A special publication of
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Buck Creek Festival Guide Editorial
Graham Brooks, Stephen Dawkins, Alec Etheredge, Briana Harris, Amalia Kortright, Keith McCoy, Emily Sparacino, Neal Wagner
Production Connor Bucy, Jamie Dawkins, Clarke Stackhouse
Marketing Kristy Brown, Kari George, Rachel Henderson, Daniel Holmes, Hagan Joiner, Donna Knott, Rhett McCreight,
What ’s going on at the Buck Creek Festival? Buck Creek tradition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Schedule of events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Buck Creek Festival sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Band lineup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Lucky Ducks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Buck Creek Festival vendors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Sponsor spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Parking information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Kim McCulla, Ashley Murphy, April Spivey, Kerrie Thompson
Administration
Tim Prince, Katie McDowell, Mary Jo Eskridge, Hailey Dolbare, Stacey Meadows
Festival Organizers
Ron Holly, Amy Lisenba, Cris Nelson, Brian Peters, Bob Van Loan, Jack Gray, Jim McKinley, Mike Mason, Stephanie Gray, Jennifer Richards
Buck Creek Festival 2017 • 3
Sweet 16: Buck Creek Festival returns to Helena for 16th year
By GRAHAM BROOKS Staff Writer
I
t’s hard to believe that 15 years have passed since the inaugural Buck Creek Festival began in the city of Helena, but in that time span, the festival has become a proud part of the city and the 16th annual Buck Creek Festival is sure to not disappoint. The Buck Creek Festival prides itself as being a family-friendly festival that features plenty of food and retail vendors with the staple of the festival being musical entertainment. Ten musical groups will perform on the festival stage, kicking off with the first group at 6 p.m. on May 12 and concluding with the final performance at 9 p.m. the following day. The Buck Creek Festival may just be a two-day event, but preparations for 4 • Buck Creek Festival 2017
the festival begin long before the second week in May arrives. Festival organizers work year-round to prepare for the festival and the Buck Creek Festival Committee is made up of dedicated volunteers that help secure vendors, musical talent, negotiate costs and of course, dedicate their free time to help make the festival the best it can be. Sadly, one of the key members of the Buck Creek Festival Committee will be missing at the 2017 Buck Creek Festival. Longtime Buck Creek Festival board member Henry Neff passed away in late 2016, but plans are in place to honor Neff at this year’s festival. “We are sorting through ideas on how we are going to honor Henry Neff at this year’s festival,” fellow longtime Buck Creek Festival committee member Ron Holly said. “He was a large part of the festival for many years and we want to
honor him for his dedication and hard work.” Roughly 77 vendors in all will be at the Buck Creek Festival and people who attend can be assured that the vendors will include a wide range of things. “We have secured all the vendors and about half of them are new this year,” Holly said. “We’ve added new food vendors and plenty of other vendors as well.” Sandwiched between the musical acts and vendors is the legendary duck race in which thousands of yellow rubber ducks sweep down Buck Creek. The duck race returns on Saturday, May 13 at 3 p.m., and those wishing to participate can purchase duck tickets at a number of retail stores around Helena or on the day of the festival. An automatic dumper will dump the thousands of rubber ducks into Buck
Creek this year as one lucky person will see his or her duck cross the finish line first. Once the last tunes are played late Saturday evening, the focus of the festival turns to how the money raised can be placed back into the community. Last year, the Buck Creek Festival raised $26,420 in total funds that was divided among multiple charities and organizations. Over the life of the festival, the total amount of money raised is $253,827. The money is placed back in the community for a variety of projects and organizations to benefit Helena. “We’re just really proud of what we can give back to the community,” longtime festival organizer Cris Nelson said. “Our policy has been we distributed out all (festival proceeds). When we start planning, we start out with $0.”
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Buck Creek Festival 2017 Stage Schedule Friday, May 12
1:35 p.m. Microwave Dave & The Nukes
6 p.m. The M-80s
4 p.m. Razz Ma Tazz
8 p.m. John King
5:30 p.m. The Sassy Brown Band
Saturday, May 13
7 p.m. Sweet Tea Trio
10 a.m. Keegan Bost 11 a.m. Lamont Landers Band 12:15 p.m. Helena High School Jazz Band
9 p.m. Morgan Wallen
• FREE ADMISSION • No dogs, coolers or alcoholic beverages
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Buck Creek Festival 2017 Sponsors Presenting Sponsors iHeart Radio Stations – The Bull & Magic 96 • ABC 3340 CW21 My68 • Helena Reporter It’s About Time Urgent Care
Patron Vulcan Materials – Helena Quarry • Regions Bank • Sunbelt Rentals • Newk's
Official Essential Solutions LLC • Karen Miller Allstate • Deb’s Party Rentals • Publix Supermarket • Marco’s Pizza Home Plate Cooking • Smitty’s Golf Carts • Garver • Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama • Cahaba Dental Arts • Bama Bud City of Helena • Helena Landscape Supply • Jack's • Helena Family Dentistry • Highpointe Properties
Activity Senator Cam Ward • Pepsi Buffalo Rock • Republic Services • Rep. Matt Fridy • Uptown Salon Hillsboro Subdivision • Old Town Art • Fitz-Thors Engineering, Inc.
