CULLMAN, Ala. – Rain concerns and an uncertain forecast did little to slow the Alabama Strawberry Festival, as large crowds filled downtown Cullman Friday and Saturday, April 24-25, for what organizers described as one of the event’s strongest weekends yet.
Festival Director Daniel Wyatt said final attendance data is still being compiled, but early estimates show the festival drew around 70,000 people over two days.
“We’re still waiting on all the data to come in, but we’re confident we hosted somewhere around 70,000 people over the two-day event,” Wyatt said. “We’ll have a clearer picture on the geographic breakdown, counties and states represented, once that’s finalized.”
The turnout was especially noticeable Friday, Wyatt said, when attendance increased 40% year over year. He said improvements made ahead of this year’s festival helped the event handle the larger crowd with relative ease, though organizers are already looking at areas to refine before next year.
“We made significant improvements this year to accommodate the growing crowd, and we feel they paid off,” Wyatt said. “Friday saw a 40% increase in attendance year over year, and the festival moved through it with relative ease. We still see some bottlenecking during peak traffic on Saturday, and that’s where we’ll keep our focus, refining queue line efficiency and continuing to evaluate options like shuttle service as we grow.”
The festival, organized by Cullman Parks, Recreation & Sports Tourism, brought together farmers, vendors, entertainers, family attractions and thousands of visitors in and around Depot Park.
CPRST Executive Director Nathan Anderson said the weekend carried a noticeable sense of momentum despite weather concerns leading up to the event.
“This year had a different energy from the start,” Anderson said. “The crowd was bigger, the atmosphere was even more festive and the whole weekend had that sense of a festival hitting its stride, especially given the rain and the less-than-desirable forecast we’d watched all week.”
Wyatt said the growth of the festival has been driven not only by attendance, but also by continued improvements in the overall guest experience.
“Our attractions and entertainment continue to get better every year, and our vendors keep raising the bar on what they bring to the festival,” Wyatt said. “That ongoing commitment to a better guest experience is what’s driving the event’s success year after year.”
Anderson credited the festival’s continued growth to Cullman’s reputation, the work of the festival team and the larger community effort behind the event.
“It’s the charm of our community, and countless hours of preparation and hard work from a creative team comprised of staff, vendors, sponsors and volunteers that genuinely love Cullman,” Anderson said. “Our location, our reputation as a safe and clean destination – that drives confidence with visitors of every age. People know what they’re going to get when they come to a Cullman festival, and they keep coming back.”
Cullman Mayor Woody Jacobs said the festival reflected the work of city staff, volunteers, vendors, farmers, entertainers and the CPRST team.
“From the farmers to the vendors and the entertainers, this festival did not disappoint,” Jacobs said. “I want to thank the CPRST team and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this weekend possible. A festival of this size doesn’t happen without an enormous amount of planning and hard work, and our city staff from all departments and volunteers make it look easy.”
Jacobs also thanked those who attended the festival and said the city is already looking ahead to next year.
“To the visitors who joined us, thank you for choosing Cullman,” Jacobs said. “This festival is one of the things that makes our community special, and we’re already looking forward to welcoming everyone back next year.”
Organizers said additional data, including a more complete breakdown of where visitors traveled from, is expected once final attendance information is reviewed.
