Festival eve street dance set for downtown Friday

Published 1:33 pm Tuesday, June 15, 2021

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Many Brewton area residents will remember the days when the Blueberry Street Dance was an annual event. However, in recent years, the Street Dance has been a sporadic event.

David Maddox wanted to make sure the dance was a part of the 40th annual event planned for this weekend in Brewton. The event will be held at Market Park in downtown Brewton.

Maddox, a member of the music group ‘Hart Station,’ has put together a plan and will be brining the dance to downtown on Friday night, thanks to the sponsorship of Peach GMC.

“I wanted to see the street dance done again,” Maddox said. “I used to play with John Lang and Alan Baker with ‘Mixed Company’ and played the dances. I wanted to see it happen again and contacted the Chamber to ask if they had plans on Friday night. Of course, they said they wanted to, but last year was a rough year — for everybody and they didn’t think they could do one.”

Maddox said it didn’t take long for him to find a sponsor and put his band on notice that the Blueberry Street Dance was on for the 2021 event.

“I let the Chamber know that I would take care of everything from providing the band and production for the dance,” Maddox said. “With their blessing, I’m making final arrangements to make this a fun time.”

Maddox said Peach GMC stepped up as sponsors for the dance with help from Hal Whitman.

“When everything was settled, the Chamber didn’t have any financially responsibilities and we’re ready to go,” Maddox said. “This is just a win-win for all sides.”

The music provided by Hart Station will begin at 7 p.m. , Maddox said.

“We will have a space for dancing for those who want to dance,” Maddox said. “We are encouraging folks to bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the music and the atmosphere of the street dance.”

The street dance was part of the annual festivities for many years with the event typically taking place in the Escambia County Courthouse parking lot for several years.

This year’s event will be conveniently located downtown at Market Park, just steps away from Jennings Park where the Alabama Blueberry Festival will be held.

“We couldn’t have done this without the help of Peach GMC,” Maddox said. “A lot of planning has gone into this and we are excited for Friday night.”