Calendar of Events

JANUARY — MARCH

The Millbrook Krewe of Revelers

hosts a Mardi Gras Festival annually on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday. With a mile-long parade along Main Street and dozens of vendors selling Mardi Gras-themed food and items, thousands turn out to this event.

The Order of Cimarron in Wetumpka also hosts a Mardi Gras Parade and includes entertainment, vendors and children’s activities as well as the parade in downtown Wetumpka.

ECAG Winter Show: Elmore County Art Guild hosts its annual winter art show with awards and a reception.

Big Fish Bass Tournament:

The Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce hosts this annual fishing tournament at Bonner’s Landing on Lake Jordan the Saturday before Easter. With hourly weigh-ins for biggest fish, the event is sure to entertain all ages.

Arbor Day: The towns of Tallassee, Wetumpka and Millbrook all celebrate the holiday with formal tree plantings in their respective communities. Each town receives free seedlings or trees to coincide with their efforts.

Easter Egg Hunts: The Alabama Wildlife Federation presents an annual Nature Eggstravangza at the Alabama Nature Center with activities for children. Included in the event are egg hunts, games, crafts and a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Various easter egg hunts are also held throughout the area in Eclectic, Wetumpka, Millbrook and Tallassee. They are sponsored by the towns’ local organizations and churches.

APRIL — MAY

AWF Tri-County Wild Game

Cook-off: The Alabama Wildlife Federation presents its wild game cook-off where numerous cook teams show off their cooking skills to tasters. Awards are given to cook teams for three different divisions: fish, fowl and game.

Attack on Swayback: This annual mountain bike race is held on the rugged 12-mile Swayback Bridge Trail, which is maintained by the Trail of Legends Association. This weekendlong event offers competitions in trail racing, short track racing and mountain biking.

Coosapalooza Brewfest: Main Street Wetumpka hosts this annual festival featuring dozens of craft breweries, musical acts and local food vendors.

Tulotoma Art Trail: Main Street Wetumpka, in collaboration with The Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery and the City of Wetumpka, allows guests to experience the art and music of local artisans throughout the downtown area, encouraging visitors to stop in local shops and restaurants, as well as purchase handmade wares.

Tallassee Jazz Fest: Tallassee High School plays host to area jazz bands for a night of free music.

Hot Rods in the Park: Restored cars are exhibited at the Village Green for enthusiasts to admire in this nonjudging show that is free to the public. This event benefits the WELCOME food pantry in Millbrook, and admissions is a donated can of food.

Antique Tractor Show and

Pull: The Southern Antique Iron Association hosts this annual event with antique tractors and events for all ages.

Cops and Kids: The Millbrook Police Department partners with Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce to host an \ event at the Village Green for children to get to know their local officers and experience fire trucks, police cars, K-9 demonstrations and drones.

Main Street Wetumpka Wine

Pull: Main Street Wetumpka’s annual event is held at the Wind Creek Wetumpka Hotel and Casino penthouse suite. A ticket covers admission for two, signature wine glasses, hors d’oeuvres and each couple pulls a bottle of wine to take home.

Wetumpka FFA Alumni

Championship Rodeo: The Wetumpka FFA Alumni Chapter hosts this two-day rodeo at the Wetumpka Sports Complex on Coosa River Parkway at 6 p.m. each night. Proceeds from the event benefit the Wetumpka High School’s Agricultural Program.

JUNE

Tallassee NOW! Riverfest: This town-wide event began as a barbecue sale and has escalated into Tallassee’s most highly anticipated event of the year. The two-day celebration features music, art shows, barbecue sale and family-friendly activities throughout the course of the weekend.

Outdoor Women Southern

Classic: This annual daylong event features various stations for women to learn new skills including archery, hunting, container gardening, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, firearm safety, crafts and more.

Summer Reading Program kickoff: Public libraries will host summer reading program kickoffs, followed by five weeks of events and programs for children based on a statewide theme.

JULY Fourth of July events

Lake Jordan HOBOs hosts a firework show on Lake Jordan every year, which can best be seen by boat. It also hosts an annual boat parade on Lake Jordan. The City of Wetumpka usually displays fireworks over the Coosa River, which residents can enjoy from Gold Star Park.

Russell Lands On Lake Martin hosts fireworks and a concert at the Lake Martin Amphitheater in Eclectic each year, along with an annual boat parade starting at Kowaliga Marina and parading passed Children’s Harbor on the morning of July 4.

Grandview YMCA hosts a fireworks display and cookout on its grounds during the week of July 4. 4-H Events: Elmore County Extension Office hosts summer-long events for children up to ages 18. For a full list of this year’s events, visit the Elmore County 4-H Facebook page.

AUGUST — SEPTEMBER

AWF Youth Fishing Rodeo: Designed to give youth the chance to experience the outdoors and learn about fishing, this annual occurrence is held on Lanark’s grounds in Millbrook. The rodeo is open to anyone age 15 and under, and admission is free.

Titus Bluegrass Festival: For nearly two decades, the Titus Community Center has presented live music throughout the day in its shady grove with multiple artists performing, along with food vendors and booths filled with crafts, cookbooks and peanuts.

Wetumpka Chamber Uptown

Drawdown: This annual event is held at the Wetumpka Civic Center and offers ticketholders an opportunity to win cash prizes. There is a silent auction on site.

OCTOBER

Coosa River Challenge: This team-adventure race is a course that combines trail running, mountain biking, paddling, repelling and surprise obstacles along the way. Individuals may participate as well. The route incorporates the Coosa River and its shorelines and concludes in downtown Wetumpka.

Alabama Cotton Festival: In this event, vendors line Main Street in Eclectic with food and local treats. Also included are live music, dancers and the Miss Cotton Queen pageant. The family-friendly event highlights Eclectic with thousands of visitors at the event.

Millbrook BooFest: The Saturday before Halloween, the Millbrook Area Chamber of Commerce hosts a safe alternative to trick-or-treating for children at the Village Green. The event boasts candy, games, prizes and other surprises.

Wetumpka Candy Walk: The City of Wetumpka hosts this annual event for kids up to fourth grade to safely trick-or-treat behind the City Administration Building.

NOVEMBER

Veterans’ Day program: Dixie Art Colony teams up with Trinity Episcopal Church to host an annual Veteran’s Day celebration with presentations, a video regarding World War II and memorial displays.

DECEMBER

Christmas Parades: Tallassee, Millbrook, Wetumpka and Eclectic all have Christmas parades throughout the holiday season that feature organizations in the community, along with festive decorations. The parades typically coincide with other events, such as open houses, tree lightings and festivals.

An Eclectic Christmas: Hosted by volunteers from An Eclectic Ministry, this annual live showing of the Christmas story draws crowds from around the country. Experience the story in an outdoor walking trail and be part of the live drama that is set during the Roman Empire. Usually taking place the first week of December, guests must make reservations, but admission is free. Donations are appreciated to continue funding for the show.

Christmas on the Coosa: The City of Wetumpka hosts this annual event on the second Saturday of December. The full-day event has activities throughout Gold Star Park and along the Coosa River, including arts-andcrafts vendors, kid’s activities, live music, a street parade, fireworks and the highly anticipated wake-boarding Santa.

Downtown Dickens’ Christmas: The Wetumpka Chamber of Commerce converts downtown into a magical Christmas village scene with costumes, decorations and plenty of holiday fun.

Wetumpka NYE Fireworks: The City of Wetumpka hosts a New Year’s Eve fireworks show behind the City Administration Building on Dec. 31.

*Editor’s Note: Some events have been postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Check cities’ and chambers’ websites and Facebook pages for updates.