Festival on the Square returns to Lanett Sept. 13

BY SAM VISE

THE LAFAYETTE SUN

LANETT — Downtown Lanett is set to come alive with live music, local food trucks and the buzz of community fellowship as The Valley Local hosts its next Festival on the Square on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Organized in partnership with the city of Lanett, the free, family-friendly event will take over the downtown square from 3 to 6:30 p.m. ET. Attendees can expect an afternoon filled with local vendors, live entertainment and community bingo.

For Sara Crutchfield, director of The Valley Local, the recurring festival is designed to be far more than just a routine weekend outing.

“The festival is really about bringing people together while giving our local small businesses an opportunity to be seen and supported,” Crutchfield said. “I really want people to understand it isn’t just an event where you come, eat and go home. We want people to discover a small business they may not have known about, learn about local organizations and resources, meet their neighbors and enjoy the community they live in.”

The festival recently received a major boost after being featured on Alabama’s official tourism website — an acknowledgment Crutchfield said is a milestone not just for the organization, but for Chambers County as a whole.

“Seeing Festival on the Square recognized as a tourism event is really exciting for us,” she said. “It means we’re not just creating something for the people who already live here — we have an opportunity to put our community on the map and encourage people from outside the area to visit.”

Crutchfield said regional visibility delivers a ripple effect across the local economy.

“For a small nonprofit like The Valley Local, that kind of exposure is incredibly valuable,” Crutchfield said. “When someone travels to an event, they’re potentially getting gas, grabbing something to eat, shopping, visiting other businesses and discovering other things our community has to offer. Our goal has always been to bridge the gap between local businesses and consumers, and tourism gives us another avenue to do that.”

At its core, the festival serves to both reconnect neighbors and foster entrepreneurship. For several vendors setting up shop on the square, the event is a stepping stone toward opening a physical storefront.

“We want to support the small businesses that are investing their time and money into our community,” Crutchfield said. “Some of our vendors don’t have a brick-and-mortar location yet, and events like this give them an opportunity to introduce themselves to potential customers and hopefully grow their businesses.”

That economic energy directly fuels local causes. As a nonprofit, The Valley Local directs proceeds generated through its events back into the local area.

“Because The Valley Local is a nonprofit, our fundraising efforts through events like bingo allow us to turn around and give back to schools, organizations, departments and other needs we see within our community,” Crutchfield said. “So for us, it’s really a cycle: bring people together, support local businesses, raise funds and give back to the community.”

When asked about her favorite part of the afternoon, Crutchfield pointed directly to the bingo cards.

“I enjoy watching everyone get excited about the prizes,” she said. “But what makes it even more meaningful to me is knowing that bingo isn’t just entertainment; it’s part of our fundraising efforts. We purchase many of our bingo prizes from local businesses, so we’re able to support those businesses while raising money we can ultimately put back into the community.”

Beyond the games, Crutchfield said the real reward is watching the square fill with life.

“Seeing families sitting together, children playing, people talking to vendors and neighbors running into each other is exactly why we started doing these events,” she said. 

As the festival continues to evolve following its summer editions, Crutchfield said she hopes residents will pack their lawn chairs and take an active role in supporting their hometown.

“It’s easy to say, ‘Support local,’ but events like Festival on the Square give people a very simple way to actually do it,” she said. “Come buy a meal from a food truck. Purchase something from a vendor. Play bingo. Talk to a business owner. Bring your kids. Bring a lawn chair. Invite someone who hasn’t been before. And don’t underestimate what happens when people simply show up.”