HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — On Butler Green at Campus 805 Saturday afternoon, the Hay Day Fall Festival brought North Alabama residents together for an afternoon of unity, fun and giving. Hosted by Indivisible District 5 North Alabama, the event drew dozens of people while raising funds and gathering donations for two local organizations.
The festival raised $1,600 for the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama and collected five SUVs full of nonperishable items for Huntsville’s Helping Hands Pantry.
Event organizer Brittney Whitehead says the goal was to foster a sense of connection while supporting those in need.
“This was designed to be an event of unity and community support, to just lift each other up and provide for the needs of others in the community that are less fortunate than ourselves,” Whitehead said.
Alongside, tents and signage showcased several candidates running for office in 2026. Whitehead says the setting gave voters an opportunity for meaningful conversation.
“It’s just giving them the opportunity to talk with their constituents in a more intimate setting, a more one-on-one setting. Instead of talking at them, they actually get to talk to them today,” she said.
Among the candidates attending were Democrats Chad “Chig” Martin, who is running for Alabama governor, and Andrew Sneed, a candidate for the U.S. Congress in Alabama’s 5th District. Both emphasized the importance of direct contact with voters.
“People nowadays know their voice is not being heard at the highest level of office in Alabama and in the nation and so you can just tell when people are in disbelief when we say, yeah, you can get up with us and talk to us. So it’s very impactful to people and for us to listen to Alabamians,” Martin said.
Sneed said connecting personally with residents gives him valuable perspective.
“Seeing the concern in their faces, feeling their anger about the thing that is really important to them and so when we say hear every voice, it doesn’t just mean the voices that we agree with. It might mean someone that disagrees with me or likes a different candidate, and I want to hear what they have to say about it and share what I have to say if they want to hear it as well,” Sneed said.
Martin added that his campaign maintains direct lines of communication with voters.
“Not only did we meet the people, we give people our emails and phone numbers. We communicate directly with Alabama citizens daily,” he said.
Whitehead said Hay Day not only raised awareness for community needs but also encouraged informed civic engagement.
“We want our voters to be educated and the only way that you can be educated is to talk to the candidates about their platform and see if their views and morals align with yours,” she said.