It’s been a year . . . a year’s worth of planning that is, but for the 34th time, Albany and Clinton County will come together in the downtown area for a weekend of celebration that we have all come to know as our “Foothills Festival”.

With the hint of the fall season clearly in the air – both with the cooler temperatures and changing of the colors in the surrounding mountains – the Foothills of the Appalachian Mountain range – it’s once again time to beckon to our friends and neighbors near and far to join us for our annual fall party with the same invitation that has been used for years to promote this fall gathering –

Come See It Our Way!

Last weekend’s lineup of early Foothills Festival schedule events – commonly referred to as “pre-Foothills” happening, included Saturday’s Foothills Baby Show, followed by a full afternoon of activities on Sunday with the annual Foothills Gospel Singing and the health related fair and activities sponsored by the Clinton County Extension Offices known as Second Sunday (2S).

It was in 1980 when a handful of young organizers put together our first Foothills Festival, with the hopes of promoting a downtown festival that would bring residents and visitors together for a final fall celebration before the onset of winter weather.

The plans were to also promote a “shop at home” type of atmosphere by mixing special events with sidewalk sales around the courthouse square.

Since that first Foothills Festival in 1980, the basic idea has remained intact – but the schedule of events planned each year for the third weekend in October, has been an ever-changing lineup.

Popular events stayed, experiments that didn’t prove so popular were exchanged for new ideas and when a popular event was deemed stale – those too were exchanged for new ones.

In short – some things stay the same – some things are ever changing, and this year’s Foothills Festival schedule is no different.

Still on the slate of activities to look forward to will be a series of beauty pageants (Thursday), Arts and Crafts displays and sales (Friday and Saturday), the best little parade in the area (Friday), a crowded 5K race (Saturday) Look-a-Like contests and the Lip Sync contest (Saturday) and of course food and music throughout the entire weekend schedule.

A fireworks show that proved to be explosively popular with fans last year, not only returns to this year’s lineup, but is set to be “twice as nice” for 2013, with displays scheduled for the conclusions of both nights this weekend, Friday and Saturday.

Last weekend’s kick-off events set things into motion for the main portion of the schedule for Foothills XXXIV, which will get underway this Thursday evening, October 17.

Last week’s Clinton County News included our annual special section previewing the upcoming schedule of events for the Foothills, as well as a look back, through a host of photographs, at some of the most memorable Foothills happenings from last year.

Still, just to serve as a reminder, here’s brief rundown of what to expect for the next three days in Albany.

Thursday, October 17

Miss Foothills Pageants

Beauty and fanfare come together on Thursday night at Clinton County High School when crowns and sashes are passed out to winners in four separate beauty pageants, as well as to some young couples competing in the Prince and Princess contest.

Getting underway at 6:00 p.m., the Prince and Princess event will be the first to see local contestants take the stage as young couples between the ages of 5-7 vie for those titles.

Additional categories will be dedicated to young, beautiful girls from Clinton County as the night of pageantry continues including separate events for Little Miss (5-7), Junior Miss (8-11), Teen Miss (12-14) and finally the Miss Foothills Pageant (15-21).

Admission Thursday is only $3, and additional information can be obtained by contacting Kim Stockton (606-688-0400).

Friday, October 18

Let the games begin

Bring your appetite, put on some comfortable shoes and probably a jacket, and get your Foothills fun weekend off to an early start on Friday.

Arts and Crafts vendors, as well as flea market style of booths, will be situated all around the courthouse square and side streets as Friday’s lineup of fun gets underway.

Registration for the Foothills sponsored events begins and continues throughout the day.

Among the contests that will be featured throughout the weekend schedule include the new Lego Building as well as a host of favorite returnees to the lineup like the children’s cornhole, pumpkin decorating and carving contests.

The younger Foothills fans will enjoy the return of the Pumpkin Patch lineup near First and Farmers Bank, featuring inflatable rides as well as games and events. The Pumpkin Patch will be open all day, both Friday and Saturday.

Entries from the earlier judged Foothills Poster Contest will be available for viewing beginning Friday inside the Clinton County Courthouse.

