Helen Keller Festival

The best live music & art festival in Alabama. We are looking forward to this year's festival and hope you'll join us in Tuscumbia, Alabama for all the festival fun, art, food, and music.

The Helen Keller Festival began in 1979 as a tribute to the life of Helen Keller. Thousands of visitors from around the world come to Tuscumbia, Alabama each year to celebrate the achievements of the remarkable woman who has come to be known as America's First Lady of Courage.

Helen Keller was born and raised in Northwest Alabama, and it was in Tuscumbia that she learned to communicate through the tireless efforts of her equally famous teacher, Annie Sullivan. Keller went on to become an international symbol of hope and spent her life working to improve the conditions of the blind and deaf-blind around the world. Festival organizers work to honor her spirit and lifelong efforts to better the lives of others.

The Festival remains a volunteer project, annually attracting over 75,000 people to events held throughout the city. It has grown to include award-winning arts and crafts vendors, art exhibits, athletic events, a parade, concerts, and performances of William Gibson's world famous drama, The Miracle Worker.

School children throughout Northwest Alabama and surrounding areas participate in Keller Kids to learn Braille and sign language, plus play games which help them become more aware of the challenges that face people who are deaf, blind, or live with physical handicaps. Festival organizers hope to provide the younger generation with an educated and compassionate awareness of the barriers that must be overcome by handicapped children and adults.