Wheelbarrow Festival 30th Anniversary — Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League Celebrates 30 Years of Community at the Wheelbarrow Festival
What started as a neighborhood gathering three decades ago returns Saturday, September 19 as one big backyard block party — with live jazz and blues, local food and drink, artist-designed gear, and a founders' panel discussion honoring the people who built it
REYNOLDSTOWN, GA — [September 9, 2026] — The Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League (RCIL) will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Wheelbarrow Festival on Saturday, September 19, from 12–7 PM at Lang-Carson Park. Thirty years in, the festival remains what it has always been: a celebration of the neighbors who make Reynoldstown home.
Three Decades, Built on Legacy
The Wheelbarrow Festival has run for 30 years because of the legacy families who came before — the neighbors who understood early on that a community is only as strong as its willingness to come together. Every festival since has carried that same idea forward, and this year's anniversary is as much a celebration of them as it is of the neighborhood they built. Read A Short History of the Wheelbarrow Festival 30 Years, 1996–2026.
A Tradition of Jazz and Blues
Live jazz and blues have long been at the heart of the Wheelbarrow Festival, and this year continues that tradition — including a stage dedicated to giving new and emerging bands a platform in front of a hometown crowd.
Local Food and Drink, Front and Center
True to its roots, the festival puts a spotlight on Reynoldstown's own food and drink establishments, giving neighbors a chance to eat, drink, and support the local businesses that make the neighborhood what it is.
A Backyard Block Party, Thirty Years Running
At its core, the Wheelbarrow Festival is still what it's always been: a big backyard block party for the whole neighborhood — the easiest way to spend a Saturday in Reynoldstown, whether you've lived here for thirty years or thirty days.
Honoring an Artist Legacy
This year's official festival merchandise honors that same sense of legacy. The 30th Anniversary logo doesn't reinvent the festival's look — it pays respect to three decades of Wheelbarrow Festival logos before it, pulling the sunburst rays, ring of stars, wheelbarrow badge, and hand-lettered wordmark forward into a single tribute design for 2026.
That same spirit of local craftsmanship runs through this year's full merchandise line, designed almost entirely by Reynoldstown neighbors: the Reynoldstown/YEAHBUZZY Capsule Collection, designed by longtime resident Buzz Busbee, Owner & Creative Director of YEAHBUZZY, and two new toddler tees designed by Reynoldstown neighbor and designer Mae Stewart. The neighborhood's craftsmanship isn't limited to apparel. Fred Martin Welding, a local fabricator, has long been the hands behind the official metal Reynoldstown signs seen around the neighborhood — another piece of Reynoldstown's identity built by the people who live here.
Honoring the Founders: A Founders' Panel Discussion
This year's festival will include a special panel discussion honoring the founders and legacy residents who built the Wheelbarrow Festival from the ground up thirty years ago. Come hear the story straight from the people who started it all:
Young Hughley — Founder
Erick Harvey — Theater Technician & Urban Pioneer
Mary Webb — Legacy Resident & Community Outreach, RCIL
Normando Ismay — Artist Consultant
The panel will be hosted by former RCIL President Chante LaGon.
Special Guests
Atlanta City Councilmembers Liliana Bakhtiari (District 5) and Matt Westmoreland (Post 2, At-Large) are expected to be in attendance.
"Thirty years of this festival isn't really about the festival — it's about what it says about Reynoldstown," said Lindalisa Severo, Chair of the Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League. "It's a message of community, inclusion, and acceptance, and it's the same message the founders of this festival built into it from day one. We're proud to keep carrying that forward."
Event Details
Wheelbarrow Festival — Saturday, September 19, 2026 | 12–7 PM | Lang-Carson Park, Reynoldstown, Atlanta, GA
30th Anniversary Recognition Ceremony: 3PM-3:30PM
About Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League
The Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League's mission is to foster a neighborhood that embraces, empowers, and connects our diverse community while maintaining a welcoming and inclusive neighborhood and advocating on behalf of residents regarding government issues.
Media Contact: rcil@reynoldstown.net | Caitlin Jones | https://www.reynoldstown.net | https://www.reynoldstown.net/wheelbarrow-festival
