10th annual Darter Festival offers food, fun and is waste-free
The 10th annual Darter Festival promises lots of fun for the entire family, with good food, music, arts and crafts for children and an emphasis on protecting Alabama's endangered darter fish. (Southern Environmental Center)
The 10th annual Darter Festival offers good times, food and fun while raising awareness about Jefferson County’s tiny, endangered fish – the rush, vermilion and watercress darters. The celebration will be Alabama’s first waste-free festival.
Avondale Brewing Company in Birmingham will welcome attendees Sunday, May 7, from noon to 5 p.m. Folks can enjoy good eats, revel in live music and take part in kid-friendly activities. Good People Brewing Co. has brewed up its celebratory, darter-themed IPA beer, on draft and in cans, available in stores for about three months. Last year, customers bought 300 cases of the limited-edition ale.
During the event, Roald Hazelhoff, director of the Southern Environmental Center (SEC) at Birmingham-Southern College, and his team will share information about the special need to protect the darter habitat at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson. The vermilion darter is found only in Turkey Creek and its tributaries and nowhere else on the planet, while the rush darter is found in Turkey Creek and a few other locations in Alabama and nowhere else. The watercress darter, meanwhile, is “Birmingham’s fish,” as Hazelhoff calls it, since it is known to exist in only a few locations within the city limits and in Jefferson County. Proceeds from the festival will help fund educational programs and efforts to protect the three endangered darters.
Hazelhoff is pleased that this year’s festival will be the first large-scale, zero-waste public event in the state.
“The only problem with holding these festivals for great causes is the enormous amount of waste generated at these events,” Hazelhoff said.
He and the SEC team recruited World Centric and NewTerra Compost for help. At no cost to the food vendors, California-based World Centric is supplying compostable, non-petroleum-based cups for beer and cocktails, along with compostable plates and utensils. Chattanooga-based NewTerra is placing bins on site, where festival-goers can deposit the compostable cups and plates. After the event, NewTerra employees will take the bins with them and will convert the materials into compost; none of the waste will go to landfills.
“Prior to this, none of those materials were compostable,” Hazelhoff said. “And even if we had recycling bins at the event, there’s no real system in Birmingham for a company to take that and compost it. The fact we have both of these companies on board will allow us to become the first zero-waste festival in Alabama, as far as we know.”
Hazelhoff hopes that, as small food trucks and vendors see these compostable plates, cups and utensils used during the Darter Festival, they will begin using them as well.
Conducting a waste-free public event aligns perfectly with the SEC’s mission and message about the importance of reducing litter and protecting the environment and wildlife, including Turkey Creek’s endangered fish species, Hazelhoff said.
World Centric, which donated its compostable products for the Darter Festival, gives 25% of its annual profits to environmentally centered projects across the globe. Gaines Willoughby, Southeast regional sales manager of World Centric for six years, said the price of plant-based products is becoming increasingly competitive with conventional goods, because of the mass volume of products beginning to take a share of the market.
“We only provide plant-based compostable products,” Willoughby said. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this movement and want to make consumers aware about the availability of compostable utensils. The Darter Festival is a great venue for us to get our message out.”
Event is fun for children
The Magic City Chapter of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) donated $500 for children’s arts and crafts materials for the event. About 10 APSO volunteers will help in the kid zone. Darter Festival junior board members and Magic City APSO volunteers will offer face painting for children at the event and help youngsters decorate darter-shaped kites.
Birmingham-based Eugene’s Hot Chicken, Tuff Love Provisions and Kona Ice will offer food, and attendees will enjoy live entertainment by Bassment, Ruffino, Shaheed & DJ Supreme and Will Stewart’s All Star Band.
Alabama Power, Brasfield & Gorrie, Nucor, Protective Life and Vulcan Materials are among the festival’s longtime sponsors.
10th Annual Darter Festival
Sunday, May 7: Noon to 5 p.m.
201 41st St. South, Birmingham
Phone: 205-203-4546
Tickets: Buy in advance online: Advance general admission, $10; buy at the door, $20; advance VIP tickets including food and prime indoor seating, $50. VIP tickets at the door, $60.
Darter IPA will be among beverages offered at the Darter Festival. (Good People Brewing Company)
