Celebrating 20 years of festivities commemorating Dr. George Washington Carver
Downtown Tuskegee Saturday, May 3, 2025
Theme: Dr. Carver's Legend:
Alive in 2025
Downtown Tuskegee Saturday, May 3, 2025
Theme: Dr. Carver's Legend:
Alive in 2025
Carver Festival Food Festival: A Gastronomic Adventure
Special Theatrical Production
Friday & Saturday Night
Showtime 7:00 pm Both Nights
Jessie Clinton Arts Center
201 South Main ST. Tuskegee, AL
Events & Activities
Parade
Food and Merchandise Vendors
Food and Merchandise Vendors
Line-up 9:00 am starts at 10:00 am from Human Resources Building, and proceeds down Main St., then right on West Northside, to end on North Elm & Fonville.
But please be sure and register.
Food and Merchandise Vendors
Food and Merchandise Vendors
Food and Merchandise Vendors
The festival provides a wonderful opportunity for vendors from Macon County and surrounding area to showcase their talents, skills and products. Everything from fine arts & crafts, handmade gifts, one of a kind treasures to. . . and of course, food to suit a plethora a taste buds.
Car Show
Food and Merchandise Vendors
Science Fair
Biggest classic car show in the area with participation from other area auto clubs. Features vintage and newer vehicles, unique designs, exotic interiors, exotic exteriors with characteristics not usually seen on the road.
Science Fair
Bounce Houses & Slides
Science Fair
Inviting area youth to help celebrate Dr. Carver's legacy as a scientist extraordinaire. Science fair is truly a community youth event and participation is open to any youth grades K - 12. Participation is usually enacted through the schools, but any youth can participate. Participants can receive trophies, plaques, scholarships, internships and other nifty prizes.
Register online or by hard copy.
Music & Entertainment
Bounce Houses & Slides
Bounce Houses & Slides
Music throughout the day. Gospel in the
morning and afternoon concerts feature professional artist from a variety of music genres.
Last years artist:
- David Banks DBGZ
- Tamala Taylor
- O B Buchanan
- Funk Nation
Bounce Houses & Slides
Bounce Houses & Slides
Bounce Houses & Slides
Jump Wright's safe, durable, and clean inflatable bounce houses, wet/dry slides, combo units, and games.
Master and Miss Carver Festival
An integral part of the Festival include the presentation of Master & Miss Carver Festival. Contestants are drawn from area schools, grades 3-8. The reign of the Master and Miss Carver Festival extends over a two year period.
Take a Picture with George Washington Carver
Paxton Williams, Dr. Carver Impressionist, will be on hand for a live question and answer while he reflects on the life and times of Dr. Carver.
Other Activities
Other Activities
The George Washington Carver Arts & Crafts Festival is perhaps one of the top events in the State of Alabama other activities include:
- Festival theme exhibition
- Surprise celebrities and guests
- Annual image luncheon
- Recognition of area schools named for Dr. Carver
- Presentation of prizes and awards
- Live student participation
A Brief History of the Festival
The 43 year old festival, a brain child of William Carver Lenard, had its beginning in 1981 at the Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site. The festival was first held in front of The George Washington Carver Museum on the Campus Avenue of Tuskegee Institute now Tuskegee University. 2024 makes the18th year that the festival has been held in historic downtown Tuskegee, Alabama.
Pre-Registration
You are welcome to pre-register online or hard copy register for either the (Parade, Vendor, Car Show, Master and Miss Festival).
You may Pre-register online to "hold your spot"
To register using the "Printable hard copy" method, click on the item of interest above.
To pre-register online, click on the button below.
More About Dr. George Washington Carver
The Legacy of Dr. George Washington Carver
As a botany and agriculture teacher to the children of ex-slaves, Dr. George Washington Carver wanted to improve the lot of “the man farthest down,” the poor, one-horse farmer at the mercy of the market and chained to land exhausted by cotton.
Dr. Carver’s practical and benevolent approach to science was based on a profound religious faith to which he attributed all his accomplishments. He always believed that faith and inquiry were not only compatible paths to knowledge, but that their interaction was essential if truth in all its manifold complexity was to be approximated.
Dr. Carver's Inventions, Creations & Developments
List of products made from the sweet potato *
List of products made from the peanut *
Famous and familiar quotes of Dr. Carver
* Courtesy of Tuskegee University
Dr. Carver was also a Musician
It was said that he could play any instrument set before him.
Dr. Carver' training included an enrollment in Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, a small Methodist school that admitted all qualified applicants, regardless of race or ethnicity. While at Simpson, Carver studied grammar, arithmetic, etymology, voice, and piano.
His primary instruments included the mouth harp, accordion and piano. One year George Washington Carver even toured as a pianist to raise money for the then Tuskegee Institute. It is also reputed that he once performed a piano concert at Carnegie Hall.
Carver's Favorite Poem, "Equipment" by Edgar A. Guest
Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You've all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say, "I can."
Look them over, the wise and great
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes.
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you've all they had when they made their start.
You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will.
You're well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have legs and arms and a brain to use,
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place,
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know.
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself, my lad.
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say: "I can."
Festival Picture Gallery
