holiday treats. The Old State Bank will be lit up to match the Christmas tree located nearby.

On December 19^th, everyone is invited to join downtown restaurants and merchants for a modified 3^rd Friday. Restaurants will be ready to serve their delicious food and drinks, stores will offer extended hours and specials, and there will be classic cars parked on Second Avenue in the block from Lee Street to Moulton Street. Streets will be open in both the Bank Street area and Second Avenue area (with the exception of where the classic cars will be on display) to make dining and shopping convenient for visitors. Live music can also be found inside of some of the merchants and restaurants. The festivities get underway at 5 p.m.

Participating streets in 3^rd Fridays include 2^nd Avenue, Bank, Market, Moulton, Grant, and Johnston streets. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. 3^rd Friday Downtown Decatur is organized by the members of the Downtown Decatur Merchants and Business Association.

The Downtown Merchants Association wishes to thank the City of Decatur Parks and Recreation Department for the tremendous support they provide to the event as an in-kind sponsor. Presenting sponsor is Budweiser. Diamond Sponsor is Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority. Gold Sponsors include Bank Independent, BP, Decatur/Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce, Progress Bank, and Morgan County Commission. Silver Sponsors are Nucor Steel and 3M. Bronze Sponsors are Renasant Bank, Stovall-Marks Insurance, Beautiful Edge-A Paul Mitchell Focus Salon, and King Insurance Agency.

For more information, call Ashley Ashwander at 256.355.8993 or visit 3^rd Friday’s Facebook page for the latest information.