Saturday April, 7th is the annual Noble Street Festival and Sunny King Criterium. These events are all a part of the overall Alabama Cycling Classic. Yes, the weather for Saturday will include rain showers, and it will be cold and windy. But the event will go on unless there is lightning present. If you don’t want to go outside in the cold, or can’t make it, you can watch all the Sunny King Criterium races on Livestream!
Arts, crafts, live music, games, food, and more will line Noble Street in downtown Anniston on April 7th for Noble Street Festival 2018. Blocks 900 through 1200 will be roped off for family-friendly activities beginning at noon and ending at 6:00 pm. See the festival map below.
Noble Street Festival is free to attend, and tickets may be purchased for various activities and events. As in years past, a portion of of the proceeds will be donated to Relay for Life. Noble Street Festival has raised more than $1,000,000 for Relay for Life to date. Live music stations will be set up throughout the festival. Local and regional musicians Lindsey Hinkle, Travis Bannister, Ed Protho, The Sunsets, Ed Howard Band, Taylor Stacks, and Noble Street Bass are scheduled to perform. You will also find The Storydwellers performing live at Effina’s Downtown, 919 Noble Street.
Look for live cooking demonstrations in front of Thai One On, 911 Noble Street, and step inside for an island-inspired drink from Sam’s Tiki Bar. In addition to the food and art community festival, the weekend includes the Alabama Cycling Classic which is comprised of two national level bicycle races, the Sunny King Criterium and Piedmont Road Race. Both the Sunny King Criterium and Piedmont Road Race are recognized by USA Cycling, the governing body of competitive bicycling in the United States. In fact, The Sunny King is the first race on the Pro Road Tour.
You’re invited to tailgate around the race course and cheer on the racers speeding past every corner around the criterium course. Bring chairs, blankets, coolers, and well-behaved dogs on leases to watch the races which begin at 10:00 am. FidoFest stations will be set up along the festival route for your four-legged family members to take a rest and enjoy a cool drink.
Festival Dining
Downtown Anniston’s locally-owned restaurants await you on the 900 block of Noble Street. Enjoy unique local cuisine from Thai curry to Italian ravioli to the some of the best burgers in town– all while dining al fresco.
Participating Restaurants
- Peerless Saloon & Grille: Alabama’s oldest pub is offering an authentic Louisiana crawfish boil after dark on Atlanta Ave.
- Thai One On
- Taste Of Eden
- Rack and Roll Billiards
- Effie’s Mobile Kitchen (Effina’s Food Truck)
- Mellow Mushroom Bake Bus
Specialty Foods Vendors
- Steel City Pops
- Just a Little Frosting – Cheese Straws
- Nothing Bundt Cakes
- Goody Sweets & Candy Bar
- Papa & Grammies Peanuts
- Hammers Hotdogs
- Fresh Squeezed – Lemonade
Beers & Gears
A selection of beers will be served at pop-up pubs along the festival route. Presented by the City of Anniston.
For The Kids
Mellow Mushroom Mad Dash
A foot race to the finish! Ages 12 and younger, $7/child. Winners receive medals and photographs on the winners podium.
YMCA Bike Race
Bicycles on the mark and go! Grade 6 and below, $7. Grades 5-6 ride the .7 mile race course. Winners receive medals and photographs on the winners podium. Bring a bicycle and helmet (required).
Kidzone
Four blocks of family fun! Carnival rides and games, art making stations and demos, exhibits and more!
Public Safety Zone
Check out the latest technology and equipment being used by law enforcement, emergency responders and the military.
Live!
From the Museum!
Alabama’s indigenous animals will be on exhibit for you to learn more about them and how you can help maintain their environments. Presented by the Anniston Museum of Natural History.
Home Depot Make-n-Take Station
Assemble a kit to create a toolbox or a sailboat, then take it with you!
Kids in the Kitchen
Plant a tomato, mix your own trail mix, and more! Presented by the Junior League of Anniston-Calhoun County.
Bicycle Rodeo
Learn cycling skills and safety precautions. Bring your own bike or use one of ours. Fun for all ages. Presented by Boy Scouts of America, Choccolocco District.
Graffiti Wall
A giant wall is waiting for you to make your mark.
Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures Dental Van
Free dental health screenings for children in a fun, friendly atmosphere. Presented by the Junior League of Anniston-Calhoun County.
Alabama Makers Market
Shop the Makers Market for unique crafts and creations. Simply Shabby, 1026 Noble Street, is coordinating the Alabama Makers Market.
