Good Fun

DISCLAIMER NOTICE

Tom and Sarah McCaffrey, above, burned up the dance floor at Oktoberfest 2019, and a big crowd again turned out for the German dinner at Sacred Heart Church, right. But with coronavirus pandemic numbers still growing in Alabama, the state was still on a mandatory face mask order as the magazine went to press. This left the status of Cullman Park, Recreation and Sports Tourism’s annual Oktoberfest, Midnight Run and Christmas in Cullman events up in the air. (Check its Facebook page for updates.) What’s more, while still planned at deadline, all of the events listed in Good Fun are tentative. Photos by David Moore.

Good Fun Events still planned but ...

• Sept. 6-7 – Sweet Tater Festival & Car Show

Get ready to love yourself some sweet taters … and love yourself some fun. The 24th Annual Sweet Tater Festival returns to Smith Lake Park extending Labor Day weekend for some 5,000 of your closest friends. Hours are 9 a.m.- 6 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday. Admission is $5 for the weekend. Vendors will be selling arts, crafts and food. There’ll be music both days, fun for the kiddies and the pool will be opened for its last splash of the season.

The Cruise Fest and Swap Meet is 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. Monday. Cruise Fest registration is 7-11 a.m. and $15. For more information, call: David Speegle, 256-385-1401.

And of course there will be lots of sweet taters donated by the Cullman County Sweet Potato Growers. More info? Call: Smith Lake Park, 256-739-2916; or visit: www. cullmancountyparks.com.

Sept. 12 – Motorcycle ride

The 8th Annual Cullman County Bosom Buddies Foundation Charity Motorcycle Ride takes off at 4 p.m. from Buffalo Wild Wings in Cullman

and will circle through Hayden before returning for a “Ride Night.” Back at the restaurant there will be live music, vendors and meal deals at Buffalo Wild Wings until 9 p.m.

On-site registration 2-3:30 p.m. Cost per rider is $25; $15 for passengers. Rain out date TBD. To guarantee a T-shirt register and save $5, register online by Aug. 29 at: www.cullmanbosombuddies.com.

Sept. 14 – Million Dollar Hole-in-One

Enjoy a great day of golf and qualify for chance to win a oncein-a-million lifetimes million-dollar hole-in-one. It’s Cullman Regional’s 29th Annual Hole-in-One Golf Extravaganza at TP Country Club with four-golfer scrambles starting at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Activities also include a 6:30 breakfast, 11 a.m. lunch; 12:45 helicopter golf ball drop; putting contests during both scrambles and hole-in-one qualifying; culminating at 5:15 with the million-dollar hole-inone shootout and putting contest. Afterward, relax with social hour during awards.

Sponsorships range from $250 to $10,000. Non-sponsor teams can sign up to play for $600 or individuals can sign up for $150 per golfer.

Secure your spot today to reserve the morning or afternoon session. Deadline to sign up is Aug. 28. For more information, contact: Cullman Regional Foundation, 256-737-2565; or crmcfoundation@crmchospital. com.

• Sept. 19 – Hanceville Music Fest

Headliner for the second-year event is Confederate Railroad. Set for 5-11:30 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, gates open at 5 p.m., Willie Underwood starts at 6:30 and the Tommy Crowder Band plays at 7:30 with Confederate Railroad coming on at 9.

Food trucks will be on site, and alcoholic beverages will be sold.

VIP packages – online, advance only – cost $40 and include special parking, restaurants, seats and a souvenir take-home chair. For VIP and $20 general admission tickets: Confederate Railroad headlines the season’s first Hanceville Music Fest Sept. 19. The Oak Ridge Boys, below, is one of the groups you’ll see if you sign up for the Wallace State alumni trip to Branson, Mo., Sept.- 28-Oct. 2.

www.eventbrite.com. Any remaining general admission tickets will be sold for $30 at the gate.

Enjoy Branson, fittingly enough, with five shows. See the Oak Ridge Boys, Clay Cooper’s Country Express, Grand Jubilee, Absolutely CountryDefinitely Gospel and Billy Yates Hit Songwriters Dinner Show. Roundtrip

includes deluxe motorcoach transportation, four hotel nights and 11 meals, including dinner with Chris Olsen from HGTV. Visit College of the Ozarks, take the Wildlife Tram and have a picnic at Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. A tour guide, luggage handling, taxes and meal gratuities included.

Sponsored by the Wallace State Community College Future Foundation, alumni members get a $100 discount on the trip. For non-alumni members rates range from $1,025 to $1,335 per person, depending on occupancy.

Deadline is in early August, so act now if you’re up for the fun. Register online: www.wsccalumni.org; for more information call LaDonna Allen, 256-352-8071.

