Marshall County Alabama Feelin’ Groovy Festival
Some festivals ask visitors to watch from the sidelines, but this one invites everyone to join the mood. The Feelin’ Groovy Festival in Arab turns an autumn Saturday afternoon into a relaxed, music-filled hangout shaped by the colours, sounds and easygoing style of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Guests are encouraged to dress the part, settle onto a chair or blanket, wander between vendor booths and enjoy free activities with family and friends. Presented by Growing Wild Events, the gathering is small in history but clear in character: friendly, playful and rooted in its Marshall County community.
About the Festival
The Feelin’ Groovy Festival is a themed celebration built around the music and spirit of the 1960s and early 1970s. Its organiser describes it as a hangout festival, a phrase that captures the pace well. Rather than rushing visitors through a tight schedule, the afternoon leaves room to listen, browse, play, pose for photographs and spend unhurried time outdoors.
Growing Wild Events hosts and organises the festival. The organiser’s 2026 vendor application names Joyce Utterback and Dawn Sparks as event coordinators, working with the Planning Committee and a wider team of volunteers and sponsors. That community effort sits behind the scenes of an event designed to feel loose and welcoming on the surface.
The festival takes place in Arab, a town lying primarily in Marshall County, with a portion extending into Cullman County. Arab is not the county seat of Marshall County; that role belongs to Guntersville. The 2026 edition is held at the Arab City Soccer Fields, at 223 Plaza Drive Northwest in Arab, Alabama.
Admission is free, a point repeated across the 2026 listings. Free entry shapes the whole experience, because visitors can drift in for the music, stay for the shopping and activities, or remain for the full seven-hour afternoon without needing to plan around a ticket.
For a useful comparison, see the Marshall County Alabama Poke Salat Festival for another county festival.
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
| Festival name | Feelin’ Groovy Festival |
| Host town | Arab, Alabama |
| County | Marshall County, primarily |
| County seat | Guntersville |
| Organiser | Growing Wild Events |
| 2026 billing | 2nd Annual Feelin’ Groovy Festival |
| 2026 date and hours | Saturday, November 7, 2026, noon to 7:00 p.m. |
| Venue | Arab City Soccer Fields, 223 Plaza Drive Northwest |
| Admission | Free |
| Theme | Late 1960s and early 1970s hangout |
History
The documented history of this festival is short, and it deserves to be told exactly as far as the record reaches. The event appears in a festival-weekend roundup covering November 7 to 9, 2025, listed simply as the Feelin’ Groovy Festival in Arab on November 8. That listing is consistent with a first edition held on Saturday, November 8, 2025, although no detailed programme from that day was verified beyond the listing itself.
For the following year, the organiser’s own vendor application bills the gathering as the 2nd Annual Feelin’ Groovy Festival. That wording confirms the event returned for a second year, but it should not be stretched into a longer origin story. No earlier editions are documented in the available record, and the honest history is that of a young festival reaching its second annual edition in 2026.
One small wrinkle appears in the listings for that second year. A festival guide carried the Arab event under November 7, 2026, matching the organiser’s confirmed date, yet the same guide also carried an asterisked entry placing it on November 6. The organiser’s application fixes the festival on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from noon until 7:00 p.m., so November 7 stands as the confirmed date and the November 6 line remains an unmerged error in that guide.
Even within this brief history, the festival’s identity was already settled. The theme, the free admission, the outdoor hangout format and the leadership of Growing Wild Events all appear in the 2026 record. Community sponsors named in the organiser’s posts for that year include Tennessee Valley Packaging & Container, LLC, McLaughlin & Edmondson, LLC and David’s Auto Parts, businesses lending support without taking on the organiser’s role. A named performer for 2026, Len Cassity, appears in the organiser’s sponsor and performer posts, adding a personal note to a young event still writing its story.
What to Expect
Live music from the 1960s sits at the centre of the afternoon. The sounds of that era set the tone for everything else, giving the soccer fields a backdrop of familiar melodies while visitors move between activities or simply relax and listen. Len Cassity is named among the 2026 performers in the organiser’s posts.
