It has been said that the history of the Alabama Black Belt region is as rich as its soil. That rich history will be on display Saturday, April 15 at the Sucarnochee Folklife Festival on the University of West Alabama’s campus.
Named after the river that flows through Livingston, the Sucarnochee Folklife Festival serves to celebrate the culture of the Black Belt while preserving history by educating locals and visitors about the Black Belt’s past. Held each year on the third Saturday in April, this 13th festival will feature artists from across the state of Alabama demonstrating traditional crafts including pottery, metal works, quilting and much more. Also at the festival, bring a chair or blanket and enjoy sung and spoken art in the form of live music, folksingers and storytelling.
If you have a baking, crafting or cooking talent to show off, compete for bragging rights in one of the event’s Blue Ribbon Contests. Blue Ribbon Contests this year include Quilt Making, Pie Baking, Cake Baking, Canning, BBQ Sauce and a Cornbread Cook-Off featuring three categories: traditional cornbread, specialty cornbread and best recipe using cornbread. In addition to providing tasty culinary delights for festival participants to try, competitions are held to support the mission of the festival, which is to teach people about the traditions and customs of the Black Belt Region in an effort to keep them relevant for future generations.
Have an interest in everything historic and haunted? Attendees of the Sucarnochee Folklife Festival will also have the opportunity to take the annual Walking Ghost Tour of local historic sites.
Food vendors will be on site to allow festival goers to taste a piece of Black Belt tradition. This family friendly event will also include children’s games and more opportunities for family fun.
The Sucarnochee Folklife Festival will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the McConnell Field-Lyon Hall Quad on the University of West Alabama’s campus. This event is free and open to the public!
To keep up with what’s going on in Livingston and the surrounding area, continue to follow the UWA Online Continuing Education Blog! To learn about our continuing education program and the courses we have available, visit https://uwa.augusoft.net/!