Southern Heritage Festival facts for kids
The Southern Heritage Festival was a fun event in Birmingham, Alabama. It celebrated music, arts, and culture for African Americans in the area. This festival happened for two days each year from 2004 to 2006. It took place in early August on land that later became Railroad Reservation Park. You could hear many types of music there, like Hip hop, Old-school hip hop, classic R&B, and Gospel.
Festival History
The Southern Heritage Festival actually started a long time ago, in the 1960s. However, it stopped happening by the early 1990s. Another event, the Birmingham Heritage Festival, took its place. That festival was mostly about music and aimed at younger people.
But in July 2004, the Southern Heritage Festival was brought back to life! It was given a new name, "The Original Southern Heritage Festival." John Ray, who organized the first festival, was the one who brought it back.
Where the Festival Happened
In 2004, the festival was held at the Alabama State Fairgrounds (33°29′48″N 86°52′17″W / 33.4968°N 86.8714°W) in Birmingham's Civil Rights District. For the 2006 festival, it moved to the Railroad Reservation site. This location was also used successfully by the Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil.
Who Performed?
The Southern Heritage Festival featured many famous musicians. In 2006, some of the performers included Patti LaBelle, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Clarence Carter, and the Little Memphis Blues Orchestra.
