Vendor booths lined Commercial Street in Hanceville on Saturday to welcome guests during the 2022 Mud Creek Arts & Crafts Festival.

October in Cullman County is an especially ripe time for pleasant outings that don’t require a trip too far from home, and next weekend offers a good one at Hanceville — where the city is getting set to host its 13th annual Mud Creek Arts and Crafts Festival.

On Saturday, Oct. 21, the streets in Hanceville’s historic downtown will close to traffic as pedestrians take over for a day-long celebration of locally-made art, oodles of unique crafts to buy and take home, and a unique array of food vendors and fall-themed family activities. There’s no cost to attend the festival, which will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The annual arts and crafts fest marks the unofficial start of fall for the city’s busy calendar of outdoor events, with the 32nd Mud Creek Marching Festival — an annual assembly of high school marching band talent from across north Alabama — also set to take over the stadium at nearby Hanceville High School on Saturday, Oct. 28. Sunday, Oct. 29 will bring out trick-or-treaters for the annual Halloween-themed Fall Festival, which will unfold Sunday afternoon in the city’s downtown streets.

Easily accessible with plenty of free nearby parking, next weekend’s pedestrian and family-friendly outing will take place mainly along the city’s Commercial Street and Bangor Avenue intersection, bringing street vendors, face painting, music, kids’ games, and more. As is tradition with every Mud Creek Arts and Crafts Festival, Hanceville’s Trinity Lutheran Church (505 Commercial Street SE) will host its annual German Lunch just down the street from the main event, with proceeds helping to fund programs at Hanceville schools.

Service for this year’s Oct. 21 German Lunch begins at 10 a.m. and extends through 1 p.m. (or until the food runs out). The menu lives up to the event’s Teutonic billing, featuring bratwurst, German potato salad, a side of sauerkraut or red cabbage, alongside a German dessert and tea. Adult plates sell for $12 apiece, while children’s plates will go for $5 each. A visit to the German Lunch also comes with a look at the church’s historic 1885 structure as well as a tour of its present-day worship sanctuary, for those who’d like to linger.

For more on the 13th annual Mud Creek Arts and Crafts Festival, find the event on Facebook by searching the site for “Mud Creek.”