Pickens County Alabama Face in the Window Fest Festival
Once a year, the square at the center of Carrollton leans into its most famous story. The Face in the Window Fest is a fall celebration built around the legend of the old Pickens County Courthouse, drawing visitors to downtown for a day of vendors, music, and local history.
The festival takes its name from the tale of Henry Wells, the freedman whose face is said to be etched into a courthouse windowpane. That story has made Carrollton known far beyond Pickens County, and the festival turns it into an occasion for the whole town to gather.
Carrollton is a small town with a long memory, and the festival fits it well. The event takes place on the square and the streets around it, with the courthouse standing at the center of everything. It is a homegrown celebration, organized by local people for local people and the visitors who come to see what the fuss is about. Nothing about it feels staged, and that is part of its appeal.
| Festival name | Face in the Window Fest |
| Location | Downtown Carrollton Square, Carrollton, Pickens County, Alabama |
| Typical timing | Fall, usually October |
| Format | One-day street festival on the courthouse square |
| Admission | Open to the public |
| Organizers | Local community volunteers and the Town of Carrollton |
| Signature features | Vendors, food, live music, and the courthouse legend |
About the Face in the Window Fest
The festival is a street fair with a story at its heart. Vendors set up around the square, food is served throughout the day, and live entertainment keeps the downtown lively. What distinguishes it from a typical fall festival is the legend that gives it its name, and the way the event embraces local history rather than ignoring it.
For a town of its size, Carrollton has an outsized place in Alabama lore. The Face in the Window is one of the state’s best-known ghost stories, told and retold in books, newspapers, and television features for well over a century. The festival gives that story a place in the town’s living calendar. It sits alongside other Pickens County traditions such as the Pickens County Alabama Carrollton Fall Festival held on the same square.
Visitors who come for the festival often make time for the courthouse itself. The old building and the window said to carry the likeness are the main attractions, and the surrounding streets hold the rest of the town’s historic character. It is a short walk from one end of the downtown to the other, which makes the day easy to navigate.
The Legend of the Face in the Window
The story begins in 1876, when the Pickens County Courthouse burned. A freedman named Henry Wells was accused of setting the fire. Two years later, a mob gathered to hang him, and he took refuge on the roof of the new courthouse, then under construction. As the crowd closed in, he is said to have called out that his face would remain in the town forever.
At that moment, the tale holds, lightning struck nearby, and the image of his face was fixed in a windowpane of the courthouse. Wells was shot and killed, but the likeness, faint and ghostly, is still pointed out in the glass. Whether it is a trick of light, an old stain, or something stranger, it has kept the story alive for generations.
- The legend dates to the courthouse fire of 1876
- Henry Wells was accused, then killed by a mob in 1878
- A likeness in a windowpane is still shown to visitors
- The story is one of Alabama’s best-known ghost tales
- The festival celebrates the town’s history each fall
What to Expect at the Festival
Vendors and food
The vendor area rings the square with crafts, clothing, jewelry, and seasonal goods, and food vendors serve the kind of cooking that small-town fall festivals do best. Barbecue, baked goods, and hot drinks are common, and the fall timing makes the day comfortable for wandering.
Music and entertainment
Live music runs through the day, with local and regional acts taking the stage. The entertainment is informal and family-friendly, and there is usually space to sit and listen between visits to the vendors. Children’s activities round out the program.
History and the courthouse
The courthouse and its famous window are the heart of the festival for many visitors. The old building anchors the square, and the story behind it gives the day a sense of occasion. Local history is part of the draw, and the festival is a good excuse to learn more about a town that has been at the center of Pickens County life for two centuries.
Planning Your Visit
Getting to Carrollton
Carrollton sits at the intersection of Alabama Highway 17 and Alabama Highway 86 in the center of Pickens County. Tuscaloosa is about an hour away, and U.S. Highway 82 runs just north of the county. The square is easy to find from any direction, and parking is available on the surrounding streets.
Where to stay
Lodging in Carrollton is limited, so most visitors stay in Tuscaloosa or the neighboring towns. Fall is a popular season in Alabama, so it is worth booking early if you plan to spend the night. Many visitors make the festival a day trip.
