THE SHOALS AREA ANNUAL EVENTS 

Held the first full week of August throughout the Shoals. It is the largest of all of the area festivals, with 1998 featuring close to 200 events. The annual event, named in honor of W.C. Handy, Alabama's "Father of the Blues", features blues, jazz, and gospel music, educational events, coordinated art shows, athletic events, street parties, great food, and much more. Some of the favorite events of the Festival include Handy Nights at local restaurants and outdoor concerts at parks throughout the Shoals. Some events require admission, but most are free. The event attracts an estimated 150,000 annually. 

Held each December in the Shoals. The 2002 game will mark the seventeenth year the game is played in the Shoals. The Shoals has created a true championship atmosphere for the game, that has taken Division II football to an all new level over the past twelve years. Many events take place during "Championship Week", culminating with the presentation of "The Harlon Hill Trophy" and the Division II Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, and the Championship Game. The game is also televised nationally by ESPN. 

Held annually in Waterloo during September. The event includes the "Largest Organized Motorcycle Ride in the South", with as many as 10,000 participants in this historic event to honor the many Native Americans who perished and suffered as a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summertime and the City of Florence celebrates the start of summer with Summer Celebration. Four days of outdoor sporting events including bass, golf, & tennis tournaments, mountain bike races, a 5K run, a century bike ride, watercraft races, Veteran's appreciation ceremony, barbecue cook-off, and many more events. All events help promote summer safety to participants and observers, and serve to kick off the summer season in the Shoals.  

About the Florence, Muscle Shoals and Rogersville, Alabama Area 

Welcome to the Shoals...
This is southern living at its best. This is how life is supposed to be. From the houses on the bluffs overlooking the Tennessee River to the beautiful and historic homes in each city's downtown area, life in the Shoals is full of beauty.  

Situated on the banks of the beautiful Tennessee River, the Shoals has a rich history in the music industry. We're known far and wide for the "Muscle Shoals Sound." Our community hosts numerous festivals and events throughout the year including the NCAA Division II Championship Football Game. 

There are four adjacent towns nestled in the hills of northwest Alabama, on the banks of the Tennessee River, that offer their citizens an enviable sense of safety and comfort. But because these towns are so intertwined, the residents here enjoy a quality of life and a variety of activities usually only found in much larger metropolitan areas. 

Native Americans settled this area long ago, and the Indian Mound museum is located on a ceremonial burial mound near the river. The Festival of the Singing River honors our native ancestry each fall. But our celebrations don't end there. The Shoals is the site for the Alabama Renaissance Faire, held each October, as well as Arts Alive, Heritage Days, the Freedom of America Celebration on the fourth of July, an annual Trail of Tears Celebration, and many others. 

The Shoals is an outdoor lover's dream. Golfers pick from a variety of public and private courses. The river and its system of lakes offers a variety of recreational activities. Nature lovers and bird watchers find much to enjoy in the area's public parks, camping areas and walking trails. In the spring, neighborhoods come alive with flowering dogwoods and azaleas, and the downtown areas buzz with activity as restaurants move tables to the sidewalk and enjoy another change of season. 

But there's plenty to do indoors, as well. The Kennedy-Douglass and Tennessee Valley Art Centers offer exhibits, classes and juried shows. Theater groups and dance studios perform; museums offer educational programs. 

A mix of manufacturing, service industries, retail, medical and financial institutions give the Shoals stability and strength. This is a shopping and medical hub for the tri-state area. 

The Shoals is the sixth largest market in Alabama and offers numerous opportunities for business investment and enhanced quality of life.
 

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