The short story is . . . it’s time for Albany and Clinton County’s favorite fall event, Foothills Festival – the 43rd edition is here.
The long story began 52 weeks ago with the final event of the 2022 Foothills Festival – edition 42 – when  tired and weary Foothills Planning Committee members began processing their thoughts, weighing suggestions from Festival goers, and weighing the success, and failures, of the events that filled the schedule of last year’s fall celebration.
In any event, plans have come together and the stage is set for the start of Albany and Clinton County’s favorite fall celebration, the 2023 Foothills Festival.
For the now 43rd time, the world is invited here to “Come See It Our Way!”, for the 2023 Foothills Festival and its theme this year of “Harvesting Memories in the Foothills.”
Once again, as has been the case many times before, the phrase “bigger and better” comes to mind by this writer when preparing to review the lineup of games, attractions, amusements, entertainment, contests and, of course, food choices in store around the Clinton County Courthouse square this coming Friday and Saturday.
Some of the planned attractions will be familiar ones to long-time Foothills goers, while others are new to the schedule this year, and some are relatively new schedule entries in the second or third year of existence.
Whether or not these newer entries stick around for Foothills 44 and beyond will be completely up to the judgment of the Foothills Festival Planning Committee members when they once again, weigh the successes, and failures, in this year’s edition.
That’s their job, they do it well, and our thanks go out to them for their hard work and effort in this year-long process of putting together an event that everyone will find something of interest to enjoy.
If you think that’s an easy task, talk to one or more of those Foothills Planning Committee members about joining the group for next year’s production, we’re sure they’ll welcome all the helping hands, and minds, they can get.
While a handful of pre-weekend Foothills events were held last weekend, the Foothills Baby Show, Miraculous Miracle Pageant and Wednesday night’s Community Worship Service and Foothills Window Display contest, the bulk of this year’s lineup is just ahead, beginning this Thursday night.
Moved from the pre-weekend slate several years ago, the Foothills Festival lineup of pageants is set to take the stage this Thursday evening, October 19, at the Clinton County Learning Center.
The pageantry lineup will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the Prince and Princess (ages 5-7) contests, followed by the Little Miss (5-7), Junior Miss (8-12), Teen Miss (13-15) and finally the crowning of Miss Foothills Festival (16-21).
For a dditional information, contact Becky Smith 606-306-5058.

Friday
On Friday, the busy Foothills stretch gets underway in full fashion as street vendors, arts and crafts booths and the food court areas put the finishing touches on their areas and get set for two busy days of Foothills frenzy.
Bear in mind that references to the two entertainment stages will be Stage 1, which is located near the Foothills Food Court and Albany First Baptist Church area, while Stage 2 is on East Cumberland Street, near the law offices of David Choate and Norb Sohm.
Arts and crafts on the square are set to officially get underway Friday at 10:00 a.m. and will continue to offer their wares throughout the day until around 9:00 p.m., with the same schedule on Saturday as well.
The Pumpkin Patch area, an attraction of games, rides, inflatables and fun events for the youngest Foothills fans, will get underway with its Friday morning opening near the First and Farmers location at the corner of Washington and Jefferson Streets.
Friday’s Pumpkin Patch schedule sees the area open at 11:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., and following a two hour closure for the Foothills Parade, reopening at 6:30 until 9:00 p.m.  Saturday’s Pumpkin Patch hours are 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., with both days featuring $6 fun for the day admission.
The first provider of live musical entertainment takes the stage with one of Clinton County’s most beloved group of musical artists, the Clinton County High School Band, under the direction of Kaylee Welch, and the Alumni Band.
In a concert setting near Stage 1, the CCHS Band and Alumni Band will begin their performance at 12:00 noon.
Fans will also enjoy a second appearance by the Clinton County High School Band as they are traditionally one of the lead entries in the Foothills Parade later Friday afternoon.
Friday afternoon, beginning at 1:00 p.m., at the Foothills Festival Headquarters on the northwest side of the courthouse square, registration and set-up for contests will begin, including the Lego Building Contest, Pumpkin Decorating and Pumpkin Carving Contests.
As the afternoon begins turning to evening, the streets of Albany will once again be lined with fans anticipating the arrival of what has become known as the “Best Small Town Parade” around.
