If you grew up in a Southern small town, then a strong sense of pride in community is the furthest thing from being a foreign concept. In the Lake Martin area, one of the best summertime staples has become the annual Sun Festival, hosted by the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce. I had the privilege of personally putting boots on the ground for this year’s Sun Festival extravaganza and it did not disappoint.
From June 6 through 14, the Alexander City community came together for the Sun Festival, enjoying nine days of unique events and activities that were fun for all ages, from live music and movies to art and the SplashPlex water slide.
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