FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) — ShoalsFest has returned to Florence for its third year! The festival, created by Lauderdale County native and Grammy-award winner, Jason Isbell, includes music from local bands as well as internationally-recognized musicians.

The show did not run in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Judy Hood, one of the event’s organizers, said her team has been working on the festival for over a year.

“This festival is special. There’s nothing like it,” she said.

Several festival attendees told News 19 they were very happy to see ShoalsFest return.

“It’s a very relaxing festival,” said Gregg Adams, a man who traveled from Nashville, Tennessee. “A lot of festivals you go to, it’s really jam-packed and it’s hard to get good seats and see the music and everything. But here it’s just pretty low-key. Everybody’s friendly and has a good time together.”

Alexis Aponte, a festival attendee who came from Florida, said that ShoalsFest was her first experience in Alabama. “We’re used to the beaches, and not the hilltops and the lakes. It’s so beautiful here!”

ShoalsFest will run from Oct. 1 to Oct. 2 at McFarland Park in Florence. Gates open at 2 p.m. on both days, and re-entry is not permitted.