Franklin County Watermelon Festival

Summer’s favorite fruit will take center stage Aug. 15-16 at the annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival. The fruity fun festival offers arts and crafts, watermelon contests, car and truck show, 5K run and 1-mile fun run, food vendors, children’s activities, games and musical entertainment, among free watermelon samples. Admission to the festival is free.

Festival lineup:

Friday, Aug. 15:

  • 6 p.m. – Festival begins.
  • 6:30 p.m. – Opening ceremony, National Anthem: Kim Clonts, free watermelon slices.
  • 7 p.m. – Music City Misfits.
  • 8:30 p.m. – Austin Bohannon.
  • 10 p.m. – Festival ends.

Saturday, Aug. 16:

  • 7 a.m.-noon – Car and truck show.
  • 7:30 a.m. – Watermelon 5K begins (1-mile fun run to follow immediately after).
  • 10 a.m. – Festival begins.
  • 10 a.m.-noon – Character guests in front of Valley State Bank.
  • 11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Watermelon contests, Russellville First Baptist Church Park with free watermelon slices.
  • 6 p.m. – Free watermelon slices.
  • 6 p.m. – The Midnighters.
  • 7 p.m. – Dixie Mafia.
  • 8:30 p.m. – Will Moseley.
  • 10 p.m. – Festival ends.

The festival takes place along Main Street (Jackson Avenue) in downtown Russellville. For more details, visit the website or call 256-332-1760. Follow on Facebook.

(Coca-Cola Amphitheater/Facebook)

Coca-Cola Amphitheater 

Upcoming live concerts:

For more shows, visit coca-colaamphitheater.com.

Enterprise Sweet Tea Festival

Celebrate a Southern tradition and have a TEArrific time at the annual Alabama Sweet Tea Festival in Enterprise. The sweetest event of the year is steeped, stirred and ready to be served up at the Enterprise Civic Center and Festival Field Saturday, Aug. 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests will enjoy sweet tea tastings and contests, food, crafts, prizes, live music, activities, shopping and more. For more information, email specialevents@visitenterprise.com.

(Alabama Shakespeare Festival/Facebook)

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents ‘The Wizard of Oz’

Based on the classic children’s book by L. Frank Baum, “The Wizard of Oz” tells the story of Dorothy, a young girl dreaming of adventure far away from her family farm, whose life suddenly changes when a tornado whisks her off to the magical land of Oz. The fun-filled musical for all ages features the score made famous by the 1939 MGM film. The production is underway through Sunday, Aug. 17. To purchase tickets, call 334-271-5353, visit the Alabama Shakespeare Festival box office or purchase online at asf.net.

Sidewalk Film Festival

The 27th annual Sidewalk Film Festival is slated for Aug. 18-24 in Birmingham’s historic theater district. The film fest is offering screenings of more than 200 films, filmmaker Q&As, panels, workshops, networking events and parties. Venues include the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Alabama Theatre, Birmingham Museum of Art, Carver Theatre, First Church Birmingham, Lyric Theatre and Sidewalk Cinema. Click here for the schedule and here for tickets. The festival map is being updated regularly; check here for updates.

The story first appeared on Alabama News Center.