Madison Street Festival online registration opens April 15

Celebrities and self-portraits strike a pose in the Millar Chiropractic Artist Alley at the 2013 Madison Street Festival. This year’s festival will be held Oct. 4. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Following up 2013’s success, Madison Street Festival (MSF) organizers are recruiting, planning and scheduling the community’s premier celebration on Oct. 4, 2014.

Festival workers strive for “a day of family entertainment that unites the community as they enjoy arts and culture, interactive exhibits and entertainment,” MSF President Debbie Overcash said.

Parade Grand Marshals will be former Madison mayors. “Burwell ‘Sonny’ Wilbanks, Don Spencer, Ann van Leeuwen, Chuck Yancura, Jan Wells, Sandy Kirkindall and Paul Finley will launch the 2014 Madison Street Festival into high gear,” Overcash said.

Online registration will open April 15 for food vendors, arts and crafts, Artist Alley juried artwork, demonstrations and information booths. Registration will close Aug. 15.

“All registration is date- and time-stamped, first come/first served,” Overcash said. MSF policy allows two booths for each type of informational material.

The 2013 festival “had a new footprint. We have Madison United Methodist Church, Cornerstone Word of Life Church, Larry and Walt Anderson, Dennis Vaughn, The Glass Company and North Alabama Gas District to thank for generously loaning their beautiful, shady and spacious properties,” Overcash said.

More than 20,000 attended the 2013 festival. Visitors enjoyed festival ‘beats,’ including First Commercial Family Cafe, BB&T Gazebo Entertainment Stage, The Brook Information Booth, Redstone Federal Credit Union’s Student Art Tent, Madison Hospital’s Children’s Area, Happy Tails Petting Zoo and North Alabama Gas Pony Rides.

Church Street was the venue for Millar Chiropractic Artist Alley in Dennis Vaughn’s backyard, along with Alabama Pediatric Dental Expo Area. On Maple Street, arts and crafts were positioned on Madison UMC’s lawn, along with Verizon Entertainment Stage and Vets with Vets Car and Bike Show.

Festival proceeds returned to the community with grants to James Clemens High School Theatre Program, $1,000; Madison Public Library, $1,000; Madison Young Marines, $1,500; Rainbow Elementary School Multicultural Fair, $600; and Rainbow’s Spring Forward, $600.

MSF also gives an annual $1,000 scholarship to deserving students at Bob Jones and James Clemens high schools entering a technical/trade school.

For more information, visit madisonstreetfestival.org.