Live music will be featured throughout the day, beginning with the largest group to perform during the weekend, and one of the most popular, the Clinton County High School Band.

Under the direction of long-time director Doug Sell, Friday’s 12:00 noon performance on the main stage at Cumberland Street, will showcase the local band in a concert performance.

Of course the band will also be one of the featured attractions later that afternoon as they participate near the front of the best little parade in southern Kentucky.

Friday’s Foothills parade will again lineup at Westview Shopping Center beginning at 3:00 p.m., with a scheduled start at 5:00 p.m.

Other musical acts to be sure and not miss on Friday are scattered throughout the day and include Terry Murphy at the Foothills building at 3:00 p.m..

Crossfire will spin a mix of country, classic rock and blues and pop sounds at 6:00 p.m. , with Borrowed Blue to take the main stage for the Friday musical finale at 7:30 on the main stage.

At 9:00, the celebration closes out with a bang as the first to two scheduled fireworks displays in the downtown area is put into motion.

Saturday, October 19

The fun continues

As has been the case for many, many years, the Saturday lineup of events for the Foothills Festival gets underway with an early start at the Mountain View Recreation Park.

Runners of all ages will be registering at 7:00 a.m., and loosening their legs up for an 8:00 a.m. start to the annual Foothills 5K run. (Contact Becky Smith – 606-306-5058).

The Car, Truck, Motorcycle and Tractor Show will once again be the center attraction at the Peoples Bank and Trust parking lot just north of the courthouse square, as some of the nicest, custom and vintage rides are put on display for this free event.

Registration at 9:00, show begins at 10:00 a.m. with judging at 1:30 p.m. (Contact Jay Craig – 606-688-1596).

As the crowd builds around the courthouse square to take in the arts and crafts displays still on hand, games and contests fill the day-long slate of activities.

Among the events will be the adult division of the Cornhole Tournament at the Albany Police Department parking lot (12:00 – 4:00 p.m.)

The Parent/Child Look-a-Like contests will be held on the main stage at 2:00 p.m.

At 3:00 p.m. what is traditionally the largest single crowd of the weekend will gather in front of the main stage for the start of the popular Foothills Lip-Sync contest that always brings top notch entertainment, as well as some surprises and plenty of hand-clapping sounds to the stage.

You just never know what to expect, or what act you might get to see, during the Lip Sync, and the 2013 version should prove to be no different. (Contact Lashay Perdue – 606-688-2906 or Shawnna Duvall – 606-307-3276).

Musical entertainment throughout the day will likely include sessions of amateurs gathering on the courthouse square for an ever-changing lineup of “picking and grinning” by local and area musicians.

For that event, there’s no schedule, no list of entertainers and no play list of songs – but one thing that is always on hand is some of the best sounds and talents around.

As for scheduled musical entertainment on Saturday, the band Middle of Nowhere will bring some hard rock sounds to the streets when they take the stage near the flea market area at 5:30 p.m.

Finally, as the evening turns to night, the 5-piece rock band known as 4forty9 will be featured on the main stage, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

For the second night in a row, and for the first time on the Foothills schedule, fans still in town at 9:00 p.m. will be treated to the second fireworks show of the weekend, bringing this Foothills 34 to a proper celebratory closing for another year.

Something for everyone and bigger and better than ever before are both goals that each planning committee has striven to meet each and every year throughout the 34 year history of Albany and Clinton County’s signature fall celebration, and with just a little cooperation from Mother Nature and the weekend weather, this 2013 version should be no different.

Come early, stay late. Wear comfortable shoes and warm clothing, and bring your appetite get ready to enjoy the offerings of this celebration as all of Albany and Clinton County comes together along with those from near and far who accept our annual invitation to . . .

Come See It Our Way!

Early Foothills Festival events held last weekend included a Saturday baby show, Sunday’s Gospel Singing and the health related Second Sunday (2S) lineup of activities.

Above, a local gospel group, The Brown Family, was one of three featured at the Clinton County Learning Center.

Youngsters took part in an outdoor game designed to promote physical activity.

Several local health agencies also were on hand for Sunday’s health fair.