Huntsville’s iconic Cigar Box Guitar Festival paid tribute this weekend to the life and legacy of blues musician Microwave Dave Gallaher, with organizers using the event to continue the music education mission he championed for decades.
Now in its 22nd year, the World’s Longest-Running Cigar Box Guitar Festival concluded Sunday at the Orion Amphitheater, where proceeds supported the Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation. Additional fundraising efforts during the weekend also benefited Huntsville Hospital’s music therapy program.
For many in Huntsville’s music community, this year’s festival carried added meaning following Gallaher’s death in February.
Known professionally as “Microwave Dave,” Gallaher spent more than three decades performing throughout Huntsville and beyond while mentoring young musicians and promoting arts education. He fronted the band Microwave Dave & the Nukes and performed across the United States and Europe, but supporters say his greatest impact often came through his work encouraging students and introducing children to music.
That commitment to education remains central to the mission of the Microwave Dave Music Education Foundation, which supports classroom music programs bringing local musicians into schools to help teach subjects such as science, reading and history through music.
Festival organizers also expanded this year’s charitable efforts to include Huntsville Hospital’s music therapy program. A silent auction featured artist-designed cigar box guitars, with proceeds supporting the program.
The festival itself has grown into one of Huntsville’s most distinctive arts traditions. What began more than two decades ago on the Lowe Mill docks has evolved into a multi-day event celebrating handmade instruments, live music and community creativity.
Throughout the weekend, musicians, instrument builders and music fans gathered at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment and the Orion Amphitheater for performances, workshops and community events centered around the handmade cigar box guitar tradition. The festival blended blues music, folk artistry and do-it-yourself craftsmanship in a way that has become uniquely tied to Huntsville’s creative culture over the past two decades.
The weekend concluded with a benefit concert featuring Grammy-winning musician Gary Nichols backed by the legendary FAME Gang of Muscle Shoals.
The event also highlighted Huntsville’s unique place in cigar box guitar culture. Festival organizers say the city is home to the world’s only brick-and-mortar cigar box guitar store, located at Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment.
While the festival celebrated music and craftsmanship, much of the weekend focused on continuing the type of musical outreach and community engagement Gallaher spent decades supporting across North Alabama.
Community leaders previously recognized Gallaher’s impact on Huntsville’s arts scene in 2015 when the city proclaimed “Microwave Dave Day” and presented him with a key to the city in honor of his contributions to music and arts education.
Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.
Got a tip for OTR? Send your tip to [email protected] with related photo/video, your name, phone number, and e-mail address.
