Noble Street Festival spreads out the fun and food
May 2—The Noble Street Festival this year will be so big, compared to previous years, it doesn't all fit on Noble Street.
Organizers of the 21st annual downtown food-music-vendors event that accompanies the Sunny King Criterium are putting the food trucks on Wilmer Avenue this time, and the Kid Zone attractions on Tenth Street between Noble and Wilmer.
If You Go:
What: Noble Street Festival and Sunny King Criterium
When: Saturday May 6, 2023
Admission: Free
"It's bigger this year, the last several years the festival has gotten bigger and bigger and now it includes even more streets," Jackson Hodges, Anniston's public relations director, said during a Monday morning social media presentation.
Hodges said that the festival typically attracts 10,000 people to downtown Anniston.
Karla Eden, Main Street Anniston director and festival director, said she is excited to see the festival's continued growth over the last few years.
"We are anticipating we will see more visitors downtown for Noble Street Festival than ever before. If you're reading this, we hope you'll be one of the many," Eden said Monday.
Race director Marilyn Cullinane said the schedule of all the criterium races has been moved up an hour to match up with the festival itself.
"When the criterium is over the festival ends, we've not had that before so we've married up those two schedules to help spectators and racers alike, not have to be in the dark," Cullinane said.
In the past, when the final race ended the festival vendors were already packing up to go home.
Cullinane said one notable change is to the criterium weekend itself. In recent years a Sunday criterium was held in Piedmont, but that has been eliminated this year, she said.
"This year we're refocusing and just doing the one, we're on a different date also, May 6, that's our first true spring event, we've always actually been early April," she said.
The prize purse for the criterium is $10,000 each for both men's and women's races, she said.
The criterium will be live-streamed at https://watch.outsideonline.com/ and https://www.flosports.tv/.
Cullinane said the criterium will also be livestreamed locally on Channel 24.
To view the exact times of each criterium race, visit https://www.annistoncycling.com/sunny-king-criterium/
New park at 11th and Noble
The new park at the northwest corner of 11th and Noble will be completed in time for the festival and will serve as the VIP area, Hodges said. It features sodded green space, a roofed pavilion, a modest stage and freshly planted trees.
Times
The Noble Street Festival hours are from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m.
The criterium begins with amateur races at 9 a.m. and the last race, the Men Pro 1 races is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. The awards for the criterium will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Chance of rain is 'iffy'
There is a 30 percent chance of rain forecast for Saturday, said Chris Darden, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Calera.
"It looks a little iffy right now, this week is going to be pretty dry but we do have a system approaching from the west towards the weekend and right now for Anniston we have a 30 percent chance of showers and storms on Saturday with a high around 82," Darden said Monday morning.
Darden said that some of the models are keeping the rain to the west while others predict a rain event for Saturday.
"There is a fair amount of uncertainty for rainfall on Saturday, it does look warm though ... I feel pretty confident it's not going to be a complete rainout," he said.
Attractions
The festival will include the following attractions:
— Sunny King Kid Zone, which will offer free inflatables, Big Sam the Balloon Man, Whit'z Kidz, facepainting and more. The Kid Zone will be located along 10th Street.
— A stage set up on Noble between 9th and 10th street will offer live music from noon until 7 p.m.
11:30 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. — The Sam Lewis Band
1-2:30 p.m. — Patrick Barnett
3-4:30 p.m. — Jon Player
5-7 p.m. — Hunter Chastain
— Wounded Warrior Way returns this year and is sponsored by Combat Park and Wounded Warrior Alabama.
— Food trucks offering a plethora of cuisine along Wilmer Avenue that has been blocked off for an outside dining area. Other food tents will and smaller trucks will be located in the 1000 block of Noble Street.
— The Anniston Museum of Natural History live animal show from 11 until 11:15 a.m.
— Mellow Mushroom 1K running race at 3:45 p.m.
— Anniston YMCA youth fun bike races at 4:35
Some of the food vendors include: Bonnie Ray's Bake Shoppe, Healthy Bowls, Brix N Stix Wood Fired Pizza, Kin Express, Happi Pappi Beignets, Pelican's Snoballs, RnB Finz and Chicks, Taco Tuesdays, Corn King, Royal Slush, Big Boyz Wings, Let's B Sweet.
Non-food craft vendors that will line Noble Street during the festival include:
— Briana Luna Art
— The Mushroom Preserve
— South Appalachian Medicine Co.
— Grandma's Creations
— Fresh Air Concepts
— Fort McClellan Credit Union
— Judy's Creations
— Michelleven's Quilts & Longarm Services
— LeafFilter Gutter Protection
— Crow Custom Tattoo Parlor
— Melissa Mink Campbell
— Mark's Artisan Woodcrafts
— K Tee's
— CAST
— Ulti-Mutt Bakery
— Junior league of Calhoun-Anniston
— Jade Daniel
— Anniston Police Department
— NHC Place
— Maddie's Joyfull Jewelry
— Cozy Couch Crochet
— Tickled Fancy Boutique
— Red Bird Willow Farm
— Mr. Dan's
— Whit'z Popcorn
— Three P's in a Pod
— Liquid Blue Apparel
— Cricket Wireless
— 95.1 The Mountain
— Creations By Mer
— East Alabama Football Officials Association
— Melissa Guy
— Pick of the Litter
— Anniston Museums and Garden
— Gadsden State Community College
— Investar bank
— 97.9 WVOK
— Landmark
— AlaTrust Credit Union
— Samaria Crafts
— Bits and Bobs By A
"We're gonna have a heck of a good time this weekend," Hodges said.
Jackson said the festival has a $2 million effect on the local economy according to a recent JSU study.
"You've got bicycles, pizza and wings, you've got snakes, you've got face painters, you've got bouncy houses, it is going to be all-American Saturday," he said.
For more information, visit www.noblestreetfestival.com
Staff writer Bill Wilson: 256-235-3562. On Twitter @bwilson_star.
