By: Cypris Wilkinson
MONTEVALLO, Ala. – The Tinglewood Festival is an annual celebration of art, culture and the creative spirit that takes place in a small town in the middle of Alabama each September.
The festival takes place in Montevallo Alabama at Orr park. The one-day event that brings together the community as well as artists from all over the South. The festival includes: wood carving, a whittling contest, a car show, a tractor show, live music and a food truck quarter.
At the heart of this free event is the remarkable woodwork of Tim Tingle, who is a celebrated University of Montevallo alumnus. Tingle is best known for his intricate carvings that adorn Orr Park. His sculptures are nestled among the trees and trails of the park, transforming the area into a living art gallery. The Tinglewood Festival serves as a tribute to his legacy and contributions to the town’s artistic landscape.
One of the festival’s highlights is the wood carving exhibition, where local and regional artists showcase their skills and creativity, drawing inspiration from Tingle’s work. Visitors have the opportunity to witness firsthand the intricate craftsmanship that goes into each piece and learn about this unique art form.
“You have people from all walks of life, all sorts of businesses, all coming together to plan one event, and it’s really fun.”
Julie Smitherman
Another crowd attraction is the whittling contest. Participants of all ages can try their hand at crafting wooden masterpieces. This event is special because it is hosted by Tingle himself. It’s a testament to the festival’s commitment to creativity, allowing everyone to engage with wood art like Tingle.
Car enthusiasts will be delighted by the car show, where vintage and custom vehicles take the limelight, and the tractor show pays homage to the town’s agricultural roots, showcasing beautifully restored machines and new tractors.
Music lovers can groove to the live music performances, featuring talented local bands and musicians who provide the festival with its soundtrack. The variety of genres ensures there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
And lastly, the food truck quarter. From savory barbecue to delectable desserts, there’s no shortage of options to satisfy your taste buds.
The Tinglewood Festival is a day when the people of Montevallo and people from all over come together to pay tribute to the local legend Tim Tingle and revel in the joy of sharing art in all its forms. The Tinglewood Festival isn’t just a day of entertainment; it’s a celebration of community, culture and creativity.
This Year’s Festival
This year’s festival was a great success. It was held on Sept. 9, and Julie Smitherman, a festival committee member, says they expected great attendance because of how much the festival has grown over the five years of putting it on.
“So in the past we’ve counted about 6,000 people…It’s been great attendance today. The weather’s beautiful, this is a very strong morning crowd and there’s no football until later tonight, so it’ll be a really good attendance today.”
This being the fifth year of the festival Smitherman says that festival planning has gotten easier as the years have gone on and their dedication to making it better every year has increased their numbers of attendance every year since its inaugural event.
Smitherman has been involved since day one and was actually one of the people who came up with the idea for the festival.
“We decided we should really take advantage of the cool carvings that Tim has done here in the park, and this part of the park has officially been known, or fictionally been known, as Tinglewood for quite some time. So we thought what a better name for a festival and what better festival to have.”
Dave Marshalek, a wood carver at the Tinglewood Festival, says this is his fourth time coming to the festival, and he plans to keep coming back every year.
“I just love it down here and I feel honored to amongst these carvers, carving and I’ll keep coming back as long as they’ll have me, the people here are great.”
Wood carving being a unique art form, and Smitherman says that this festival is special because there’s nothing like it anywhere else.
“We are the southeast’s only all wood artisan festival.”
Tinglewood not only draws artists from across the region, it also allows the Montevallo community to come together all year long.
“Tinglewood is a really great networking event for the community” she says, “ We all work together, to come together and put this festival together, so you have people from all walks of life, all sorts of businesses, all coming together to plan one event, and it’s really fun.”
Smitherman says they are always looking for new people to be involved in the festival and appreciate day-of volunteers. To help with next year’s festival, call (205) 665-1519.
Vallo Vision News 