ONEONTA, Ala. – With three covered bridges still in existence, Blount County carries the title of Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama, and as a tribute to its roots, a one-day festival is held every year in downtown Oneonta. Set for Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, the Covered Bridge Festival offers plenty of family fun including arts and crafts, a car cruise-in, live music, great food, tours to the covered bridges and more. The festival is sponsored by the Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce.
The centerpiece of the Covered Bridge Festival is the arts and crafts show in downtown Oneonta’s entertainment district. Throughout the day, festivalgoers can browse vendor booths filled with homemade treasures, from handcrafted jewelry and artwork to wood creations and unique décor.
Beyond shopping, visitors can admire a wide array of cars, trucks and antique farm tractors during the Cruise-In. The festival stage will showcase nonstop local entertainment with performances by Pine Mountain Bluegrass, the Clog Wild Cloggers, students from Neely School of Music and Arts, Aidan Wade, Viva Dancers “La Munecas,” Isaiah Moore, Small Town Charm and Brother Bob’s Sirens and Saints.
Families will especially enjoy the free Kids Zone, featuring inflatables, cornhole games and face painting, while food lovers can indulge in a variety of flavors at the food court on Railroad Avenue, where food trucks and local vendors will be serving up crowd-pleasing favorites.
The Blount-Oneonta Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring bus tours to two of the three covered bridges (Horton Mill and Easley) along with a stop at Palisades Park for the Quilt Show (admission to Quilt Show is $10). Tours depart at 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. from the Public Library and reservations are required by contacting the Blount-Oneonta Chamber office at ramona@blountoneontachamber.org.
The Quilt Show, sponsored by the Blount County Quilters Guild, will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Quilters Guild Cottage at Palisades Park located at 1225 Palisades Parkway in Oneonta. Festival goers can enjoy the exhibit during the free bus tour or visit at their leisure on Oct. 11, or on the day of the Covered Bridge Festival. Admission is $10. For more information, visit www.blountcountyquilters.com.
Before heading to the festival Saturday morning, festivalgoers are invited to stop by the pancake breakfast at Lester Memorial Methodist Church from 7-10 a.m. to fuel up. Tickets are $10 per person for eight years old and up and $5 for seven years old and younger and benefits the Blount County Children’s Center.
Festival hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on the Covered Bridge Festival, visit the Chamber’s website or Facebook page or call 205-274-2153.
No visit to Blount County would be complete without a stop at one or all of the covered bridges. Constructed in 1934, Horton Mill is the tallest historic covered bridge in the United States standing 70 feet above the water. The 220-foot-long bridge crosses the Calvert Prong of the Little Warrior River about 5 miles north of Oneonta off Highway 75. Easley Covered Bridge was constructed in 1927 and is the smallest of Blount’s remaining bridges. At just 95 feet long it crosses the Dub Branch, Calvert Prong of the Little Warrior River. It is located off 231 North in Rosa. Constructed in 1933, Swann Covered Bridge is the longest of Blount’s bridges. Located in Cleveland, it spans 324 feet across the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River.