Contributing Weather Events LLC • Holiday Inn Express – Pelham • Thoroughbred Strategic Services • Rental Resource Group
Buck Creek Festival 2017 • 7
2017 Band Lineup — Friday, May 12 —
— Saturday, May 13 —
HELENA HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BAND 12:15 p.m.
THE M-80S
KEEGAN BOST
6 p.m.
10 a.m.
The M-80s is a five-piece 1980s tribute band from Birmingham, Alabama. All the best rock and pop hits from the best decade for music! They play your favorite songs note for note with authentic arrangements, tight vocal harmonies and non-stop high-energy for a show that is totally awesome! You won’t be disappointed.
Keegan’s a 17-year-old with a guitar, smooth vibrato and the rasp that gives everybody chills. It’s his soulful passion that you will feel ... and that's what sets him apart from every other teen with a heart throb haircut. Inspired by artists such as Pentatonix, Bruno Mars, Ron Pope and Gavin DeGraw, some have compared his style to artists like Ben Rector, Ed Sheeran and James Bay. Keegan was a finalist at “Open Mic Night” at Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta, as well as a spot holder in Moonlight on the Mountains Open Mic Sing-off. He was also honored to be chosen for the Executive Producer round of NBC’s The Voice in Los Angeles for Seasons 8 and 9.
JOHN KING 8 p.m. In a short time, King has been making a name for himself in country music. He is a talented songwriter and singer. John's debut radio single, “Tonight Tonight,” earned him his first Top 40 hit and was heard by millions of NFL fans and used to highlight CBS network’s Thursday night football throughout the 2014 season. In addition to his rising success as an artist, King is also earning national recognition as a songwriter. In early 2016, King experienced his first No. 1 with a song called “We Went” recorded by artist Randy Houser. King co-wrote the song with friends Matt Rogers and Justin Wilson and received a 2016 ASCAP Songwriter Award for the song's success. King also had a hand in writing Craig Morgan’s current single, “I’ll Be Home Soon.” John wowed the Buck Creek Festival crowd in 2016 and jumped at the chance to return to Helena, Alabama, to be the headliner for Friday night. 8 • Buck Creek Festival 2017
The Helena High School Band is made up of 30 HHS students ranging from grades 9-12. The band is a big band style jazz group who plays a variety of styles and genres ranging from big band swing to light rock. They perform at most HHS Band events and are also active at events in and around the Helena area.
MICROWAVE DAVE & THE NUKES 1:35 p.m. Twenty years of performances in the U.S. and Europe and six albums – with more on the way – have helped Microwave Dave & The Nukes establish a wide multinational audience. Venues vary from French soccer stadiums to Bike Week in Daytona Beach, from blues cruises on the Big Red Boat to neighborhood saloons, but the thousands of shows delivered by the band all reflect one core element: the heritage blues music enjoys as a lifter of spirits. As Microwave Dave puts it: "Blues is America's first – and still best – self-help program."
LAMONT LANDERS BAND 11 a.m. Born and raised in Alabama, Lamont Landers grew up absorbing the soulful sounds of the South that surrounded him. He spent years quietly honing his talents behind his bedroom doors, listening to records by Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Sly & The Family Stone and Ray Charles on repeat. The Lamont Landers Band has since become a staple in college towns and perform across the Southeast, bringing their joyful noise of soul, funk and R&B to audiences of all sizes.
RAZZ MA TAZZ 4 p.m. The band brings to the stage the sounds of Motown, blues, rock and country and features Henry Lovoy on drums, vocal; Greg Brown on lead guitar, vocals; Kenny
Webber on bass, harmonica, vocals; and Mike Webber on keyboards, guitar, vocals. These musicians have been friends for many years and finally decided to pool their talents and over 150 years of combined experience to form one of the best bands around. The band's versatility reaches out to all ages and can usually be found on Thursday-Saturday nights at Bar 31 in Vestavia.
