DADEVILLE FALL FESTIVAL

Fall for Dadeville

STORY BY BREANNA MANLEY

The Dadeville Fall Festival returns Oct. 15 for its ninth consecutive year and is shaping up as a surefire way for those of all ages to enjoy the cooling temperatures with family, friends and community. The event will be held in downtown Dadeville from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hosted by the Lake Martin Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce, volunteers already are hard at work on the success of this popular event. Chamber members are confirming food truck vendors and arts and craft vendors, as well as coming up with activities for the fun zone that will be created just for kids.

The festival will line the streets of downtown Dadeville. Come out and enjoy some of the local favorites, like MeMama’s Grub Hub, while also getting the chance to try something you’ve never had. Prepare to devour some fried catfish, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and an assortment of flavored cheesecake dishes while you peruse the seemingly endless arts and crafts booths along the courthouse square. The Kona Ice truckwill be on site, too.

“We usually have between 18 to 20 food vendors, and we usually have 60 to 80 arts and crafts vendors,” said Molly Parker, director of the Lake Martin Dadeville area chamber.

Along with visiting vendors lining the streets, festival-goers will be treated to live entertainment, including the Auburn Raptors, which is a fan favorite every year when the wildlife show comes to the festival. A group of skilled staff members from the Southeastern Raptor Center at Auburn University will bring some of the center’s raptors to educate and entertain onlookers for a one-of-a-kind experience.

In addition to the ongoing list of activities and

vendors, the 50/50 raffle will return this year. When it comes to the raffle, those who wish to participate don’t even need to be present to enter or win. In fact, according to Parker, the past two winners weren’t present when announced in the previous years.

“You can buy a raffle ticket ahead, or if you happen to be there in the morning to buy a raffle ticket, you don’t have to be there when the drawing happens. I think we’re going to do the drawing around 2:30, and they don’t have to stay there or be there at 2:30,” Parker explained.

The fun zone, the goto place for kids at the festival every year, will be located in an empty lot behind the First Baptist Church of Dadeville.

“That’s where we have all of the kids’ activities. That way they’re safe and secure,” Parker explained.

The festival has been one of Dadeville’s beloved events for many years, and Parker is thrilled that the chamber has continued to see rising numbers for attendance throughout the years, even with the difficulty surrounding communities faced when the pandemic

hit a couple Good Times Await of years ago. Clockwise from Facing Page Top:

“What we Inflatable bouncy structures; arts and experienced crafts vendors; a bull riding option; during the year of COVID-19 pony rides; and a full schedule of music create an atmosphere of fall fun at Dadeville's annual festival. was an increase in people, and last year, we had about the same number of people. They estimated there was somewhere around 5,500 to 6,000 people,” Parker said. “We’ve just had a flood of people over the last couple of weeks signing up. I think we’re up to about 50 vendors. We’re well on our way, and there’s some really unique stuff coming,” she added. As more details come together, chamber members will continue to release information to the public about specific vendors, kid-friendly activities and more, so keep your eye out on the Lake Martin Dadeville Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page and website for all of the forthcoming updates. Check out the festival this year to see the different vendors, let the kids play and maybe even see some raptors up close.

Home Sweet Line of Credit

While everyone is seeing costs climb for products and services, local homeowners could be sitting on gold mines due to the continued rise of home values. In fact, average home values in the area have increased by more than 19 percent in the past year alone.

The equity in your home could be your ace-in-the-hole. If your home’s current market value exceeds the amount you owe on the mortgage loan, you can use your home as collateral to open a home equity line of credit.

Though higher interest rates have made refinancing home mortgages a bit less popular, there is still a lot of interest from homeowners in HELOCs, which allow borrowing up to 80 percent of a home’s equity at a lower interest rate than personal loans or credit cards. HELOCs also don’t include the added costs of appraisals and closings.

This revolving line of credit could be an ideal solution for larger expenses, such as college tuition, home renovations or even a new car loan. The equity could be used as an emergency line of credit or holiday spending. I’ve seen people plan some fabulous things, such as dream vacations or children’s weddings with the funds. The great part is the flexibility. As the loan is paid off, those funds could be used again.

A HELOC could be set up to fit your specific needs. Here are a few ways to find the option that works best for you. n Rates: Options include a fixed rate, which would hold throughout the term of the HELOC, or a variable rate that could be tied to the prime rate. Talk to a

MONEY banker about introductory rates that may be available, as well. MATTERS n Payments: A HELOC works much like a credit card in that you could opt for a floating rate based on the prime rate or choose to make interest-only payments. This flexibility could be ideal if your income varies, so the payments don’t put a strain on your budget. n Timing: Depending on how long you need access to the funds, you could choose a 10-year draw with an option to renew, if needed. Personally, I also love to recommend a

Teresa Grier HELOC for debt consolidation. If you have two or three credit cards with high interest rates and perhaps a car loan, you could lump the debt together and have one manageable payment. Real estate is ideal collateral, and using the equity in your home to address that debt is a more manageable approach for many. Now is a good time to have conversations with your banker about a HELOC. Whether you’re one of the many folks who were hurt by the market reset or are looking for lower-risk sources of backup funding, examining how you could best utilize your home equity is a great option. ~ Teresa Grier is vice president, market manager, at Valley Bank, Alexander City branch. She has been banking in the area for 35 years.