Artists will participate in annual festival

Christmas is coming early for fans of the Eufaula Street Art and Music Festival.
The event has been moved from its usual August date to Saturday, June 28.
Organizers for the event have included some new attractions for guests. Attendees will get to enjoy a live band that will perform on the Eufaula-Barbour County Chamber of Commerce deck during the evening of the art show.
Guests can also beat the heat because the event is being held in June instead of August.
“We moved it to June because it was just too hot in August,” said Main Street Eufaula director Ann Sparks. “Also, I know that times are a little tough in the world right now, and this is something free for Eufaulians to do on the weekend.”
More than 40 art vendors are scheduled to line the sidewalks of the westbound lane of East Broad Street next Saturday. The road will be blocked off at approximately 6 p.m. Friday, June 27, so vendors can start setting up.  Sparks asks that all vehicles be removed from the westbound lane by 6 p.m.
“Last year we did not have to move any cars, and Main Street Eufaula thanks each and every person that works or owns a business for that ,” said Sparks.
The Oar House Restaurant will sponsor children’s activities that include a side walk chalk art contest to be held at the Farmer’s Market Pavilion.  Proceeds from the children’s activities will benefit the Children’s Hospital. 
Various types of art will be featured on Broad Street. Local artists along with artists from across the Southeast will be in attendance.
At 6 p.m. The Oar House Restaurant, Main Street Eufaula, Inc., Eufaula Arts Alliance and Power 98 have teamed up to bring Eufaula some “sweet tunes” from the live band “Shugar Kayne.”
“Bring your lawn chairs and relax with a little good ole fashion band that sings a little of it all,” said Sparks.
The band consists of an array of talented musicians from the Tallahassee, Fla. area.
Fronting the band is Nashville recording artist September Hodges.  Singing in harmony with Hodges is Jennifer Weaver, who occasionally steps up to the microphone to sing lead.  Shugar Kayne performs a mixture of rock, country, R & B, pop, blues, oldies and originals.  This band’s abundance of harmony vocalists allows them to perform a variety of popular music typically not covered by many other bands.  The band members of Shugar Kayne have performed with or performed opening shows for such nationally acclaimed artist as Danny Joe Brown of Molly Hatchet, the Georgia Satellites, Highway 101, Mickey Thomas and Starship, Lee Greenwood and more.
Food will be available from the cooks of The Oar House Restaurant. 
“So you say there’s nothing to do in Eufaula?” quipped Sparks, “not this weekend, we have it all and it’s free!”