The Depot Days Festival rolls into Hartselle Sept. 20, bringing a day of family-friendly fun and entertainment to the historic depot and downtown area. Hosted by the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce and presented by Decatur Morgan Hospital, the free event is the city’s largest event and is a tribute to the railroad industry and its contribution to Hartselle and the North Alabama region.

Now in its 45th year, the Depot Days Festival gets underway at 8 a.m., with activities lasting until 4 p.m. Activities include shopping for original art from local artists and unique crafts from dozens of vendors, savoring mouthwatering treats from food vendors and food trucks, enjoying the car show and dancing to live music. There will also be a kid station, located at the Hartselle Farmers Market. This shaded,  zone will have inflatables, games, crafts, face painting and more.

Be sure to visit Hartselle’s past at the Depot Day Museum, a special festival feature hosted inside the historic Hartselle Train Depot. Presented by the Hartselle Historical Society, this unique experience transforms the depot into a walk-through museum filled with fascinating artifacts, including a surviving piece of the bank vault from Hartselle’s famous bank robbery, stories, and treasures from Hartselle’s rich history. From railroad relics to local memorabilia, visitors will get a rare glimpse into the people, places and events that shaped the town.

Each year, the Depot Days Festival rolls into Hartselle on the third Saturday in September and takes place at 110 Railroad Street SW and surrounding streets in downtown Hartselle. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information on the Depot Days Festival, visit the event on Facebook or on the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce website or call the Chamber at 256-773-4370.

The City of Hartselle was established in 1870 as a site considered strategic alongside the South and North Alabama Railroad (later the L&N) which began construction through the area in 1869 in an effort to connect the mineral rich areas in the southern part of the state with major shipping areas in north Alabama.