While Coachella went through its first weekend on the opposite side of the country, Tallahassee had a festival of its own, one in its very first year. The Word of South Festival emerged as a celebration of both literature and music, taking place in the new and beautiful Cascades Park. Sponsored by Tallahassee Community College, the festival welcomed authors and musicians alike to bring some good tunes and exciting content for the general public to enjoy. Don’t think they left the little ones out, either! There was also an incredible children’s program with kid friendly music and literature (which even had a “Story Fort”). It was successful in bringing people of all ages together to enjoy something that wasn’t related to technology. It was all about taking us back to the simple things in life that make us happy. It sought to be the ultimate destination for those in love with books and music, and it did just that.
Although the festival was scheduled for a short two days, it packed in activities and events galore for the citizens of Tallahassee. For the festival being only in its first year ever, Tallahassee Community College and its sponsors were able to land numerous and impressive artists to join in on the fun. The Avett Brothers performed as a special pre-festival performance and blew the completely sold-out crowd away with their funky, bluegrass tones. Sublime took the house down with their fan favorite beach tunes, which unfortunately had to be moved to The Moon due to the bad weather. Still, the venue turned out to be great, and it was also a sold out show. The Capital City Amphitheatre has proven itself to be an amazing venue for artists of any kind. With a comfortable, outside atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to bring your favorite blanket and relax.
Aside from that, some notable artists include Paul Beatty, Robert Butler, The Currys, the FAMU Choral Society, Tony Hale, Ramona King, Lunch Money, and many, many others.
It’s incredibly exciting to see events like this unfold in our sweet little town of Tallahassee, because it actually shows all of us how much we are growing every day. The turnout for the Sublime concert alone was incredibly impressive, and this festival is sure to improve even more as the years go on. It is so important to celebrate the things that give us so much joy on a constant basis, and I can only hope that more people learn about this awesome event so they can be excited for what’s to come next year.
To Tallahassee Community College and its sponsors, thank you for taking the time and energy to put so much work into something so valuable. Something like this can only go up from here, and I and many others are very much looking forward to seeing how it will all unfold in upcoming years. Not only does this festival create a fun, intellectual atmosphere for people of all ages, it brings culture, profit, and even more exciting things to do around town. Here’s to dancing to our favorite songs and picking up a great book!