Mentone prepares to celebrate 2022 Colorfest

MENTONE, Ala. (WHNT) — The leaves are changing colors and there’s a crisp breeze in the air — that means it’s time to celebrate Colorfest, an autumn celebration held annually in Mentone.

Colorfest is a celebration of all things fall. The event includes arts & crafts vendors, festival-style food vendors, live music, and children’s activities.

According to the Mentone Area Preservation Association (MAPA), Colorfest will be held at Moon Lake Village, the site of the 111-year-old former Moon Lake School on the easternmost side of Mentone’s town limits. The school was closed in 2021.

The festival was initially held at Brow Park, but it outgrew that location.

“The Mentone community has been holding Colorfest for the past 40 years to celebrate the season and share the beauty of Mentone with others while supporting local artists and musicians,” said Dana Lockhart, the festival’s assistant coordinator.

This year, Colorfest will arrive on the streets of Mentone on Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16.

In addition to traditional fall festival activities, this year’s Colorfest will include a Saturday pet parade beginning at 1:15 p.m. and a scarecrow contest. Find out more about those events here.

“MAPA is responsible for Colorfest in that it has to be hand-crafted, everyone is local and it just makes a big impact on people when they know all the vendors that are there,” Lockhart added.

Lockhart says there are anywhere between 8,000 and 15,000 attendees for Colorfest every year.

Live music will be performed throughout the weekend in either the “grassy amphitheater or the new community meeting room inside the old schoolhouse.”

This year’s live music lineup includes: