The woods surrounding Kenan’s Mill became alive with music Saturday as bluegrass bands from across the state came to be a part of the Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society’s annual Bluegrass Festival.

Four bands-Southern Comfort, Alabama Gravy Soppers, Highway 280, and Uncle Bud’s Lectrowood Experience-spent the entire day entertaining audiences with their unique blend of acoustic music.

Music lovers of all ages decided to take advantage of the cool weather and enjoy the bands, food, arts and crafts and scenery surrounding the ancient wooden mill.

Selma resident Glenn Johnson said he has been attending bluegrass festivals for 15 years and is a big fan of the music.

“I used to travel all over for bluegrass festivals,” Johnson said. “I could sit here and listen to this all day long.”

Another visitor to the festival, Marilyn Wilson, said she also had a good time listening to the music and browsing through the vendor tents.

“It couldn’t be a more beautiful day,” Wilson said. “It’s not too hot, not cold, just a really great day.”

The vendors sold items such as decorative gourds, carved wooden boxes, baked goods, t-shirts, and of course a few bags of cornmeal made at Kenan’s Mill.

Jim Wood, one of the festival organizers, said this was the third year Kenan’s Mill has been the site for the bluegrass festival.

Unlike past festivals, when bands played on a ground-level makeshift stage, this year there was a newly constructed covered pavilion for them to perform on.

“We got the stage built just in time,” Wood said. “We can also use it for reunions, which are welcome to be held here.”

Along with the music and vendors, the festival also offered guests a chance to watch the mill at work and even participate in a Cornbread Cook-Off.

The first-place winners in the Cook-Off were Candi Duncan, for her stick cornbread, and Peggy Register, who made sweet cornbread.

The second-place winner was Sylvia Smith, who made round cornbread.

The three winners were presented with certificates and ribbons.

Everyone got a chance to taste the winning cornbreads, along with other foods offered at the festival, including barbecue, Brunswick stew, fried catfish, and other favorites.

Wood said some of the proceeds from the festival would go towards the Preservation Society, which is responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of Kenan’s Mill.

Kenan’s Mill, located off of Summerfield Road, has been a part of Selma since the early 1800’s.

The family-owned mill was donated to the Preservation Society in 1997 and was opened the public for the first time in several years during the Pilgrimage of 2002.