Decatur Celebration
August 2-4, Fri. 4-11 p.m., Sat. 10am-11pm, Sun. 11am-9:30pm
A massive street party that is free awaits you in downtown Decatur. From the Civic Center to the Decatur Arts Council, there’s block upon block and three days of family fun at the Decatur Celebration.
As organizers boast, there are “five festivals in one” at the Decatur Celebration – music, arts and crafts, carnival, film and food.
The entertainment stage features an awesome lineup of headliners, including Vertical Horizon (double Platinum early 2000s rock band), Blind Melon (quadruple Platinum 1990s alternative rock band), Naughty by Nature (Grammyaward-winning Platinum hip-hop trio), Foghat (double Platinum ’70s rock band), Ce Ce Peniston (’90s dance club music diva), David Nail (Grammy and ACM-nominated country artist), Kevin Fowler (country comedian), Casey Abrams (season 10 “American Idol” finalist), Building 429 (Dove award winners), For King and Country (Christian duo), Tyler Farr (emerging country music star), Lisa Haley and the Zydekats (Grammy-nominated), Heartache Tonight (tribute to the Eagles), and The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band (voted best band of Warped Tour).
Music and more rolls out on nine other show stages and at the Back Lot where Indie music and art by emerging local musicians and artists can be experienced. There will be an art exhibition, craft beer tasting and lots more.
Once again three blocks of the festival will house arts and crafts, while the Wine Garden returns with a premier selection of boutique wine on Merchant Street. Cool sounds of blues will emerge from nearby Cabaret Stage. Decatur Showcase is where you can catch amateur acts of all ages who have signed up to wow you.
And what’s a festival without a carnival?
Exciting rides are housed at the Decatur Civic Center parking lot. All You Can Ride wristband night is Thursday, Aug. 1, 4-11 p.m. Wristbands are $20. There’s also a full block of fun for the kids. This area features children’s games and shows that will impress and inspire your youngsters, and there are prizes, too. And everyone loves a parade, particularly the wellknown and loved Razzle Dazzle Goodtimes parade. The procession kicks off Saturday’s Decatur Festival at 10 a.m.
Another popular attraction at the Decatur Celebration is the award-winning Land of Lincoln Credit Union 21 Film Project. The film fest will screen top submitted films from local filmmakers and award-winning films from national festivals. Don’t miss the film awards ceremony.
And to complete your days at this enormous street festival, there will be some of the best fair food for your taste buds to explode. You’ll need to buy a Band Together wristband to purchase food and drink. But each band costs only $5 for the weekend if you buy in advance. They are $6 on site. And that ticket price helps pay for all the free entertainment and free admission.
Details and maps for the Decatur Celebration are located at decaturcelebration.com.
