With fall on the way, the 2nd Fridays downtown festival is preparing to wrap up for 2016 — but organizers want to send the event out with a bang.

The final 2nd Friday event is set for 5 p.m. around Festhalle Market Platz in downtown Cullman, and the up-and-coming country music group the Sweet Tea Trio is set to headline. The band is comprised of three teens from across the state, touring in support of their single “Huntin’ Is Good.”

The 2nd Fridays series was pitched as a monthly event to promote downtown, and after making some pivots along the way, officials believe they’ve landed on a successful strategy. The event was originally launched with a pub crawl format a few years ago, then retooled into more of a downtown festival with the farmer’s market and a live music centerpiece.

This year, officials realized the car show drive-in was driving a lot of people to Cullman, so they’ve been expanding that aspect ever since — along with live music, farmer’s market vendors, and downtown shopping.

“We found our key people who helped us bring the cruise-in to Cullman, and it’s done really well,” the Chamber’s director of membership and marketing, Magan Fromhold Bartlett, said. “There’s a variety of cars, from the Jurassic Park Jeep to a vintage VW bus, you never know what you might see month-to-month.”

Other aspects of the festival have also shown signs of life, and officials say the event is helping generate some late night buzz and foot traffic.

“We’ve had a great showing, a great turnout with spectators, and the cruise-in now extends from Arnold Street down to First Street. Having the farmer’s market is great, so people who may not have time to come during the day can pick up some local produce after hours,” Bartlett said. “The downtown shops staying open have embraced it and it seems to be catching on. There’s a lot of walking up and down the street, and I think they’ve benefited from staying open late.”

The event begins with music at 7 p.m. at Festhalle.

The 2nd Fridays series will restart in 2017 from June-September.

“We really want to blow it out for the final one this year,” Bartlett said.