Photo by Jeff Thompson.
0813 Crestline Rocks
Parker Wright, Anne Neal Moore, Lilley Wright and Ryan Pugh join Crestline Rocks event organizers Allene Neighbors and Will Haver for an air guitar concert in the village.
Crestline Village’s shops and restaurants have always been active, but on Sept. 7 the village looks to welcome a few more than normal.
In fact, it should be rockin’.
Crestline Rocks, an all-day event that features live music and special deals from Crestline vendors, is bringing together residents of all ages to showcase Crestline and benefit PreSchool Partners, a non-profit organization that prepares 3- and 4-year-old at-risk children and their families for kindergarten in the Birmingham City School System.
The event is focused around live concerts on Church Street and special promotions at local stores. The Mountain Brook Police Department will block off streets in anticipation of a crowd of more than 3,000 people.
“I’m excited about Crestline having a signature event,” PreSchool Partners Director of Development Allene Neighbors said. “Crestline doesn’t have a big event to drive traffic to our local shops and restaurants, so I’m looking forward to having a big crowd come out and enjoy our village.”
Will Haver, owner of Otey’s Tavern and Taco Mama, originally had the idea for the event. After putting on similar events on a smaller scale like Otey’s Fest, which featured live music in the Otey’s parking lot, Haver conceived the idea of putting on a concert right in the middle of Crestline.
“I was thinking about something we could do to involve all of Crestline and came up with the idea of a concert on Church Street,” he said. “I pitched the idea to the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, and they suggested I team up with Allene.”
Haver is handling bands, while Neighbors is organizing the city and its merchants.
The event will feature Touch-A-Truck, a program that allows children the rare opportunity to touch and climb on fire engines, motorcycles, police cars and construction machinery in the Regions Bank parking lot. Touch A Truck is scheduled from 2-5 p.m.
Church Street will be blocked off at 1 p.m. to prepare for the concert. Local Mountain Brook bands are scheduled to start at 6 p.m., followed by headliner Big Head Todd & The Monsters at 8 p.m.
“The goal is to drive traffic to Crestline shops and restaurants and enjoy a little family-friendly entertainment all in support of a great local non-profit, PreSchool Partners,” Neighbors said.
Ticket tables will be set up at entrances on Dexter and at the intersection of Hoyt and Church Street, and wristbands will be issued at entrances beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $35 in advance at crestlinerocks.com, and they will be $40 at the gate. Children 12 and under get in free.
PreSchool Partners was launched 17 years ago by two Mountain Brook residents and continues to retain staff, donors and volunteers from the community. For more, visit preschool-partners.org or call 951-5151.
