Some things change while others stay happily the same at Baileyton. A local tiff between town leaders and senior citizens recently brought out the TV cameras and an accompanying rush of outside attention, but there’s a lot of other attention-worthy activity happening all year-round in the little municipality nestled in Cullman County’s northeast corner along Alabama Highway 69.

Like most area towns last year, Baileyton learned its population is slowly growing, up from 610 residents in the 2010 U.S. Census to 649 a decade later. It’s a small but steady bump, indicative of the local pride residents show in Parkside School and the town’s proximate position between Cullman and the nearby Marshall County city of Arab.

In 2022, the town benefitted from the Rebuild Alabama infrastructure program, with Gov. Kay Ivey releasing funds for a paving project that improved a portion of roadway and parking that serves Parkside school parents, students, and staff. The project saw the paving of a busy three-lane traffic area where buses enter and exit the school, addressing potential safety concerns and easing local congestion.

While seniors in town search for a new place to assemble, there’s activity aplenty elsewhere, thanks to a handful of community events that always have an upcoming spot on the calendar. The town will host its annual Easter Egg hunt on April 1, a free event that brings kids and parents to Baileyton Park for a day of celebration that kicks off at 8 a.m.

Looking farther ahead, the town will hold its annual Day in the Park celebration on Saturday, May 13. “It’s for everybody of any age,” says Mayor Windell Calloway, “a way for the town to bring people together and enjoy each other and enjoy our park.” This year’s Day in the Park, he added, will feature arts and crafts, unique vendors, bounce houses and other fun and games for kids, and (of course) food.

Though there’s no set schedule, the town also plans to continue hosting its recurring Baileyton Bargain Day community sale, which offers steeply discounted items to area residents whenever town leaders have collected the necessary supply of available goods from participating donors. Held at the old fire station near the park, the date of the next Baileyton Bargain Day hasn’t yet been decided, but Calloway — who notes the goal is to hold the event usually once a month — pledges it’s sure to be coming up soon.