Downtown Greenville will be the place to be Saturday, September 25 with the return of Camellia City Fest. The event, which is the 7th annual, kicks off at 9 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m., promises plenty of festival food, live entertainment, vendors galore and activities especially geared to the youth.

Camellia City Fest is a wonderful, family-friendly event that offers something for everyone,” says Tracy Salter, director of the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce. “Some of our vendors have been with us in years past, and for others, this is their first event at City Fest. We’ll have everything from handcrafted jewelry, custom woodwork and leather products, to home and yard décor and homemade jams and jellies, just to name a few of the things that will be on display at the festival.”

There will be no need to go hungry, either. “The park will be full of vendors offering items such as hot dogs, hamburgers, boiled peanuts, baked goods, and much more.

“This year we are excited to have Rotary Club of Greenville offering concession items as part of fundraising efforts for the club,” Salter said.

Kyle and Dave of Q-94 will serve as event emcees and get energy levels up with some high-octane tunes to begin the day before introducing all the vendors at 9 a.m.

At 11 a.m., county music singer and songwriter, Charity Bowden will take the stage in front of City Hall, Salter says. Bowden, a native of Hope Hull, Alabama, appeared on Season 11 of NBC’s “The Voice” and was on Miley Cyrus’ team. She has since opened for John Schneider, David Ball, Riley Green, Confederate Railroad, The Charlie Daniels Band, and Craig Morgan. Charity performs with a full band or acoustically. Her songs range from Patsy Cline to Miranda Lambert. She regularly performs a mix of traditional country, bluegrass, southern rock, and original music. Earlier this year Charity released her first single, “Brain Freeze” across all music platforms. She intends to release more music this year and prepare to release her first EP in the near future.

“I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Charity perform several times over the years and she never disappoints,” Salter said.  She’s a familiar artist at festival and events all over the state and surrounding areas.  We’re excited to have Charity join us this year and I’m sure she’ll be a big hit.”

After Charity’s performance, Kyle and Dave will share more music and commentary with the crowd until 1 p.m. before turning the stage over to local artists Rosie Till and Curk Mosley with Two of a Kind, who will play for the crowd.

“Rosie and Curk are fantastic musicians that bring high energy to the stage along with their smooth acoustic sound featuring a variety of genres.  We’re so thankful to have such wonderful talent here in our hometown,” Salter said.

The fest aims to be an occasion younger audiences can enjoy, as well, a bounce house, face painting, games, and balloon characters in the park inside the Kids Zone area.

“We invite everyone to come out and enjoy Camellia CityFest. It will be a fun day full of entertainment, food, activities, arts and crafts, and much more,” Salter says.

While City Fest is an outdoor event, Salter encourages measures to ensure everyone has a safe and healthy event.  “The event is outside and vendors will be set up along sidewalk areas of Commerce Street between the intersections of Pine/Commerce to Church/Commerce. Vendors and festival workers will be spaced out accordingly to allow for plenty of room in between booths, and we encourage everyone attending the event to practice social distancing as well while in attendance,” said Salter.

“The Chamber will have a welcome tent set up across from City Hall and we will have hand sanitizing stations on site throughout the festival area.”

Camellia City Fest is presented by the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the City of Greenville.  Salter added a special note of thanks to event sponsors.  “Thanks to Butler Farmers Co-Op, Greenville Pediatrics, Alabama Power, Structural Wood System, Butler County Commission, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, and Best Western this year’s event is going to be one of the best.  Because of the support of these sponsors, events like Camellia City Fest are made possible.”

For more information, contact the GACOC at (334) 382-3251 or visit online at www.greenvillealchamber.com.