Annual Rooster Day set for April 13

The annual Rooster Day celebration is slated for Apr. 13. Rooster Day is hosted by The Marengo County Historical Society (MCHS), which created Rooster Day as a fundraiser that celebrates the unique heritage of Demopolis – talented artists and craftspeople, great local food and community spirit. Funds raised are used for the continued historic preservation efforts of MCHS.

Rooster Day is a jam-packed, family-friendly, fun day on historic Public Square in downtown Demopolis. Activities include a Cocks Crow 5K & 1K run, an arts and crafts fair, an entertainment stage, food vendors, a live and silent auction and live bands and dance.

Artists, crafters, bakers and makers can sign up for the Early Bird Special now through Mar. 3. It is $50 for a booth, and all items must be handmade.

Those who want to perform at Rooster Day can also begin signing up for a spot on stage. Participants can sing, dance, play music, tell a story, or present whatever talent they have to the community on a fun-filled day.

“Have a dance troupe, cheer squad, choir, band or a carload of clowns looking for a place to perform? We’ve got a spot for you,” an official Facebook post stated.

Businesses, organizations, families, friends and individuals can also begin signing up to be a 2024 Rooster Booster. Rooster Boosters make the celebration possible by supporting the event through donations. All boosters get a photo with Brewster the Rooster that will be shared on social media. The deadline to become a Rooster Booster is Mar. 13.

In 1919, Demopolis hosted the great Rooster Auction to raise funds to build a bridge over the Tombigbee River connecting Marengo and Sumter counties, the last link in the Dixie Overland Highway. Thus, the infamous Rooster Bridge was erected through funds raised by auctioning roosters.

The Rooster Auction boasted the support and donation of roosters from President Woodrow Wilson, Prime Minister David Lloyd George of England, Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau of France, Prime Minister Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy and the King of Belgium.

The five roosters were the centerpiece of their advertising plan. On Jul. 31, 1919, the five famous roosters of the “Big Four” in their gold gilt cages with flags of each nation on top were photographed on the steps of the White House.

President Woodrow Wilson presented the five famous roosters to thirty Demopolis Road Committee members, the Alabama Delegation, and Senate and House of Representatives members.

For more information, please check out our website, RoosterDayDemopolis.com, the Rooster Day Facebook page, or call 334-289-9644.

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