Shopping here leans handmade and homegrown. Artisan, maker, grower and cottage-licensed vendor booths offer goods with a strong showing of bohemian and retro styles that suit the theme. Browsing becomes part of the entertainment, as each booth adds its own colours and textures to the field. Behind the scenes, the organiser’s application notes that cottage food vendors must hold current Marshall County Health Department certification, and that food-truck vendor applications were not being accepted for 2026 while other food vendors were still being sought.
Participation matters as much as performance. Interactive booths, games and activities run through the afternoon, with free activities offered for all ages. Families can share the same spaces rather than splitting into separate corners of the grounds, and younger visitors are part of the crowd rather than an afterthought.
Whimsical photo opportunities give the theme a playful outlet. Guests are encouraged to arrive in late-1960s or early-1970s dress, so tie-dye patterns, flared shapes and vintage touches become part of the scenery. Bringing a chair or blanket is also encouraged, turning the open field into a patchwork of small gathering spots where groups can claim a base, return between activities and watch the afternoon unfold at their own pace.
Planning Your Visit
The single most useful fact for planning is the confirmed schedule: Saturday, November 7, 2026, from noon to 7:00 p.m. at the Arab City Soccer Fields, 223 Plaza Drive Northwest, Arab, Alabama. Because that guide listing with the November 6 date still circulates, double-checking the day against the organiser’s confirmed date before travelling is a wise habit.
Dressing for the theme is part of the fun rather than a requirement, so choose as much or as little retro styling as feels comfortable. Clothing suited to an outdoor November afternoon in north Alabama is a sensible base, with the vintage layer added on top. A chair or blanket is worth bringing, since the organiser specifically encourages both and the hangout format rewards having somewhere comfortable to settle.
Free admission keeps the budget simple and the arrival relaxed. There is no ticket decision to make in advance, which suits a festival built around dropping in, staying a while and letting the afternoon find its own rhythm. Groups with mixed interests can split their time between music, booths and games without feeling they must extract value from a paid pass.
Anyone writing to the organiser should use the published mailing address, PO Box 1251, Arab, AL 35016. That post office box belongs to Growing Wild Events for correspondence such as vendor matters; it is not the festival venue, and visitors should head to the soccer fields address instead.
A Sample Afternoon at the Festival
Arrive around noon as the festival opens and take a slow first lap of the grounds. The opening hour suits orientation: find the vendor rows, note where the interactive booths and games are gathered, and choose a spot for your chair or blanket within easy reach of the music.
Spend the early afternoon browsing the artisan, maker and grower booths while the field is still filling. Retro and bohemian goods reward unhurried looking, and conversations with makers and growers add context that a quick pass would miss.
By mid-afternoon, settle in for a longer stretch of live 1960s music. This is the hangout heart of the day, when the blanket becomes home base and the programme comes to you. Between sets, join the games and activities or pose at the whimsical photo spots while your costume is still fresh.
Use the later afternoon for a second round of browsing and activities, revisiting favourite booths and catching anything skipped earlier. As the festival moves toward its 7:00 p.m. close, one final musical stretch makes a fitting ending before packing up chairs and blankets and heading home.
How This Festival Compares
Against a traditional county fair, the Feelin’ Groovy Festival trades competitions and midway scale for a single strong theme. Everything from the music to the clothing to the vendor styling points back to the same era, which gives a one-day afternoon a coherence that broader events rarely attempt.
Compared with a concert, the festival offers far more to do between songs. Vendor booths, interactive displays, games and photo opportunities fill the spaces around the music, so visitors who prefer moving to sitting still are equally well served. The music leads, but it does not stand alone.
Set beside a standard craft market, the difference is atmosphere. Shopping is woven into a themed afternoon with live performance and free activities, and the encouragement to dress in period style turns visitors into part of the display. The booths matter, yet the experience around them matters just as much.
Its closest comparison may be its own first edition. The 2025 listing offers only a date and a name, while the 2026 record shows a fuller picture with confirmed hours, a named venue, coordinators and sponsors. The growth between those two layers is measured less in size than in how clearly the festival presents itself.
Planning Checklist
- Confirm the date as Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Note the hours, noon until 7:00 p.m.