Logistics and tips
The festival runs through the day, with vendors opening in the morning and music continuing into the afternoon. Bring cash for vendors, wear comfortable shoes for the square and side streets, and plan to walk. Check with organizers for the current year’s schedule, since the details can change.
A Day at the Festival
The morning starts quietly, with vendors setting up around the square and the first visitors arriving. The courthouse stands over it all, and early in the day there is time to look closely at the building and the window that gave the festival its name.
By midday the square is full. Food is cooking, music is playing, and people move between the booths and the shade of the surrounding buildings. Families settle in for the afternoon, and the atmosphere stays easy and unhurried. It is the kind of day that does not need a schedule to enjoy.
As the light softens toward evening, the vendors begin to pack up and the crowd thins. Carrollton returns to its usual calm, and visitors head home with a story to tell about a small Alabama town and the face in its courthouse window.
How It Compares to Nearby Events
Pickens County keeps a full festival calendar, and each event has its own character. The table below places the Face in the Window Fest alongside a few others in the area.
| Festival | Focus | Typical season |
| Face in the Window Fest | Local legend, history, and downtown vendors | Fall |
| Carrollton Fall Festival | Courthouse square street fair with a 5K | October |
| Mule Day/Chickenfest | Mule-drawn parade and street vendors | June |
| Aliceville Dogwood Festival | 5K, rides, games, and family fun | April |
A Festival Checklist
- Take time to see the courthouse and its window
- Bring cash for food and craft vendors
- Wear comfortable shoes for the square and side streets
- Ask a local about the legend, and you will hear a version or two
- Confirm the current year’s date before you drive out
Beyond the Festival
A visit to Carrollton pairs well with the rest of Pickens County. To the west, Aliceville offers the Tom Bevill Visitor Center and Museum and the preserved riverboat Montgomery, along with the history of a major World War II prisoner-of-war camp. To the east, Gordo holds its own traditions and its own festival each June.
The county’s rural landscape is worth a slow drive. Timbered uplands, rolling plains, and quiet roads give a sense of the place that shaped these towns. For visitors drawn by a ghost story, the countryside turns out to be just as memorable as the legend.
Why the Festival Matters
The Face in the Window Fest matters because it makes a piece of local history part of the town’s present. Rather than letting an old story gather dust, Carrollton gives it a day of its own, complete with food, music, and neighbors catching up on the square.
It also matters for what it says about small towns. A community that can build a festival around its own legends is a community with a strong sense of itself. The event is a reminder that history is not only found in museums, but in the stories people choose to keep telling. Carrollton has been telling this one for well over a century, and the festival ensures it will be told for years to come.
Festival Area Map
The Face in the Window Fest is held on the downtown square in Carrollton, Pickens County, Alabama, at the crossroads of Alabama Highways 17 and 86 in the center of the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Face in the Window Fest held?
It is held each fall, usually on a Saturday in October. Vendors open in the morning and the entertainment continues into the afternoon.
Where is the festival held?
It takes place on the downtown square in Carrollton, Alabama, around the historic Pickens County Courthouse.
Is there an admission fee?
The festival is open to the public at no charge. Food and goods are sold by vendors, so bring cash for purchases.
What is the Face in the Window?
It is a likeness said to be etched into a courthouse windowpane, tied to the story of Henry Wells, a freedman accused of burning the courthouse in 1876 and killed by a mob two years later. The image is still pointed out to visitors.
Is the festival good for families?
Yes. The festival is informal and open to all ages, with vendors, food, music, and children’s activities around a walkable square.
How do I get to Carrollton?
Carrollton is reached by Alabama Highways 17 and 86 in central Pickens County, about an hour from Tuscaloosa and within a short drive of Gordo and Aliceville.
What to Expect From the Next Face in the Window Fest
The festival has become part of Carrollton’s fall calendar, giving the town a second annual gathering on its historic square. Local volunteers and the town continue to organize it each year.
How often is the Face in the Window Fest held?
It is held once a year, in the fall, following the town’s tradition of marking the season on the courthouse square.
When is the next Face in the Window Fest?
The next edition is expected on a fall Saturday, with the date announced by organizers. Confirm the current schedule before planning your trip.
Will the festival change?
The core of the event, vendors, food, music, and the courthouse setting, is likely to stay the same. Specific activities are set each year by the organizers.
Last updated: October 2026
