Big things are continuing to happen in the town of South Vinemont as it keeps a sharp focus on growing its community offerings.

The most notable new event was October’s “Grillin’ and Chillin’” barbecue festival. A similar event sponsored by The Butcher Meat Co. was held in 2022, but discussions between the owner lead to the town taking over those responsibilities. The change in sponsorship came with a few key changes to the event, namely moving the venue from Patton Drive to the Vinemont Sports Complex.

Councilmember Chris Thompson also shifted the focus of the event to honor the community’s first responders by creating a second competitive division dubbed the “Battle of the Heroes.” The rebranded event also doubled as a community blood drive with LifeSouth.

After expenses, most of which were upfront purchases that are able to be repurposed for future events, the event generated less than $2,500 in profit for the town.

Building on the barbecue festival’s momentum, the town recently announced another new original event scheduled in May. The inaugural Farmers and Makers Market will be held May 11, at the Vinemont Community Center where vendors will be able to sell everything from homegrown produce to craft goods.

With more than 40 vendors expected for a first year event, Mayor Radginal Dodson said he is hopeful the market becomes a new spring tradition in the town.

“If this goes over as good as everything else around here has lately, it may become a yearly thing,” he said.

Vinemont also became the first municipality outside of the city of Cullman to offer its residents the opportunity to participate in one of the country’s fastest growing recreational sports with the completion of a pickleball court at Vinemont Art Park.

A beach style volleyball course was also added to the park to accompany the existing walking trails and frisbee golf course.

The town is also hoping to attract a new crop of tourists by including several murals to the Alabama Mural Trail. Local artist, Jack Tupper, is already responsible for the jungle themed mural featured in Art Park, as well as 10 of the 21 murals in Cullman County currently listed on the mural trail.

The town recently approved for Tupper to create two additional murals in Vinemont, one honoring its past and the other celebrating the present. Once the town receives approval from the Cullman County Board of Education, Tupper will create a mural across the side of a historic lodge across the street from Vinemont Middle School featuring a banner declaring “We are Vinemont.”

Tupper is free to move forward on the first mural on the side of the town’s storm shelter. This mural will feature at least four historic landmarks within the town such as the old post office and the Marlboro drive-in theater.