- Set the venue as Arab City Soccer Fields
- Use 223 Plaza Drive Northwest for directions
- Pack a folding chair or a blanket
- Choose a late-sixties or early-seventies outfit
- Plan time for live music and browsing
- Leave room for games and interactive booths
- Bring a camera for the photo opportunities
- Remember that admission is free for everyone
Beyond the Festival Grounds
Arab gives the festival a distinctly local footing. The town sits primarily in Marshall County, with a portion reaching into Cullman County, and it hosts this event while Guntersville serves as the county seat. That geography matters for visitors planning wider trips, because the festival address is firmly in Arab even though county services and the seat lie elsewhere.
A visit built around the festival can still anchor a broader Marshall County day. The afternoon schedule, running from noon to early evening, leaves the morning open for a relaxed start and the evening free after the 7:00 p.m. close. Treating the festival as the centrepiece rather than one stop among many suits its hangout spirit best.
For the community itself, an event of this kind offers something beyond entertainment. Local and regional vendors gain a themed stage, sponsors gain a visible role in a hometown gathering, and volunteers help shape an afternoon that residents can enjoy without an admission cost. Those threads tie the festival to Arab in a way a travelling show could never match.
Why the Festival Matters
Young festivals earn their place by giving people a reason to gather that feels different from everything else on the calendar. Feelin’ Groovy does that through nostalgia handled lightly: the music, clothing and styling of a past era become an excuse for neighbours, families and visitors to share an unhurried afternoon together.
The free admission carries real significance. Removing the ticket barrier means the invitation extends to anyone curious enough to come, and the free activities for all ages reinforce that openness once visitors arrive. A festival that asks only for your time, and perhaps a blanket, lowers the threshold for trying something new.
Its themed identity also gives Arab a recognisable autumn occasion. A hangout festival built on peace, music and handmade goods stands apart from harvest fairs and holiday markets, and each returning edition strengthens that distinctiveness. If the second annual gathering builds on the first, the town gains a tradition shaped around joy rather than competition.
There is also value in how the event asks visitors to participate rather than simply consume. Costumes, photographs, games and conversations with makers turn attendance into a small act of creation, and that shared effort helps a second-year festival feel established long before its history runs deep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who runs the Feelin’ Groovy Festival, and who helps coordinate it?
Growing Wild Events hosts and organises the festival. The organiser’s 2026 vendor application names Joyce Utterback and Dawn Sparks as event coordinators, supported by the Planning Committee and a team of volunteers and sponsors.
What sort of music and activities fill the afternoon?
Live 1960s music leads the programme, joined by interactive booths, games and free activities for all ages. Whimsical photo opportunities run alongside, and dressing in late-1960s or early-1970s style is encouraged. Len Cassity is named among the 2026 performers in the organiser’s posts.
Which day should visitors trust when listings disagree?
Trust Saturday, November 7, 2026, the date fixed by the organiser’s own vendor application, with hours from noon to 7:00 p.m. A festival guide also carried an asterisked November 6 entry for the same event, but that line stands as an unmerged error rather than a second date.
Can local makers and food vendors take part?
The 2026 application welcomed artisan, maker, grower and other food vendors, while food-truck vendor applications were not being accepted that year. Cottage food vendors were required to hold current Marshall County Health Department certification.
What to Expect From the Next Marshall County Alabama Feelin’ Groovy Festival
How often is Marshall County Alabama Feelin’ Groovy Festival held?
The festival carries annual billing, with the 2026 gathering presented as its second annual edition following the edition listed in November 2025. Future dates rest with Growing Wild Events, so visitors should watch for the organiser’s own announcements rather than assuming a fixed weekend.
When is the next Marshall County Alabama Feelin’ Groovy Festival?
No date for a future edition has been verified in the available record. The most recent confirmed edition is the second annual festival on Saturday, November 7, 2026, and any later gathering will be set by the organiser’s next announcement.
Will the dates change?
Dates can shift between editions, and the conflicting November 6 guide entry for 2026 shows why checking matters. Rely on the organiser’s confirmed date for any future edition, and treat third-party listings as pointers rather than final word until they agree.
The Feelin’ Groovy Festival is proof that a tradition does not need decades behind it to feel worth keeping. With free admission, live music from a beloved era, handmade goods and a field full of neighbours in retro dress, Arab’s young hangout festival offers an afternoon that is easy to enter and hard to rush. Bring a blanket, embrace the theme and let the groove set the pace.