- Daisy Grace Jewelry (aka Romiette & Julieo)
- Dorrie Hayden – gourd and farm art
- Dak’s Spices – salt-free spice blends
- Mineral Basin Naturals (aka Cheaha Soaps)
- Avie B’s – painted signs
- Doe Imprints – Hand-Stamped Youtensils
- Davis Designs – wood-burned trays, signs, other woodwork
- Sew Sassy Stitchin’ – children’s dolls
- Elizabeth’s Gourmet Dips – dip mixes
- Mike & Carolyn Willingham – painted furniture and woodwork
- Stephanie Tyson – wood signs
- Bridgett Butler Harris – jewelry
- 3 Nails Woodwork – handmade pens & cutting boards
- Stuck In The Middle Boutique – vinyl decals
- Nelson Studios – handmade mugs
- Warm Rainy Day Jewelry
- Crave Candles
- The Bag Girl
- Backyard Birdhouses
- Leldon’s Scrollsawing
- Nell’s Notions
- Donna DiGiorgio Art
- Jax Jewelry
- And more!
Noble Street Art Market
Paintings, photographs, pottery, jewelry, furniture and more by local artists. Hosted by Nunnally’s Noble Gallery & Frame.
- Rita Springer – paintings
- Anita Stewart – deconstructed books
- Landon Shirey – paintings
- Jennifer Alam – photography
- Mari Chandler – glass
- Janet Hinton – prints, paintings, ceramics
- Jauneth Skinner – prints
- Marsha Nelson – paintings
- Judy Ritter – paintings
- Betty Groover – paintings
- Suzen Robertson – mixed media watercolors
- Jerry Marks – prints
- Deborah Delain- jewelry (lost wax casting)
- Bryce Lafferty – watercolors
- Sarah Cavender – wearable metalworks
- Peggy Mayo – gourd art and jewelry
- Teresa Bussie – mixed media paintings
- Allison McElroy – multi-media works
- Nettie Bean – painting
More Cowbell!
On display now in the window galleries at CATALYST, 1224 Noble St. While cyclists race the Sunny King Criterium at break-neck speeds, spectators cheer them on with horns, hollers, and whistles; clanging cowbells are a favorite. Local and regional artists have submitted artist designed cowbells to this wacky, creative exhibit in the street side window galleries at CATALYST, a block away from the race.
More Cowbell! is a quirky way to combine the visual arts, local creativity, and the sport of road race cycling. Bells will be sold via silent auction
throughout the exhibit, ending April 8, and on the day of the festival. Proceeds benefit the Arts in Anniston.
Pop’s Playground
Take a break from the action and chill with the tribe in Pop’s Playground. Dude as well as kid friendly–for dads in charge of the tribe! Located on the 900 block near outdoor dining options and live music.
- Skeeball
- Rock Climbing Wall
- Lawn games
FidoFest
Spots along the festival route where Fido can rest his spots, have a cool drink and re-group!
While You’re In Anniston
Rent a bicycle from Wigs Wheels, 1229 Noble Street and check out the Chief Ladiga Trail as well as the Coldwater Mountain Bike Trails. Visit our world-class museums including the Anniston Museum of Natural History and the Berman Museum, and learn about Anniston’s Civil Rights events at Freedom Riders National Monument in the downtown historic district and the Anniston Civil Rights Trail.
Live Music Block Stages
Pocket stages on the 900 and 1200 blocks of the festival feature local and regional acoustic musicians.
- Lindsey Hinkle
- Travis Bannister
- Tyler McDermtt
- Ed Protho
- The Sunsets
- Ed Howard Band
- Taylor Stacks
- Noble Street Brass
- Music coordination provided by The Music Box.
Sunny Kind Criterium
The Sunny King Criterium will kick off with races starting at 10:00 am on April 7. Hundreds of amateur and professional cyclists will zoom through the 0.7 mile course in downtown Anniston for medals and cash prizes during races throughout the day. Bring the family and watch the races first hand or track the action via the online live stream from 12:00 to 9:30 pm. Brad Sohner will commentate the nine hour live stream with Terry Phillis playing host to the spectators of the Noble Street Festival.
Seven manned cameras and three fixed cameras will capture the riders as they race around the route. Alabama Power will provide the energy resources for the remote broadcast. The races will begin at 10:00 am with junior categories. Races for cash prizes start at 11:40 am, with the Women’s Cat 3-4 Crit. race. The action continues all afternoon building up to the Women’s and Men’s Pro races, starting at 6:20 and 7:30 pm, respectively. Those races are for grand prizes of $12,500 each. Race entry fees are donated to Calhoun County Relay for Life, a local American Cancer Society fundraiser. $80,000 has been donated since 2005. The 2018 goal is $12,500.
Piedmont Road Race
39.39 miles, a total ascent of 2,342.66 ft., and a maximum elevation of 1,203.02 ft. The Piedmont Road Race is a challenging 40 mile loop. The route will guide riders through the beautiful Talladega National Forest showing off the scenic landscapes of Norttheast Alabama. With a total ascent of 2.342.66 ft. and a maximum elevation of 1,203.02 ft. this race promises to test the riders who accept the challenge. Be ready to climb.
