CULLMAN – Saint Bernard Prep School's new fall arts, crafts and music festival, the Bernard Blues and BBQ Festival, is this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9-10, from on the campus of Saint Bernard Abbey and Prep School. The festival will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. An admission donation of $5 per person is requested.
“We have received numerous requests for the school to host a fall festival, so we felt it appropriate to wrap up the 125th Anniversary celebration at Saint Bernard with the Bernard Blues and BBQ Festival,” President, Father Joel Martin said.
Festival Director Joyce Nix shared, “Whether one is shopping for seasonal decorations such as Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas, something unique will certainly be available at Bernard Blues and BBQ.”
Handmade quilts, brooms, pottery, jewelry, children’s clothing, doll clothes, ragdolls, pillows, Christmas ornaments, driftwood creations, birdhouses, ceramics, flowering plants, fiber art, honey, handmade soaps, hand-painted door hangers, photography, oil paintings, wooden music boxes, ladies clothing, woodcarvings, handwoven baskets, yard art – these are just a small sampling of what patrons can expect.
“We invite Alabama and neighboring states to attend and support the handmade works of our artisans while enjoying a variety of music we have planned for the weekend,” Nix said.
Get ready to tap your toes while enjoying live entertainment throughout the weekend. Visitors can expect to hear:
- Live blues music provided by Microwave Dave and the Nukes, of Huntsville on Saturday from 10 a.m. until noon
- Bluegrass and sacred music from Chimney Branch, of Addison on Saturday from 2-4 p.m.
- Sunday, Sweet Licks Dixieland Jazz Band, of Birmingham will perform from 10 a.m. until noon
- Americana Blues by Coco O’Connor and the Redeemers of Nashville, Tennessee, at 1 p.m. Sunday
The hickory-smoked aroma of barbeque ribs, pulled pork, hamburgers and hotdogs will fill the air. Pair that with ice cold tea, Pepsi or freshly squeezed lemonade, and top it off with Saint Bernard’s famous strawberry waffles, funnel cakes, fried spiral potatoes, caramel apples, kettle corn, monk’s bread and more. Whole butts and full slabs of ribs will also be available.
A hands-on art and craft center for children will be available as well as a cash giveaway of $10,000.
All proceeds from the event benefit Saint Bernard Prep School.
For more information visit www.stbernardprep.com or www.facebook.com/bernardbluesandbbq.