At 5:00 p.m., from the lineup location of Westview Shopping Center, the 2023 Foothills Festival Parade will begin making its way south through Albany, offering up floats, clowns, acts, groups, public officials and agencies, antique vehicles and tractors, horses, mules and wagons and much, much more.
Parade entry details can be found in last week’s Clinton County News Foothills Festival special section, or by contacting Foothills Parade Coordinator Stephanie Perkins.
Friday night, following the Foothills Parade a bite to eat from the Foothills Food Court’s multitude of offerings should be on every Foothills goer’s list of “must dos” (if you can’t make up your mind on a single choice – go ahead and splurge and enjoy a couple, after all, it’s the Foothills Festival).
Music lovers are in for one of many treats during this weekend’s celebration when local entertainer Bryant Stockton takes the stage at 6:30 p.m.
A Clinton County native, Stockton now hails from Metcalfe County, where he teaches school.  A member of the country band “The Hornet’s Nest Pickers”, Stockton recently released his debut solo “Someone Else’s Dog”
At 7:00 p.m., the musical entertainment will see Country Music legends Shenandoah, a nationally known country group that has amassed an impressive resume, including 13 No. 1 country singles, a Grammy, American Country Music Association Vocal Group of the Year award and a Country Music Association Vocal Event of the Year award.
With hits that include  Two Dozen Roses, Church on Cumberland Road, Next to You – Next to Me, I Want to be Loved Like That, and Somewhere in the Vicinity of the Heart, just to name a few, Shenandoah is certain to be one of the best acts to ever take the Foothills Festival entertainers stage.
Both Shenandoah and its opening act Bryant Stockton, will be appearing on Stage 1.

Saturday
Saturday’s Foothills Festival schedule lineup is long and plentiful in both variety and fun, getting underway early and continuing into the nighttime hours.
At 7:00 a.m., just as the night turns to daylight, the Foothills pace gets off to a quick start with the annual Foothills Festival 5K.
Registration begins at 7:00 at the Mountain View Recreation park, with the race start slated for 8:00 a.m..
The annual 5K event traditionally attracts a full field of runners of all ages as they trod through the course toward the finish line at Dyer Drug Co., just north of the courthouse square.
An awards ceremony will follow the race, near Stage 2.  More information can be obtained by contacting Betty Abston: 606-306-3623.
Vehicle enthusiasts will be moving toward the People’s Bank and Trust Company parking lot Saturday morning, as antique and custom cars, trucks, Jeeps, motorcycles and tractors begin filling up the spaces for the annual show.
The show will begin at 10:00 a.m. and continue until 2:00 p.m, with a host of prizes and awards being presented at the conclusion.
Additional details can be learned from Lamon Hubbs: 606-688-7366.
Entertainment Saturday morning will be provided by the Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center’s Border Line Dancers who will be performing at 10:00 a.m. Saturday in front of Stage 1.
Saturday morning will also see two Foothills special guests making their way around town throughout the day, entertaining and interacting with the Foothills crowd.
Anthony Woods will return with his impersonation of Mayberry Deputy Sheriff Barney Fife from the long running television series, The Andy Griffith Show.
His 2023 return to the Foothills follows his extremely popular debut to our celebration last year.
In addition, cult favorite entertainer and Kentucky resident Ernie Brown, Jr, better known to fans of his Call of the Wildman television series as the “Turtleman,” will be found all day Saturday at various locations.
Self-trained as a critter problem solver in Kentucky (he calls Lebanon home), Brown has an uncanny ability to catch monster snapping turtles from farm ponds, but his critter expertise also sees him handling raccoons, skunks, snakes, spiders and possums, using his bare hands, a technique he honed to perfection in the backwoods of Marion County, Kentucky.
Throughout the day, Foothills goers will find various entertainers at the Festival Headquarters lawn area, and of course, the traditional “pickin’ and grinnin’ ” gathering around the Courthouse, sometimes inside, sometimes outside, will offer up an ever-changing lineup of bluegrass, gospel and country music from local musicians.
Check both out – often, as the lineups and musical styles, will change constantly.
Although most thoughts of Foothills food tends to be toward the food court area, the Homemade Pumpkin Pie Contest will take entrants toward the Foothills Headquarters where they can register their entries between 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m..  Judging takes place at 12:00 noon.
Contact Becky Smith for more information: 606-306-5058.
