We Love Homewood Day occurred May 2, celebrating the city’s 100th year and raising money for local fine arts and library programming. The day consisted of events such as a 5K, chalk art competition, Central Park celebration festival, parade and street dance party. The day’s earnings go to benefit the Homewood High School band and show choir, as well as the Homewood Public Library.
Parks and recreation superintendent Rusty Holley oversees the festival. Holley explains that the process of early preparation started in November.
“Early stuff is talking to the people, booking the stage and working on which the band’s going to play the concert,” Holley said. “We’ve been signing vendors up to being in the vendor booth since early February.”
Local vendors also sign up to serve at the festival. Holley highlights the exceptional support from food vendors during Homewood’s centennial.
“We had to cut food vendors off and not accept anymore,” Holley said. “A lot of times we’re begging food vendors to come.”
We Love Homewood Day supports fine arts programs, so the band and show choir are directly involved with volunteering. Holley explains the the extent of the band’s involvement and volunteer work.
“The band for the festival gives all of our volunteer work,” Holley said. “They’re helping us with vendors when vendors drop off their stuff…They’re helping vendors park.”
We Love Homewood Day is mainly funded by the Parks and Recreation office’s city-approved budget and local businesses that participate in the festival. Local businesses use the opportunity to find new clients and expand their user base.
Sponsors for We Love Homewood Day help cover some of the costs of the event. Sponsors include Birmingham Chimney Services, Central Avenue Dentistry, Club Pilates, Green Valley Roofing and Construction, Oxmoor Valley Orthodontics and Sarver Streeter Orthodontics.
HHS English teacher and cheerleading coach Rachel Handrahan is the director of the 5K, fun run and timed mile run. Handrahan explains her choice to organize the events for the first time.
“As the cheerleading coach, I’ve been involved in We Love Homewood Day every year for the last seven years I’ve been teaching, but this is the first time being director of the race,” Handrahan said. “I get to be a part of the day in a whole new way, and it’s given me a lot of admiration and appreciation for everyone involved.”
As the director of the race, Handrahan organizes the events entirely over the course of months. Handrahan explains the work and preparation that goes into the planning.
“We need to advertise not only to our schools but to the community,” Handrahan said. “We want to make it as successful as possible…I’m meeting with people in the community and asking them to support [the race].”
Even with all the planning, there are still risks involved with the race. Handrahan explains there are many factors considered with planning the race.
“A large part of [the race] relies on the weather,” Handrahan said. “We could do all this hard work, and there’s lightning, and we can’t have the race.”
Rhett McCreight organizes the chalk art festival where artists volunteer to draw on the sidewalk, with winning artists receiving a prize. McCreight explains his reason for organizing the event.
“This is an all around good day for the community,” McCreight said. “Everybody loves the artwork because you’ll see people during the day come by as an artist is in the process of doing their portraits, and [the people] come back later on in the afternoon how they are coming along.”
McCreight has the privilege of watching over the artists during the competition, and describes their fascinating work.
“Some of them do more simple graphics and some [with] more details,” McCreight said. “You have a little bit of everything.”
Homewood’s 100th year anniversary is Oct. 29, and the artists were asked to complete a specific request for the special year.
“We asked artists to do something Homewood-centric this year to reflect the 100th year of Homewood,” McCreight said.
Holley highlights the other changes made to We Love Homewood Day in honor of its 100th year anniversary.
“They changed the name of the 5K this year to The Run of the Century,” Holley said. “We’ve asked all the people in the parade as much as they can to do something that you feel is 100-years related.”
We Love Homewood is a meaningful tradition for many people. Handrahan explains the meaning of We Love Homewood Day in her own words with new experiences.
“As someone who did not grow up in Homewood,…I’ve experienced a lot of different cultures in my upbringing,” the Florida native said. “To be in Homewood, where so many different cultures exist and live harmoniously, you don’t find that everywhere.”
McCreight explains what We Love Homewood Day means to him as a member of the community.
“It means community,” McCreight said. “That’s the biggest thing about We Love Homewood Day. This shows you how much of Homewood is a community and how much people are involved in this community.”
We Love Homewood Day originated in the 1980s after the merger of two Homewood events. Holley explains why he believes the tradition has lasted so long and the age of the event.
“It offers something for everybody,” Holley said. “I think the variety of the [activities] being offered lends to why it has been successful and lasted.”