THE SASSY BROWN BAND 5:30 p.m. Dubbed “Birmingham’s Sweetheart” by her loyal fans, Lauren “Sassy” Brown has been singing as long as she can remember. She’s assembled a solid “blues” band including the legendary Glen Butts on lead guitar, Andrew Brasfield on harmonica, Scott Housey keeping it funky on bass and John Oliver holding down the killer beat on drums. The band has played everywhere from Beale Street, to festivals, to dive bars and juke joints.
SWEET TEA TRIO 7 p.m. Voted Alabama’s Country Female Artist of the Year for 2016, Sweet Tea Trio is winning the hearts and catching the eye of fans across the country. They are all singer/songwriters with a Southern charm that is contagious and as authentic as their voices! Victoria Camp, Savannah Coker and Kate Falcon have joined forces to give country music fans their first taste of an all-female trio in many years. Sweet Tea made their national television debut singing the National Anthem at the Talladega races and has shared the stage with favorites like Lonestar, Tracy Lawrence, Diamond Rio, Drake White, Shenandoah, Bon Jovi and others. Currently, they are scheduled to join Kid Rock on his eighth annual Chillin’ the Most Cruise.
MORGAN WALLEN 9 p.m. He’s a passionate singer with a unique sound who grew up in Appalachia, and you’ll be hearing more of Morgan Wallen before 2017 is over. Less than a year after moving to Nashville in 2015, he has been signed to Big Loud Records and hit the road on his first radio promotion tour. Morgan is a former contestant for NBC’s The Voice in 2014 and was chosen by Usher and was later stolen by Adam Levine. The last song he performed during his run, a cover of Florida Georgia Line’s “Stay,” helped steer him toward his creative destiny. Morgan’s recently released debut single, “The Way I Talk,” is climbing the charts and was recently named No. 1 Single on SiriusXM The Highway’s countdown. In addition to co-penning A Thousand Horses’ new single “Preachin’ to the Choir,” Morgan will be joining Florida Georgia Line’s Dig your Roots Tour in April and May. Morgan Wallen is sure to entertain the crowds as the headliner for Saturday night at the 16th Annual Buck Creek Festival. Buck Creek Festival 2017 • 9
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The legendary
Duck Race returns to Helena’s Buck Creek Festival By GRAHAM BROOKS Staff Writer
K
ids and parents alike line the banks of Buck Creek in Helena as the anticipation builds for the drop of thousands of yellow rubber ducks into the water and if you’re unfamiliar with the race, you should hope that the duck with your number crosses the finish line first. Helena’s Buck Creek Festival is entering its 16th year and arguably the most anticipated event of the festival occurs on Saturday afternoon. Along with being the most anticipated, the duck race is also the most significant fundraiser for the festival, which has donated more than $253,000 to local charities and civic groups through the festival’s 16-year history. Anyone is allowed to sponsor a duck to be entered into the
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race and tickets are currently being sold at various businesses in Helena. Tickets may also be purchased the day of the race. Those wishing to enter ducks into the race may purchase single duck tickets or a flock of ducks. A flock of ducks consists of five ducks at a cost of $25 that also includes a Buck Creek Festival T-shirt. Single duck tickets are $5. This year, the Helena High School Band Boosters will receive the funds raised from the duck race. Last year, the band boosters received $12,495 and the goal is to once again help support the program. The 2017 duck race will begin promptly at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 13 and those who’ve been before would advise first timers to get there early to secure a good spot to watch all the action.
