TUSCUMBIA — Country star Collin Raye, who had huge hits in the ’90s, will headline Tuscumbia’s 46th annual Helen Keller Festival next week.
The festival kicks off June 27, with a parade downtown at 6 p.m., and a party on Main Street.
Keller was born in Tuscumbia on June 27, 1880. Her accomplishments and advocacy for the deaf and blind led to numerous accolades and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Keller Festival at Spring Park is the largest event of the year for Tuscumbia and features family friendly entertainment, food, and “The Miracle Worker,” a play about Keller’s early life and how she learned to communicate. Performances are at Ivy Green, Keller’s birthplace, June 28-29. Visit The Miracle Worker at Ivy Green for ticket information. Tours of Ivy Green are also available.
Of course, what would a Shoals-area festival be without music?
Thursday night’s street party features Red Handed and Jerome Parker and the Rubber Band. Friday’s show kicks off with local singer-songwriter Taylor Grace at 6 p.m., followed by Winston Ramble at 7 p.m., then headliners Gary Nichols and Austin Bohannon, both local stars.
Sarah Harding gets things started June 29 at 5 p.m., followed by Deja Vu and Music City Misfits. Country star Collin Raye will then take the stage as the festival’s main headliner at 8:30 p.m.
Raye hit the big time with “Love, Me” in 1991. He has scored two dozen top 10 records, 16 No. 1s, and has been nominated 10 times for male vocalist of the year. Some of his other tunes include “Little Red Rodeo,” “That’s My Story,” “I Think About You,” “In This Life,” and “My Kind of Girl.”
The June 30 lineup features a time for worship and prayer, starting with Le Gigantic at 10 a.m. and Faith Is at 10:45 a.m. Worship in the Park begins at 7 p.m., with Jonny Diaz bringing the festival to a close at 7:45 p.m.
Lawn chairs, blankets, fans are recommended but no coolers or outside food are allowed. No pets are allowed. Visit https://helenkellerfestival.com/site/ for more information.
The festival also features an art marketplace next weekend with a variety of artists and vendors from across the Southeast at Spring Park. Additionally, a car and truck show and a superhero run take place June 29. Click here to see the full schedule.
Admission to the festival is $5 June 28-29, and free June 27 and June 30. Festival T-shirts are available for $20 at the festival and at Fiddledee D at 111 S. Main Street in Tuscumbia,.
There will be no public parking inside Spring Park. Parking is available downtown, and a free trolley to Spring Park stops every 15 minutes at the locations below, starting at 4 p.m. June 28 and 11 a.m. June 29. The trolley bus is also handicapped accessible.
- Water Street, at the courthouse
- Indian Street across from Helen Keller Birthplace
- Calvary Baptist Church on Commons
- Deshler High School on Commons
- Broad Street
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