While the Friday Foothills Parade is known across the region as the best parade around, it’s not the only parade featured during this weekend’s Foothills.
Saturday’s Little Red Wagon Parade will get underway in front of Stage 1 at 11:00 a.m. (10:30 a.m. lineup), featuring local youngsters with some of the best and most entertaining, decorated hand pulled float entries around.
Continuing with this year’s festival theme – Harvesting Memories in the Foothills – the parade is for wagon “drivers” ages 4-12.
Contact Phyllis Hay for more information: 606-688-4530.
At 11:00 a.m., beginning at the Munch Box Diner on Cross Street, the thoughts turn back to motors, fumes, smoke and thrills as The Motorcycle Man (aka 42 year-old Jesse Toler) performs his two-wheel show on our local downtown streets.
A current two-time Guinness world record holder, Toler is world famous among motorcycle enthusiasts for his “stoppies” (front wheel wheelies), both for distance and speed.
Toler has also compiled an impressive list of stunt scene appearances in TV shows and movies.
His performance will begin at the Munch Box and continue down Cross Street to the Albany City Hall area.
The Motorcycle Man will make a repeat performance on the same route at 1:00 p.m.
Some of the favorite contests of Foothills fans will take place Saturday afternoon, all near Stage 2, beginning with the annual Foothills Hot Dog Eating Contest.
While some use the “cram and swallow” method, others choose to “dunk and chew” their contest wieners.
In any event, the crowd surrounding the contest will be watching the timed event to see if 2022 Champion Ethan Smith retains his title, or if another expert hot dog muncher unseats him.
At 2:00 p.m., again at Stage 2, the ever-popular Parent/Child Look-A-Like Contest gets underway (pre-registrtion at Foothills Headquarters required between 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon) as parents and their proudest vie in several age categories for prizes and bragging rights.
Of course the largest single gathering of Foothills fans Saturday will take place during the now famous Foothills Festival Lip Sync Contest, getting started at 3:00 p.m., at Stage 2.
There will be plenty of laughs, hand clapping and foot stomping from the audience as contestants take the stage with their best acts, and wardrobes in many cases, hoping to earn one of the most sought after wins in a host of age divisions.
Bring a lawn chair and put it in place early, and be ready for one of the most popular and longest running contests in Foothills Festival history, the annual Lip Sync contest.
You never know who, or what, might take the stage in this one.
As the curtains begin to close on the 2023 Foothills Festival lineup, the action moves across town, to Stage 1, where more entertainment is in store to close out the night.
Beginning at 6:00 p.m., the Southern Crew Line Dancers will take to the streets for an appearance prior to the lineup of entertainers who will close out the Foothills schedule.
At 6:30 p.m., Colton Bowlin, who hails from neighboring Pickett County, Tennessee, and has strong Clinton County Bowlin family ties, will bring his singer/songwriter talents to the stage.
Bowlin will bring a mix of classic and new country music to the stage, influenced by Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Keith Whitley, Zach Brian and Tyler Childers.
Local residents might recognize Bowlin when he takes the stage, as he helps with his family business in Clinton County, working at Bowlin’s Feed while he pursues his dream of being a full-time musician.
Foothills Festival entertainment will close out when Eddie Miles appears on Stage 1, beginning at 7:00 p.m., with his salute to music legends themed concert.
Miles will deliver an intimate solo performance of America’s most loved music.
His concert will feature songs by country legends such as Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty and George Jones.
Miles is just getting warmed up during that first act of his show, spending the second act featuring a classic tribute to the hits of Elvis, “like only Eddie can perform.”
There you have it.
Grab a jacket, some comfortable clothes, keep your cell phone handy for a collection of photos throughout the weekend, and get ready for what should be a “bigger and better” lineup of Foothills Festival fun this weekend.
Typical fall weather is being predicted for the weekend lineup of celebrations and homecoming activities, with highs in the mid 60s, lows dropping into the upper 40’s.
Scattered showers are likely on Friday, clearing that night, and partly cloudy skies with maybe a slight chance of a shower or two on Saturday.
Come early, stay late, and enjoy what should be a fantastic two days of fun, as once again, we bid the world to come to Albany and Clinton County and enjoy a taste of southern Appalachian lifestyle for our Foothills Festival, and for the 43rd time, we say . . .

Come See It Our Way!