By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The 34th annual Trussville City Fest will be held on Saturday, May 3.
This year’s festival, presented by the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce, which will be a one-day event, will run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Admission to the festival is $5 per person. Children 2 and under are admitted free.
Formerly known as Dog Daze, the festival’s name was changed last year to Trussville City Fest, a name its producers feel is more representative of what the festival is now. The festival was originally held in August during the “dog days of summer” and moved to spring in 2009 in search of cooler temperatures.
This year’s headliner is The Benjy Davis Project. Davis began his career in the late 1990s as a folk-rock musician, then as part of a simple folk-rock duo, and quickly grew his six-piece band into the nationally acclaimed Southern rock group known as The Benjy Davis Project. After leading the group for nine years through 37 states as they performed his 42 authored songs and recorded four albums and two EPs, Davis now writes and performs as a solo artist across the country. The band has toured with groups such as Sister Hazel, Marcia Ball, Nickel Creek, Robert Randolph and Buckwheat Zydeco. The band has also opened for John Mayer, Better Than Ezra and Sister Hazel. Davis has released his first solo album, which has been available on iTunes since Jan. 21. Davis will perform at 8 p.m. on the CenturyLink Stage.
The Jeff Otwell Band will again perform at the festival. The band has been playing music on the Birmingham music scene for five years, playing more than 150 shows per year. The band has opened for George Jones, Alan Jackson, Confederate Railroad, Buddy Jewel and Steve Azar.
Playing together since 1989, the Shaun Pezant Trio is a collection of musicians who can switch from jazz to Motown to a 1970s disco dance medley. The Trio performed at the chamber’s annual banquet in February.
Other entertainment includes Nashville Bound featuring locals Jackson Capps and Skylar Wallace. Jackson made his debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in 2012 and performed on stage with Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives in concert in 2013. Wallace is a young singer/songwriter from Trussville who won the McDonald’s $10,000 Inspirational Singing Competition and Kip Tyner’s Junior Vocalist for 2009-2012.
One Accord, a group that gets its name from Philippians 2:2, will perform some Southern gospel tunes. Kristy White will sing some songs from her CD, “Dancing on the Wind,” and other selections. The Hewitt-Trussville Jazz Band will also perform at the festival, as will Miss Trussville Hannah Brown and other locals.
There will be free kids’ activities in a children’s area. Young and old alike will enjoy “hamster balls,” giant clear balls you can jump into and roll around in a pool without getting wet. Mascots such as Big Al, Huey the Husky, the Birmingham Barons’ Babe Ruff, the Chick-Fil-A Cow and others will also be there. Winners of Trussville’s Beautification Awards will be also announced.
This year’s festival will again feature a classic car show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the courtyard in front of the former middle school. The entry fee for a classic car is $10 and goes toward what classic car show participants will know as a “money tree.”
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.