• Oct- 1- Nov. 14 – Thanksgiving Turkey, Ham and Ribs

Place your order starting today for Thanksgiving turkeys, hams and ribs from the Cullman County Bosom Buddies Foundation. Turkeys, 15-17 lbs., are $30; hams, 10-12 lbs., $30; full rack of ribs $25. Orders may be picked up 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21; and 4-5 pm Nov. 25, the day before Thanksgiving at Freddy Day Catering, 1628 2nd Ave. NW in Cullman. Will work with businesses on pickups. To order or for more information: Judy W. Grissom, 256- 347-5993; or Mary Dyer, 256-339- 0911.

• Oct. 3 – Catch a $10K stringer

Go fishin’ and festin’ at Smith Lake Park’s Seventh Annual Bass Fest. A crowd of anglers will be vying to land the guaranteed top prize of $10,000. Among other prizes, biggest fish wins $500, as does the top parent-child team.

During the day, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., there’ll be music, vendors and other fun activities at the park beach area where weigh-ins will be held.

Deadline for online registration is Sept. 24, fee is $150, and a mandatory meeting will be held at 6 p.m., Oct. 2 at the Agriculture Trade Center. (You can also sign up then for $175 cash.)

Fish Life will be there to sell apparel at the pre-tournament meeting and everyone that buys something will receive a ticket for a drawing to win $250 on tournament day (must be present to win).

For details and registration visit: http: www.smithlakeparkbassfest. com; or call Doug Davenport, 256- 590-2667; or Sara Morgan, 256- 347-8334.

• Oct. 3 – Fair Parade

As long as the Cullman County Fair is on, the annual parade starts at 2 p.m. this Saturday and runs along U.S. 31 from Cullman First Baptist Church to McGriff Tire and Service. Cost to enter is $20.

Registering to participate starts after Labor Day at the fair office at Sportsman Lake Park.

• Oct. 6 – Little Pink Dress

The second-year event benefits Cullman County Bosom Buddies Foundation and will take place on Tuesday at Loft 212 of Cullman. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; dinner

includes a four-course meal catered by Teresa Dyer of Custom Catering. A live and silent auction will also take place during the evening. Christina Chambers will again emcee the event; guest speaker to be announced soon.

The Cullman County Bosom Buddies Foundation is an allvolunteer, non-profit that assists Cullman area residents while they are in a cancer treatment program.

Tickets are $65 each and along with dinner include a complimentary photo and gift bag. They go on sale Aug. 1 at: www.cullmanbosombuddies. com. For more information, to purchase tickets or to inquire about sponsorship contact: Louise Cole, 256-503-5301; or Judy Grissom, 256-347-5993.

• Oct. 8-17 – 66th Cullman County Fair

Pending no state closing orders because of coronavirus, the Lions Club plans to go all out again for the Cullman County Fair. Gates are set to open and the fun will begin at 5 p.m., Thursday. There will be nightly pageants or entertainment at 7 p.m. and tons of exhibits, prizes and rides on the big midway.

General fairgrounds admission is free for kids 9 and under and $7 for all others. Arm bands for unlimited rides are $22; $25 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday. Admission and individual ride tickets are available at the fair. Senior Citizens Day is Oct. 14. Gates open at 5 p.m. weeknights and 2 p.m. both Saturdays and Sunday.

For updates and more info on rides and entertainment and registration info exhibits and pageants visit: www.cullmanfair.org; or call: 256-734-0661

• Oct. 10 – Hanceville Music Fest

Hanceville’s second show of the fall (see Sept. 19) features the Kingsmen Quartet and Gold City with gates opening at 5 p.m. Presale tickets are available through Oct. 9 at City Hall for $10 and the day of at the civic center for $15. They are also available for $15 at www.eventbrite.com. For questions, call: 256-352-9830

• Oct. 24 – Peinhardt Farm Day

Young and old can experience hands-on activities at Peinhardt’s 40-acre antique farm and wellstocked museums. Learn how to make quilt samplers, how turpentine is made, and watch cotton being ginned. Hear old-time music, plow with a mule, compete in sack races and more.

The event – 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – is free for ages 4 and under, $5 for kids 5-11; $7 for 13 and up. The farm is located at 1711 Talley Ho Street, Cullman. For more info: www. peinhardtfarm.org; or FB Peinhardt Living History Farm.

• Oct. 31 – Trick or Treat at the Lake

Campers at Smith Lake Park are decorating for Halloween, and area parents are invited to the bring their children there to trick or treat from 5-8 p.m. For more info call the park: 256-739-2916.

73