October Events in DeKalb County

FORT PAYNE, Ala. - Sept. 28, 2016 - PRLog -- DeKalb Tourism is pleased to announce the return of two popular events in northeastern Alabama. The Little River Canyon Half Marathon is set for October 8, 2016, and the following weekend, the annual Colorfest returns bringing together art, live music, food and other family-friendly activities.

Runners will make their way to the Little River Canyon on the second Saturday for what is considered one of the most scenic half marathons in the country. Set for October 8, 2016, the Little River Canyon Half Marathon gets underway at 8 a.m. The certified course loops 13.1 miles on paved roads, starting and ending at the Little River Canyon Center located at 472 Alabama Highway 35 in Fort Payne. The first five miles of the run will follow the Little River Canyon National Preserve's incredibly scenic and sometimes challenging rim of the canyon, as the remainder winds through gently rolling farm country including Randy Owen Drive and his famous Tennessee River Music Hereford and Angus cattle ranch. The registration fee is $50 and pre-registration is required. Registration is available online at www.active.com. Packet pick up will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. the day before the race and at 7 a.m. on race day. For more information, call 256.782.5697.

A three-day celebration filled with free family fun atop Lookout Mountain says goodbye to summer and hello to fall and all of its colorful glory. Set for October 14-16, 2016, Colorfestoffers a weekend of art, live music, food, scenic boat tours and other family-friendly activities in beautiful Mentone, Ala.

Sponsored by the Mentone Area Preservation Association, Colorfest gets underway at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 14 when Chris Hale opens the stage with his blend of Appalachian mountain music and country blues followed by Will Dooley and Friends at 6 p.m. Festival goers can enjoy an evening of music and food from the Mentone Market Food Truck offering Brunswick stew, chili, barbeque, hot dogs and s'mores at the old Mentone Springs Hotel site. Admission is free.

On Saturday and Sunday, approximately 70 premier artists and craftsmen offering unique items to purchase will fill Brow Park. The popular Scarecrow Holler display will be set up next to the parking lot of the old Mentone Springs Hotel for an up close look at some incredible handmade scarecrows. The Children's Fair is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to create lasting memories with fun activities such as a fall-themed photo booth, balloon animals, pony rides, horse drawn carriage rides and more. Families are also invited to participate in Colorfest Go, a huge scavenger hunt with clues throughout the town.

During festival hours, the Taste of Mentone will be underway giving festivalgoers an opportunity to try a signature dish from one of the many locally owned eateries. Local volunteer fire department, North Lookout Mountain Fire Protection District, will be serving their famous barbeque all weekend at Brow Park. On Saturday evening at 5 p.m., there will be more live music and the Mentone Market Food Truck returns to the old Mentone Springs Hotels site to offer Brunswick stew, chili, barbeque, hot dogs and s'mores.

Live music will keep festivalgoers dancing and entertained throughout the weekend. The entertainment lineup is as follows (subject to change).

Under the Big Tent (at the old Mentone Springs Hotel site):

Friday, October 14

5PM Chris Hale

6PM Will Dooley and Friends

Brow Park Pavilion:

Saturday, October 15^th

10AM Jess Barker

11AM Larry Joe Hall

12PM Curtis Strange & Dr. Rob

1PM Daniel Hughes

2PM Lisa Crow

3PM Amy Snider

4PM Katrina Barclay

Under the Big Tent (at the old Mentone Springs Hotel site):

Saturday, October 15^th

5PM Terry Hutcheson

6PM Permagroove

Brow Park Pavilion:

Sunday, October 16^th

11AM Trey Headrick

12PM Dana Owens

1PM Jared Cushen

2PM Marc Womack

3PM David Lusk

Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Brow Park is located off of Alabama Highway 117, north at the caution light in Mentone. All activities are held rain or shine and festivalgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs for evening entertainment. Admission is free.

In addition, festivalgoers can enjoy the brilliant colors of the changing riverbanks with a scenic boat ride on Little River. The boat will leave from DeSoto Falls about every 45 minutes and travel up river before returning. Each ride costs $10 and should last around 30 minutes. Hours of operation are Friday, October 14^th from 1 p.m. to dusk, Saturday, October 15^th from 9 a.m. to dusk and Sunday, October 16^th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (All dates and times are weather permitting.)

Colorfest's sponsors include Fort Payne Times-Journal, Coca-Cola United, Skelton Orthodontics, DeKalb Tourism, Kamama Gallery, Wildflower Café, Mentone Realty, Accel Graphics, Twin City Used Cars, First Fidelity Bank, GH Metal Solutions, Westmoreland Tire Co., Valley Head Drugs, Bruce's Foodland Snead Ag Supply and Vicky Kirby at Edward Jones.

For more information on Colorfest or on additional things to do in and around DeKalb County, contact DeKalb Tourism at 888.805.4740 or visit www.DiscoverLookoutMountain.com.

About DeKalb Tourism

DeKalb Tourism is a not-for-profit organization promoting tourism and economic growth in DeKalb County. Our mission includes to provide outstanding customer service to all guests; to provide complete and detailed information about DeKalb County, its history and attractions; to leave visitors with a positive experience; to develop strong positive long term relationships with the people and businesses of our communities; and to be a leader in the education and promotion of our county, locally, nationwide and internationally.