Words by Reagan Young | Cover Images courtesy of Diamond Rio and Gavin DeGraw | Image by Justin Hunter
The highly anticipated Foothills Festival returns to downtown Jasper on September 13–14, with headliners Diamond Rio and Gavin DeGraw set to deliver a weekend of outstanding music and community spirit.
Each year, the Foothills Festival draws music lovers from across the country—and just down the road—to the heart of Jasper, Alabama. Attendees enjoy a vibrant local food scene, exceptional arts and crafts vendors, and soulful performances throughout the weekend. By day, festivalgoers wander from booth to booth, kids play in the streets, laughter echoes around every corner, and the air is filled with the irresistible aroma of homemade food. When the sun sets and the music kicks off, the crowd gathers around the main stage to relax and take it all in.
This year’s event promises the same fun-filled atmosphere as years past, with a few exciting updates in the works. The Foothills Festival board is actively exploring ways to expand the food court to welcome more vendors and provide additional variety. While the footprint of the festival has been slightly reduced to improve flow and accessibility, plans are underway to incorporate more arts into the experience. This includes a community public art project and a hands-on art activity for children on Saturday. DreamFIT will also be back, bringing energy and smiles with an interactive dance-along activity. In addition, plans are in motion for a 5K to kick off the festivities on Saturday morning.
Drawing approximately 35,000 guests annually, the Foothills Festival has become known for bringing top-tier talent to its stage without charging admission. Past performers include the Red Clay Strays, Whiskey Myers, Jason Isbell, and St. Paul and the Broken Bones.
“If you go back and look through who we’ve had, I don’t know if there is a festival that exists that has that caliber of talent that you go see for free. It just doesn’t exist,” says Zach Baker, the festival’s talent buyer.
Originally launched in the mid-1990s, the Foothills Festival once charged admission and restricted re-entry. After running for a few years, it was removed from the city’s annual event calendar. In 2013, Zach Baker returned to Jasper from Nashville, Tennessee, with a vision to revive the festival. Partnering with Jasper City Council member Jennifer Williams Smith and a small group of passionate community members, they pulled the comeback together in just three months. Now, over a decade later, the Foothills Festival is thriving, bringing excitement and economic impact to the community.
“Local folks look forward to this every year,” says Baker. “It’s a big deal.”
This year’s lineup features Ben Chapman, The Band of Heathens, Otis, Blind Melon, Hoobastank, Diamond Rio, and Gavin DeGraw.
“Blind Melon is such a nostalgic band. Hoobastank is incredible,” says Baker. “The Band of Heathens are some guys I know from Austin, and everyone I know who plays cover tunes, plays that hit of theirs, ‘Hurricane.’ Ben Chapman has written for everybody in Nashville. He is a killer songwriter and like a cross between Brent Cobb and The Black Crowes. The band Otis is out of Kentucky, and they kind of have a Blackberry Smoke vibe—a little bit more rock.”
The recent resurgence of ’90s country inspired Baker to book Diamond Rio this year. Known for their chart-topping hit “Meet in the Middle,” the award-winning group joins a growing list of country legends to take the Foothills stage, including last year’s performers Mark Chesnutt and Sammy Kershaw.
“I keep an eye on what people are listening to, and I consult with a handful of people who really have their finger on the pulse of what everybody loves,” Baker explains.
Gavin DeGraw will close out the festival on Saturday night. His song “I Don’t Want to Be,” well-known as the theme song from the television series One Tree Hill, is sure to have the crowd singing along.
Whether you’re strolling the streets, kicking back in a lawn chair, or indulging in local flavors, the Foothills Festival offers something for everyone. Baker and the rest of the festival team are hoping for good weather this year, but rain or shine, the crowd always shows up to celebrate the music, support local businesses, and take pride in the city of Jasper. WL
For more information about the Foothills Festival, www.foothillsjasper.com.
