Madison Street Festival: It’s party time on Saturday

It’s part block party, student showcase, shopping extravaganza, fine art show and vendor expo. Add it all up, and you get the city’s major celebration, Madison Street Festival on Saturday.

“The Madison Street Festival (MSF) committee is excited to be down to the wire on the 32nd annual festival,” president Debbie Overcash said. “After a year’s planning, we’re thrilled to offer so many wonderful opportunities for the entire family on Oct. 6 in beautiful, downtown Madison!”

The fun starts with the MSF Parade at 8:30 a.m., chaired by Debbie Hoover with assistance by Laura Cook. Leaving from Insanity Skate Park, the parade route heads west on Mill Road, south on Church Street, across the railroad tracks to Main Street and north on Sullivan Street to disband at Madison Elementary School, 17 College St.

“We have close to 50 parade entries,” Hoover said. “Grand Marshal is Madison Hospital’s first-born baby, Paige Harper McLemore. We have two high school bands, James Clemens and Bob Jones. Local celebrity singer Cristina Lynn is a special guest.”

In addition, the MSF parade will include Boy and Girl Scout troops, sports and novelty cars, beauty pageant queens and floats by community groups.

With several sections to visit, the festival offers the Children’s Area with make-and-take crafts and a petting zoo. Next door, the Student Art Tent will prove the remarkable talent of Madison’s young artists.

Arts Cove will feature 90 arts and crafts vendors.

In Arts Cove, about 90 artisans will set up booths to sell handmade arts-and-crafts items and merchandise — nothing mass-produced. A jury committee accepted 32 individuals for Artist Alley with work in acrylic, watercolor, oil and pastel; jewelry; mixed media, cartooning; photography; pottery and sculpture.

MSF sponsors are Norfolk Southern Railroad, Madison Hospital, HealthSource, The Brook, Alabama Telco Credit Union, Redstone Federal Credit Union, First Commercial Bank, Progress Bank, Happy Tails, North Alabama Gas Company and the “Madison Record” (themadisonrecord.com).

Publicist Stephenie Walker has collaborated with local company Sawfish Entertainment for an app (pending approval on Oct. 5) for Droid and iPhones users to download an interactive, festival map.

The app also includes live, festival updates from the MSF Facebook page, vendor booths and stage schedules “available for people to access in the palm of their hand,” Walker said. To download the app, visit sawfishentertainment.com/madison-street-festival.html.

For up-to-date information, visit madisonstreetfestival.org.