ELKMONT, Alabama - The Hilltop Arts Society is holding its first Hilltop Arts Festival in downtown Elkmont on Nov. 3 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free event will include musical acts all day, and about 30 artists will be selling photography, paintings, wood burnings, metal works and handmade jewelry.
The art society and the festival are named for the common nickname for Elkmont High School, which sits on a high spot in the town of Elkmont, said Preston Pylant, the festival founder. His hope is to raise money to provide art programs and scholarships for students at the school, which is his alma mater. One day, he would like to expand those programs to students at other area schools.
"There are no high school arts programs for Limestone County high school students other than the marching band," Pylant said. He and other members of the art society want to not only provide a venue for students to showcase their art but also "to show students there are different forms of art and provide a different way for them to express themselves."
Pylant was introduced to the arts world through an after-school theater program, which led him to major in English and theater at Calhoun Community College.
All the musicians who will be performing are volunteering their time and talents to the festival to support the idea of "expanding the arts in North Alabama," Pylant said. The list of performers and the times they'll be playing is as follows:
9 a.m. - Emerald Hammon and Aly Mitchell
10:30 a.m. - Mary Crowell
11:15 a.m. - The Mothership Connection
11:45 a.m. - Shane Wilson
12:30 p.m. Ghost Train
1:15 p.m. Bonner Black
2 p.m. The Barnstormers
2:45 p.. Amy McCarley
3:30 Mary Justice Lucas
4:15 p.m. Jim Parker
The performance stage will be in front of the Red Caboose, 25483 Railroad St. The caboose is also the site of an open mic poetry reading from 6 to 7 p.m. Ingrid Marie from Huntsville and Karolina Lamarz Manko from Decatur are the two featured poets for the evening.
Admission to the poetry reading is $10/ While the festival is free, Pylant said donations will be accepted at the information booth and other sites on the festival grounds. Organizers will also be selling T-shirts and food, with all proceeds going to support the arts project. The Elkmont Town Council is funding a Kid Zone where children can be their own artists for the day.
For more information about the festival, visit the Hilltop Arts Festival Facebook page.
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