MSF doubles Children’s Area, changes shuttle stops

MADISON – When younger families arrive at Madison Street Festival on Oct. 1, they will find the Children’s Area in a new location – bigger and better than ever.

“The Children’s Area has been located in several places in the past but had a home in the field beside North Alabama Gas company on Church Street,” MSF President Crystal McBrayer said.

“We have moved it to the open field beside Fellowship of Faith Church on Maple Street in the Interact Zone with the Teen Area,” McBrayer said.

A couple of scenarios led to the move. “Pre-Covid, the Children’s Area was in one large tent. To spread it out more, we’ve gone from one big tent to individual tents,” McBrayer said.

For 2022, the Children’s Area now is located beside the new shuttle stop on Maple Street in Fellowship of Faith Church’s parking lot. This shuttle runs from Crosspointe Church. In the Children’s Area’s former location, a new area called “Midtown Madison” will have employees from all City of Madison departments.

Attractions in the Children’s Area, which will double in size this year, will include a petting zoo, lots of individual tents for free arts and crafts, games and entertainment for the ’12-and-younger’ set, along with interactive booths designed specifically for children.

“From magic and animal balloons, to face painting and making crafts, you’ll find it all in the Children’s Area,” McBrayer said.

For the crowd’s convenience, two shuttle stops run for roundtrip ease. “You can park at Madison City Schools Stadium and take the quick shuttle over to downtown . . . or the easy walk for one-tenth mile,” McBrayer said.

CrossPointe Church at 78 Hughes Road will run two shuttle buses and drop off at Fellowship of Faith Church on Maple Street. “We will have one charter and one Madison Assisted Ride System or MARS bus running from stadium. We also will have two charter buses running from CrossPointe, along with a MARS bus,” McBrayer said.

Shuttles leaving the stadium will go to the bus stop on Wise Street (which intersects Main Street). Shuttles leaving CrossPointe will go to the bus stop on Maple Street (which intersects Church Street).

Free parking will be available at CrossPointe Church and Madison City Schools Stadium. Shuttle service to the festival grounds, including handicap-accessible vans, also is free.

Limited, handicap-accessible parking is available at the city parking lot at the intersection of Martin and Garner streets (across from the car show). To enter this lot, go to the intersection of Sullivan and Martin streets, show a handicap parking permit to the Public Works employee and proceed on Martin Street.

Apple Bus in Huntsville is providing school buses as shuttles. The City of Madison is supplying handicap-accessible buses from both locations.

One charter from both locations will begin at 5:45 a.m. for vendors to access the festival grounds (after they finish booth setup). The second charter will be added at CrossPointe Church at 8 a.m., along with both MARS buses. The 5:45 a.m. charter will run until 5 p.m. The second bus added at Crosspointe at 8 a.m. will run until 6 p.m.

The CrossPointe bus will be re-routed, due to the MSF Parade from 8:45 to 10 a.m., and will drop off at the Wise Street entrance.

For more information, email msf.questions@gmail.com, visit madisonstreetfestival.org, Facebook/Madison Street Festival or Instagram @MadisonStreetFestival.