The Sucarnochee Folklife Festival (SFF) celebrates 13 years of the unique life ways of Alabama’s Black Belt on Saturday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at McConnell Field-Lyon Hall Quad on The University of West Alabama (UWA) campus.

The festival joins the Alabama Tourism Department’s theme, “Alabama 200,” the birthday celebration of Alabama’s bicentennial. For three years, from March 3, 2017, to December 14, 2019, Alabama 200 will celebrate the people, places, and stories that make the state unique.  The event schedule for commemoration of Alabama’s statehood is 2017: Places, 2018: People, and 2019: Stories.

“Birthdays are fun and we are excited that the bicentennial’s first year of focus is on Alabama places,” said UWA’s Executive Director of Economic Development and Outreach Dr. Tina Naremore Jones. “This year the Festival honors “Sumter County Places” with a commemorative T-shirt of communities in Sumter County.

“The festival favorites are slated for all to enjoy, including the popular Blue Ribbon Contests,” said Jones. The competition ties back to the original goal of the festival and why it began- as a way to teach people about traditions and customs of the Black Belt region and keep them alive for future generations.”

Bragging rights for Blue Ribbon Contests participants this year are the Cornbread Cook-off including the categories of best traditional cornbread, best specialty cornbread and original main dish recipe using cornbread. Also up for grabs is the Home Canning Competition including the categories of pickles, BBQ sauce, preserves, jelly, and specialty pickled item.

Festival attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket and enjoy the “Sucarnochee Live,” a stage show of local talent hosted by Danny Buckalew and Danielle Buckalew. The father-daughter duo has compiled a line-up of great entertainment for the Easter weekend. Family enjoyment is offered to those of all ages as music, food, storytelling, art, and much more are shared throughout the day.

Event sponsors include the University of West Alabama, Black Belt Museum, UWA Fine Arts Department, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Alabama Department of Tourism, City of Livingston, Sumter County Chamber of Commerce and the Alabama Folklife Association.

For more information on the Sucarnochee Folklife Festival call 205-652-3828, emailcenterforblackbelt@uwa.edu or grobbins@uwa.edu.