Total average savings of
$763*
Buck Creek Festival 2017 • 11
FOOD Bayou Billy Sweet Dixie Tea Dan’s Ole Fashioned Lemonade David & Justin’s Funnel Cakes Dixie Gourmet LLC Packaged dips and soup mixes
Buck Creek Festival Vendors Buck Creek Stained Glass Glass art, stained glass and blowing
Mocking Birds Pallet wood home décor, baby stuff
The Trove Clothes, bags, jewelry, scarves
Sammy Reaves Caps of All Kinds
Old Towne Music Instruments and Acc’s
Thomas Kober
Chattanooga Glowlights Glow lights, kids’ toys
Overhauled Crosses, Native American paintings
Dixie Wreaths by MaryPat
Pitter Patter Children’s Boutique Children’s clothes, hats, bows
Elizabeth’s Gourmet Creations Dips pre-packaged
Freedom Specialty Knives
Frios Gourmet Pops
From Boards to Bowls Wood bowls, platters, bird houses
Full Moon BBQ Helena Miracle League Baked goods, blankets Helena Pepper Co. Pepper sauce Kona Ice Shaved ice, pucker powder
Glitter Gal Gifts Paintings, wreath, flower arrangements J&S Treasured Creations Custom wood/pallet home décor James T. Robinson 3D printed crafts, switch plates
R&S Peanuts
Jewelry by Joyce Jewelry and handbags
Rae Rae’s Catering Chicken sandwiches, Philly cheese
Kelly Gamble Jewelry, dish cloths, knit
Texas Roadhouse Steak sandwich
Laloni Kromer Kool rags, cedar footballs
The Chill Factory Slushies, cotton candy
Lealta Brummett’s Fleurdelee Jewelry
Venice Gelato
Lilla Rose Hair jewelry
RETAIL Advocare Angie’s This & That Women’s clothing, toys, patriotic stuff 3 Crosses Crosses and wire cross jewelry Bella’s Bags & More Jewelry and clothes 12 • Buck Creek Festival 2017
LTD Therapeutic Jewelry & Gifts Cedar footballs, burning rock candles LuLaRoe (Doris Marquez) Shirts, leggings, dresses LuLaRoe (Machelle & Vaughn) Women’s clothing, leggings
Tuff Shed Wooden buildings Usborne Books Children’s books
Precision Chiropractic
Valerie Richards T-shirts, wrist bands
Random Stuff Recycled crafts
Whimmmsy Henna tattoos, painted glassware
Reds Food – Tex-Mex
Wink Mobile Boutique Clothing and jewelry truck
Roger’s This & That Para cord, bracelets, dog collars and leashes
INFORMATION Alabama Partners for Clean Air
Serenity Candles Candles
Champion Windows
Skull Girl Soaps
Country Boyz Heating & Cooling
Smack, Smooch, & Pucker Cosmetics
Durante Companies
Southern Charm Boutique Women’s clothing, jewelry Southern Natural Soap Space Air Airbrushing Studio V Salon LipSense, braiding hair Taste a Rainbow Pain relief all-natural product The Be.ad.itudes Small Pottery, fan pulls
Mary Kay Cosmetics
The Gazebo Ornaments, T-shirts, store items
Masquerade Face painting
The Kindred Image Greeting cards, tile beverage coasters
Gutter Guard Helena Fence and Deck Rocks, boulders, fire pits, stone work Helena Health Club Ortho South Pelham YMCA Therapy South Two by Two Rescue
RIDES Bungy Jump
It ’s About Time Urgent Care sponsors BCF for second straight year
By GRAHAM BROOKS Staff Writer
I
t’s About Time Urgent Care opened a little more than two years ago in Helena, and since that time, the urgent care clinic has become a valuable part of the community and has been a big help in sponsoring the annual Buck Creek Festival. The 2017 Buck Creek Festival marks the second straight year that It’s About Time has been a Presenting Sponsor for the Buck Creek Festival. The donation amount was $5,000 toward the festival. Buck Creek Festival committee member Cris Nelson said the partnership with It’s About Time, as well as other sponsors, has a huge impact to the success of the festival. “One hundred percent of the funding for the costs of the festival comes from our sponsors,” Nelson said. “The largest cost that we have is our entertainment. The Buck Creek Festival committee has always worked hard to keep costs down and negotiate expenses as much as possible to insure that we can donate as much as we can back to the community. The partnership with It’s About Time Urgent Care has allowed us to pursue national acts for our headliners and bring broader entertainment to the Buck Creek Festival and keep the event free to the community.” The $5,000 donation helped land musicians and bands such as John King,
the M-80s, Morgan Wallen, Keegan Bost, Lamont Landers Band, Helena High School Jazz Band, Microwave Dave & the Nukes, Razz Ma Tazz, The Sassy Brown Band and Sweet Tea Trio for the 2017 festival. It’s About Time Urgent Care is located at 225 Helena Road and offers services that include urgent care, occupational health, school and sports exams and Department of Transportation exams. Dr. Deborah Stanford and nurse
practitioner Elizabeth Deslattes have worked in urgent care the last 12 years and help provide optimal care for patients who enter the clinic in Helena. “The Buck Creek Festival is very appreciative of It’s About Time Urgent Care as one of our Presenting Sponsors, Vulcan Materials Helena Quarry as our Patron Sponsor and our other official sponsors that have made an investment into bringing a free regional event to the community,” Nelson added. It’s About Time Urgent Care’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Buck Creek Festival 2017 • 13
Parking Information FREE PARKING for the festival is available at RufďŹ n Park, Helena Elementary School and Helena Baptist Church. A festival shuttle will run on Friday afternoon and Saturday to Lot A. Lot B at Helena Elementary will be open after school hours on Friday. Festival shuttle will run until 30 minutes after the festival closes. Best parking will be at Lot A.
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Buck Creek Festival 2017 • 15
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