W.C. Handy Festival amplifies music, small businesses and local pride in the Shoals

FLORENCE, Ala. (WAFF) – W.C. Handy Music Festival officially kicked off Wednesday and will last for the next two weeks.

14 days of music, good food and fun, that’s what locals say W.C. Handy Music Festival brings to the Shoals.

And, officials say it brings a bit of a boost to the local economy.

“It brings people filling our hotels,” Chris Stangel explained. “It brings people shopping in our shops. It brings people eating in our restaurants.”

Downtown Florence Alliance Director Chris Stangel says Handy Fest shows everyone what the Shoals are made of.

He says most of the W.C. Handy Music Festival is, yes, about celebrating the music culture, but also about highlighting the local businesses and driving the economy.

“I can’t think of another community anywhere who celebrates a founding father or anyone who is important to their community for 14 days,” Stangel said. “So, literally we have that to be proud of, but the fact that people are coming from around the world to celebrate with us is second to none.”

It means growth for the Shoals, for downtown, and for small businesses.

“It just really puts our name out and gives us extra advertising and publicity that I wouldn’t get otherwise, and it’s not anything that we have to pay for, and my staff and I just really enjoy the events outside too so it works out really good,” Ashley Griffith said.

Ashley Griffith owns The Dress Shoppe downtown and she says every time an event happens in her own front yard, she can see the results immediately.

“Hundreds,” Griffith explained. “I mean, hundreds of people will see our sign outside. They’ll see our hours. They’ll know that we’re here.”

This is the first year they are expanding the festival by including “Handy at the Plaza” for the next few days. It’s based downtown and in front of at least a dozen small businesses on Mobile Plaza. There will be several tents put up by local businesses along the street.

For the schedule to Handy on the Plaza, click here.

And for the schedule for the W.C. Handy Music Festival, click here.

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