HISTORY OF THE FESTIVAL
The Druid City Arts Festival began as a vision from several Creative Campus freshman students at the University of Alabama, which was to create a festival that promoted the appreciation of the arts, culture, and community in Tuscaloosa. Turning their dream into a reality, the first DCAF took place in 2010 and has continued since. In 2013, a full line-up of musicians performed every hour during the event, 60 artists displayed a variety of work, and approximately 7,500 attended throughout the day.
As the students’ senior year approached, they knew that they had created a staple event in the Tuscaloosa community and wanted to ensure that the festival would continue for years to come. Along with Creative Campus, Tour De Tuscaloosa, who hosted their first cycling race in 2006, formed a partnership with DCAF upon its founding in 2010. In 2013, Creative Campus partnered with Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports in an effort to make DCAF a long-standing event. After four successful events, the number of attendees increased when nearly 12,000 people attended the festival in 2015. In 2016, we had over 13,000 in attendance to watch musical acts, theatre productions, and over 90 different exhibiting artists.
Tuscaloosa looks forward to continuing to provide West Alabama with a quality music and arts festival that is free to all who attend; in 2021 DCAF will feature educational demonstrations, children’s art activities, music, and food concessions.
