Leeds Fall Festival & John Henry Celebration

Leeds Fall Festival & John Henry Celebration | Make plans now to bring the whole family to the Leeds Fall Festival & John Henry Celebration in historic downtown Leeds, Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., — rain or shine. Admission and parking are free to the public.

The Alabama Tourism Department has previously named this festival one of the top 10 tourism events in Alabama during the month of September.

Leeds Fall Festival & John Henry Celebration

Previously known as the Leeds Downtown Folk Festival, the name has been changed to better reflect the event’s purpose of promoting Leeds and bringing people to historic downtown Leeds on the third weekend of September.

According to Fall Festival planning committee, the outdoor event will feature great food, a variety of live music on multiple stages, entertainment, art, a car show and lots of activities for children, young people and those young at heart.

And, after a several year hiatus, this year’s festival will feature two performances of the original outdoor play about John Henry, “Listen to that Cold Steel Ring” on Sept. 21 on the grounds of the Leeds historic railroad depot. Henry, an African-American railroad man, is believed to have died after winning a contest against a steam drill as the company he worked for blasted tunnels through mountains south of Leeds in the 1880s.

Leeds is conveniently located about 15 miles east of Birmingham, 45 miles west of Anniston and 60 miles southwest of Gadsden. The festival site in historic downtown Leeds is only two miles south of I-20 Exit 140. Locals and visitors alike are invited. Bring a folding chair and stay all day!

If you have questions or want more information about the festival, please contact Stephanie Corwin with Leeds Redevelopment Authority at 205.601.0772 or Stephanie.LeedsRDA@gmail.com.

If you are a vendor and would like to reserve vendor space, please contact Sandra McGuire at 205.699.5001 or Sandra@LeedsAreaChamber.com.