BY SAM VISE
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE — Downtown LaFayette will transform into an early holiday celebration next month as the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce and the city of LaFayette host the seventh annual RockingFest on the Square on Saturday, Nov. 14.
Running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CT, the free community festival returns with its signature centerpiece, family attractions and a sweet new competitive twist.
First launched in 2020 with around 55 vendors, the festival has grown into a staple kickoff to the holiday season for Chambers County families, drawing an average of 80 to 90 vendors each year.
“Our community has really made this event a tradition, and that was my dream and hope from day one,” said GVACC Executive Director Carrie Wood. “The chamber doesn’t do anything ordinary. We like to be epic.”
The festival’s crowning draw remains the World’s Largest Rocking Horse, which requires city crews to temporarily take down the downtown traffic light so the structure can navigate into place. Once installed, the horse is manually rocked by the GVACC team throughout the day for riders.
New to the 2026 lineup is a community cake walk hosted inside The Venue at Alabama E. Beginning at 10:30 a.m., the walk will feature cakes donated by chamber board members and ambassadors. Tickets are $2 each or three for $5, cash only, with rounds continuing until every cake is claimed.
“If you’re looking to cake walk, you better get there early,” Wood said.
Many of this year’s attractions follow a festive gingerbread theme, mirroring the aesthetic planned for the upcoming holiday parade. Activities include Snowmazing, the Gingerbread Combo, the Jumpin’ Gingerbread bounce house, a rock climbing wall and an attraction designed especially for toddlers. The chamber rents the unique attractions from a company in Illinois, ensuring entertainment local families rarely see anywhere else in the region.
Santa Claus and friends will also visit the square from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for free photos.
Wood said keeping admission, Santa visits and kids’ attractions free of charge remains at the core of the event’s mission.
“That was my goal when I started it — to give the community something they could come and enjoy all day,” Wood said, noting that generous community sponsors make the free access possible. “We want to be able to offer this for free to our community for years to come.”
Around the square, attendees can browse dozens of arts and crafts booths alongside a curated lineup capped at 10 food trucks.
Beyond festival vendors, Wood encouraged visitors to shop and dine with the brick-and-mortar storefronts lining downtown LaFayette, noting the day of the festival has historically served as the single biggest sales day of the year for several local business owners.
“It pushes revenue inside of those local businesses,” Wood said. “If you are a business on or near the square, be open that day because there will be people at your front door. We want to make sure that our businesses are healthy as well as our community, because it’s a full circle.”
Festival attractions will form an L-shape along the backside of the Chambers County Courthouse, spanning from the Auburn Opelika Dental office to the Martin Theatre. Motorists should expect localized street closures around the square to accommodate foot traffic and festival equipment.
RockingFest is held rain or shine. For vendor updates or registration, visit the Greater Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page or www.greatervalleyarea.com.
