Florence Alabama

The ShoalsFest music festival returns to Florence next week. Six-time Grammy winner Jason Isbell is the driving force behind the event. His musical roots in the Shoals run deep. One of Isbell’s mentors was David Hood. He’s a bass guitarist with the group known as the Swampers.

It’s tough to know where to start with singer/songwriter Jason Isbell. He has six Grammy awards. Variety Magazine once called him the “Poet Laureate of Rock.” Another critic compared Isbell’s writing style to William Faulkner and John Prine.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Isbell got a part in director Martin Scorsese’s Oscar nominated film "Killers of the Flower Moon."And of course, Isbell founded the annual ShoalsFest musical festival, which is returning to Florence next week.We’ll touch on all that on APR notebook

Native American weapons and tools will be showcased in Florence this weekend as a part of a new, free program hosted by the Florence Indian Mound Museum. The event is set to take place on Sunday, Jan. 26.

The University of North Alabama Esports Team is the reigning victor of the Fall 2024 College Halo National Championship, capping off a season with an undefeated record. The Lions finished the season 10-0 in regular season play, 4-0 in the postseason and achieved an overall map count of 33-1.

Workshops aimed at drawing the connections between Native American cultures, Alabama plants and the products created by people rooted in early traditions are coming to North Alabama. The Alabama Plants Series is a set of six free workshops hosted at Pope’s Tavern Museum.

A day meant to focus on creativity and community is coming to North Alabama this week through a series of art workshops. The Shoals Art Collective is partnering with Florence Arts and Museums to present the inaugural Pope’s Tavern Family Art Day.

The University of North Alabama (UNA) Marching Band, the Marching Pride of North Alabama, is being selected to represent the State of Alabama and perform in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. This will mark the first Parade appearance by the UNA Marching Band.

Children and tweens from North Alabama are gaining knowledge on Native American culture and history at the Florence Indian Mound Museum. The institution is hosting the Young Learners Series with lessons and hands-on learning exercises. The focus of the next class, to be held on Sept. 28, will be on Native American Music of the Southwest.

The University of Alabama and the University of North Alabama are both reporting record-breaking enrollment numbers for the fall semester of 2024. Approximately 10,600 students are making UNA their choice for their higher education. Meantime, a record-breaking number of in-state first-year students highlights UA's fall 2024 total enrollment of 40,846 attendees.

Children and tweens from North Alabama are gaining knowledge on Native American culture and history this summer at the Florence Indian Mound Museum. The institution is hosting the Young Learners Series.