ARLEY, Ala. – For over 50 years, the annual Arley Day Festival Parade and Car Show has been held at Hamner Park in Arley, Alabama. The festival is hosted by the Arley Women’s Club (AWC) as a celebration of the town of Arley, the heart of beautiful Smith Lake, and its residents.
This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. and is a free event for all to attend. The festival begins with a parade through the town ending in Meek Baptist Church. Activities lined up for the day include a car show (with prizes!) arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, children’s games, water slides, horseback rides, free hotdogs for kids and more. A 3-on-3 basketball tournament will be held beginning at 9 on the courts at Hamner Park, organized by the Meek basketball coach. A pickleball tournament will also be held this year at the recently added pickleball courts. To sign up for the pickleball tournament visit www.ArleyWomensClub.org. The latest information on all the festivities is posted on the AWC site – as well as registration forms for vendors and car show entries.
A hearty pancake breakfast will be provided for the community, festival vendors and festival attendees by Arley First Baptist Church. The breakfast will be held at the Arley Fire Station, located directly across from Hamner Park from 7-8:30. Donations are welcomed and will benefit the Arley Volunteer Fire Department.
AWC members work tirelessly throughout the year to improve the festival. AWC President Laurie McGriff said, “Arley Day is a wonderful event for the community hosted by AWC on the third Saturday of May each year. From the parade, to the car show, to the festival itself, our AWC members are working tirelessly on all the details to ensure that the festival is a fabulous experience for all visitors. We are already receiving a wide variety of vendor applications ensuring there will be something of interest for everyone. Back by popular demand, tickets will be sold at the festival for our annual drawing. This year’s feature will be a giant, brand new Blackstone grill! We look forward to welcoming the community and seeing all the smiling faces this year!”
Vice President Beth Sargent added, “ Arley Day has been around for 50-plus years! We are proud to be a part of this event which brings so many people from our area to celebrate Arley! It takes lots of planning, but in the end we are happy to do it – and thanks to the volunteer hours by so many members and donations by our supporters, again this year we will be providing free rides and games, free admission and even a free lunch for the kids! We are excited to welcome back so many vendors – food trucks – service groups – and welcoming new vendors. We are looking forward to a great 51st festival. Please come out with your family for a great day!”
Arley Day will take place Saturday, May 18, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at D.H. Hamner Park in Arley. Get more info at https://tinyurl.com/Arley2024 or www.arleywomensclub.org/arley-day-festival.
