Thank You for making the 2008 Birmingham Folk Festival a big success!

Despite the brutal August heat and threat of a thundershower (that thankfully never materialized), the 2008 Birmingham Folk Festival at historic Avondale Park was a big success. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for coming out to the park to enjoy a day of folk music, art, food and fun. We’d also like to take the time to recognize the individuals, businesses and other organizations that pulled together to make this year’s festival a reality. We’re also looking for suggestions on making next year’s festival even better. Please feel free to contact any of us at the “contact” link to the left and let us know how we can improve the festival for next year.

Also, if anyone has any video or audio of the festival that they would like to share, please send us the files and we’ll upload them to a media page we’re creating. Full credit will be given. Please check back here regularly for news from this year’s festival and plans for next year. Thanks again!

Sincerely,

The 2008 Birmingham Folk Festival Planning Committee (Ashlee Jean Trott, Jan Hobbs, Keith Harrelson, Anand Iyer, Susie Cooksey, Emily Hobbs and Thomas Pearson)

Musicians:

The following artists donated their time and talents to play for a great cause. Several also travelled quite a ways to be at the festival: Ben Nelson, Anna Katherine and Landon Carter, Ben Nevis, Jesse Payne, Art Wilson, Heath Green, The Overalls, Ethan Gardiner, Matt Boyer, Macey Taylor, The Kudzu String Band, Mandi Rae, Duquette Johnston and the Rebel Kings, Chris Porter and the Back Row Baptists and Act of Congress. Thanks also to our headliners The New Familiars who drove all the way from Charlotte, North Carolina and played for a fraction of their standard fee.

Also, thanks to The White Oaks and Sworn Enemies for playing the festival after-party at Bottle Tree.

Sponsors, Supporters, Artists and Vendors:

The following Sponsors, Supporters, Artists and Vendors helped turn the festival into a reality: AL.com, Allison Kirk of Alleykats Etc., All Around Printing, Amelia Jordan, the Autism Society of Alabama, the Avondale Business Association, Avondale United Methodist Church, Banner Press, Bailey Brothers Music Company, Benjamin Leach, Billy’s Bar and Grill, Birmingham Weekly, Bottle Tree Café, Brandon and Jaclyn Gardner, CBS 42, Charlotte Laffel of The Pink House, Charles Yates, Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Christy Freeman, City Music Now, Courtney Hayden, Compass Bank, Dee’s Hot Dogs, Coca-Cola of Birmingham, Derek Trimble, Donna Brown, Emily Davis, Erin and Nick Brunson, Erin Harden, the Forest Park -South Avondale Neighborhood Association, Fred Perry, Dr. Gilbert F. Douglas, IV, Gilbert and Cindy Douglas, Happi Boutique, Jay and Patricia Guarino, Jeanette Copes, Jim N’ Nick’s Bar-B-Q, Joni Barnett, Josh Hobbs, Kim Alexander, Kevin Stansbury, Larry O. Gay Photography, Laura Toledo, Libby and Kit Matthews, Little Caesar’s Pizza, Macey Taylor, Mark Setzer, Mary Allison Haynie, Mr. Mac the Storyteller, Matt Jackson, Main Street Birmingham, Michael Mazer of Mazer Discount Home Centers, Mitch Hungerpiller of the Southside Ball Association, Mitchell’s Place Junior Council, Morgan Floyd’s Wooden Concepts, Mountain High Outfitters, Necia Mathews, On Tap Sports Café, Rebekah Burder of D2L Graphics, Red Rain, Rosemary Douglas, Ruth Anne Turner, Robbie Lewis, Samantha Pate, S and W Electric, Small Stages, Steven Guesman, Sol y Luna, TalkTime Speech-Language Services, Tammy Hill, UAB, V. Richards, WZZK, Zach Wickham

Volunteers:

The 2008 Birmingham Folk Festival would have been impossible without the tremendous efforts of all of our volunteers. Thanks to everyone who volunteered for all of your hard work!

The City of Birmingham:

Thanks are due to the Park and Recreation Board, especially Minnie Sullivan and Melvin Miller, Public Works Department for their wonderful cleanup efforts, Mayor’s Office of Citizens Assistance, Traffic Engineering Department, Fire Marshal’s Office Inspector Will Johnson, Department of Revenue, especially Denise Perry and last, but certainly not least, Officers Harrell and Bolling from the South Precinct for providing festival security.