The sound of music and the smell of fried catfish will fill downtown Columbus this weekend as the Catfish in the Alley Festival kicks off Friday.
The festivities will begin with BBQ and music from Watermelon Slim on the stage on the lawn of the Tennessee Williams Welcome Center. He will perform from noon to 2 p.m.
“We are so excited to present this again this year,” said Nancy Carpenter, CEO and executive director for the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We are thrilled to be hosting Watermelon Slim.”
Carpenter added in the event of inclement weather on Friday, the location would be moved to the Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market pavilion at the corner of Second Avenue and Second Street North.
Saturday is when the main activities take place, kicking off at 10 a.m.
There will be 25 vendors selling food and handmade goods.
Catfish, BBQ, funnel cakes, fried okra, shaved ice, boiled peanuts, wings and loaded baked potatoes are some of the items that will be available.
The crafts include stained glass windows, quilting demonstrations, jewelry and repurposed glass bottles to name a few.
The live music features a lineup of four acts.
Honeyboy and Boots will take the stage at 10 a.m., followed by Terry “Harmonica” Bean at 11:15 a.m., Eden Brent at 12:30 p.m. and Jamell Richardson at 1:45 p.m. All of the concerts are free.
All of Saturday’s festivities will take place in Catfish Alley (Fourth Street South).
“Catfish in the Alley is a great event that people have begun to look forward to in the city,” Mayor Keith Gaskin said. “I think it’s a great way to showcase what the city has to offer, through a historical location like Catfish Alley. We are celebrating blues music, good southern cuisine and it’s just a great environment to come out and enjoy a lot of talent and a part of the city that a lot of people don’t see on a regular basis.”
How to go
■ WHAT: Catfish in the Alley
■ WHEN: Friday from noon to 2 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
■ WHERE: Catfish Alley (Fourth Street South) and Tennessee Williams Welcome Center Lawn.
■ HOW: Free to attend. Food, crafts available for purchase.
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