Helen Keller Festival returns June 25-28

By Maryanne Floyd

Special to The Reporter

 

For many communi­ties, a birthday is a day. In Tuscumbia, Helen Keller’s birthday is practically a season.

Every June, Helen Keller’s hometown comes alive with events and celebrations hon­oring her remarkable life, her many achieve­ments, and the endur­ing influence she still holds across the globe.

Born at Ivy Green on June 27, 1880, Helen Keller became one of the most recognized advocates, authors, and lecturers of the 20th century.

While her story reached far beyond Tuscumbia, June offers a chance to experience the places, events, and traditions that keep her legacy alive right here in Colbert County.

One of the most cher­ished traditions is “The Miracle Worker,” Al­abama’s official out­door drama. Performed on the grounds of Ivy Green, the play tells the story of Helen’s childhood and the re­markable relationship between Helen and her teacher, Anne Sulli­van. For more than 60 years, audiences have gathered beneath the stars to watch the story unfold just steps away from the famous water pump where Helen first connected language to the world around her.

This year’s perfor­mances are scheduled for June 12, 13, 19, 20, 25, 26 and 27, as well as July 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18. Gates open at 7 p.m. and per­formances begin at 8 p.m. Reserved seating is $20 and general ad­mission is $15. Tickets may be purchased on­line through the Helen Keller Birthplace web­site or by calling 256-383-4066.

Of course, June would not be com­plete without the Helen Keller Festival.

Held June 25-28, the four-day festival has grown into one of the largest annual events in North Alabama.

What started as a celebration of Hel­en Keller’s life now brings together live music, family activ­ities, vendors, food, arts, culture, and com­munity traditions that draw visitors from across the region. With dozens of events taking place throughout the weekend, visitors are encouraged to view the full festival schedule at helenkellerfest.com.

The festivities begin Thursday evening with the Helen Keller Fes­tival Parade through downtown Tuscum­bia, followed by a free street party featuring live music, food trucks, and plenty of opportu­nities to enjoy down­town after hours.

Throughout the weekend, Spring Park serves as the heart of the festival. Visitors can browse the Mar­ketplace featuring art­ists and vendors from across the Southeast, enjoy live entertain­ment, let the kids ex­plore the Imagination Station and Keller Kids activities, participate in special events like Painting in the Park and morning yoga, or simply spend the day enjoying one of Ala­bama’s most beautiful parks.

Music remains one of the festival’s big­gest draws. Thursday night’s lineup features The April Michelle Band (7 p.m.), How­ell Sledge & The Re­vue (8 p.m.) and The Midnighters (9 p.m.). Friday includes Pine Hill Counties (5 p.m.), Elliott DeVaughn (6 p.m.), Moon Tree (7 p.m.) and Voodoo Bay­ou. Saturday’s perfor­mances include 7X (4 p.m.), Emerge (5 p.m.), Music City Misfits (6 p.m.), Lightwatch (7 p.m.) and headlin­er Fuel. The weekend wraps up Sunday with Worship in the Park featuring Lottie Rich­ards (6 p.m.) and Caleb & John (7 p.m.).

Festival week also offers plenty of oppor­tunities to explore Tus­cumbia. Visitors can tour Ivy Green, browse the Friends of the Li­brary Book Sale, attend a special presentation on Helen Keller’s life by her great-grand­niece at the Helen Keller Public Library, visit the Tuscumbia Railroad Depot Muse­um, explore the Shoals Model Railroaders ex­hibit, enjoy the Down­town Sidewalk Sale, or tour the historic Cold­water Stagecoach Stop Log Cabin.

Belle Mont Mansion will also offer special tours June 24-27, giv­ing visitors an opportu­nity to experience one of Alabama’s finest ex­amples of Jeffersonian architecture.

Those interested in local history can also visit Historic Glencoe Cemetery, the resting place of members of Helen Keller’s family, through special tours hosted at the Vulcan Materials quarry prop­erty. Combined with the festival activities, these special events provide a unique op­portunity to experience many of the sites that help tell the story of Helen Keller, Tuscum­bia and Colbert Coun­ty.

The Tennessee Val­ley Museum of Art is also celebrating Helen Keller’s legacy with two special exhibits.

The Helen Keller Art Show, on display June 16 through the festival, features artwork creat­ed by Alabama students who are visually im­paired, blind, or deaf-blind.

The annual exhibit showcases the talent, imagination, and artis­tic abilities of students from across the state while honoring the leg­acy of Helen Keller.

Also on display is In the Water: Musical Heritage of the Shoals, opening June 16 and running through Au­gust 1. The exhibit explores the people, places, and stories that helped shape the Shoals’ legendary mu­sic scene through arti­facts, memorabilia, and personal connections to the musicians who helped put this area on the map.

For many communi­ties, a birthday is a day. In Tuscumbia, Helen Keller’s birthday is a month-long celebration of history, culture, and community. Wheth­er you’re attending the festival, watching The Miracle Worker, touring Ivy Green, or exploring one of the many special exhib­its and events taking place throughout June, there’s no better time to experience all that Tuscumbia has to offer.

To learn more about these events and oth­er things happen­ing throughout Col­bert County, visit colbertcountytourism.org, stop by the Colbert County Visitor Center, or follow us on social media.

As always, we en­courage you to get out, explore your own back­yard, and support the local attractions, busi­nesses, festivals, and events that make Col­bert County such a spe­cial place to call home.