Congratulations to the Winner of the Craterfest Mad River Canoe
Donated by Coosa Outdoor Center:
Mr. Mike Caprizzi
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The Wetumpka
Crater Crawl
1 Mile Glow-in-the-Dark Fun Run & 5k
A Big Thank you to all of our racers, committee members, race organizers and volunteers who made this event possible!! We couldn't have done it without you!
Where: Gold Star Park, on the banks of the Coosa River in Downtown Wetumpka, AL
(Main Street & Wharf Street)
When: Saturday, April 20, 2013
Time: 10:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M.
Craterfest is a music and arts and crafts festival generating interest in the region's only marine impact crater with a focus on family fun and educational crater activities.
ALL VENDOR BOOTH SPACES SOLD OUT AS OF 3/29/13!
We are looking forward to a terrific event! We'll see you there!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Crater Crawl Glow in the Dark Fun Run
Friday, April 19, 2013
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Meet at 212 South Main Street, Downtown Wetumpka (Behind the City Administration Building)
Saturday, April 20, 2013
5:00 am - 9:00 am Vendor Setup
10:00 am Master of Ceremonies Dr. Sam of Bama Country will kick off the event
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Vendors Open (Arts/Crafts, Food & Information booths)
10:00 am KidZone Opens (Trains, Swings, Bounce Houses, Face Painting etc..)
10:00 am Stages Open
10:00 am - 10:30 am Gold Star Stage Wetumpka Elementary School Choir
10:30 am - 11:15 am Gold Star Stage Dave Cameron, Country Western Singer
11:15 am - 12:00 pm Gold Star Stage Britt Johnson, Country Singer
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Gold Star Stage Fibergrass Bluegrass Band, Jerry Maccrae
12:30 pm - 1:00 pm City Stage Crater Commission Presentation
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm City Stage Crater Commission Presentation
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm City Stage Chris Stapleton (Country Music)
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm City Stage Crater Commission Presentation
5:00 pm KidZone Closes
5:00 pm - 7:30 pm City Stage Keith Anderson (Country Music)
7:30 pm Close of Show
City Stage and GoldStar Stage will both be located in Gold Star Park with alternating activities and events.
If you are interested in performing, please email our Event Chairperson, Teresa Forehand Roberson at sebusinessprinters@elmore.rr.com or call her at (334) 514-6888.
News Release Vanessa Lynch
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce
Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce Announces Wetumpka Craterfest Event
Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce announces its plans for a large scale music festival, Wetumpka Craterfest to be held on Saturday April 20th, 2013. This event will replace the former Riverfest with a stronger focus on attracting tourism to the area while maintaining the community aspect with a children’s area and offering the event at no cost with the help of sponsorships from community businesses.
Country music recording artist, Keith Anderson who is best known for his Billboard chart topping hit song, “Picking Wildflowers” will be the headline act, sponsored by Creek Casino of Wetumpka. Announcements regarding support acts, sponsorship and vender applications will be available in the coming weeks.
“We saw this as a great opportunity to brand Wetumpka’s rare treasure and story of the impact crater, that only we can tell here in the Eastern United States by changing the name to Wetumpka Craterfest” says Vanessa Lynch, Executive Director of the WACC. Future plans will involve more lectures, a possible science fair and related activities that educate and bring attention to the Wetumpka Impact Crater.
“We were thrilled to have the blessing and support from the Crater Commission and are looking forward to another great event in Wetumpka to bring the community together for fun and entertainment, while drawing attention to Wetumpka from outside the area” says Lynch.
Wetumpka Craterfest, formerly Riverfest, is a community festival celebrating life in Wetumpka, the home of the Wetumpka Impact Crater. The Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce will host the event for the River Region on the banks of the Coosa River at Gold Star Park in Wetumpka, Alabama with activities for both children and adults.
The festival will feature entertainment, games, arts and crafts vendors, concessions, science lectures about the Crater and more. Attendance figures for previous Riverfest events were around 5,000.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 20, 2013 from 9 am - 9 pm.
The Children's area will include face painting, inflatables, train rides, a petting zoo, pony rides and more. The Wetumpka Fire Department will have a firetruck on display to entertain and educate. Art in the Park will also be part of the offerings for children. Chamber ambassadors and other volunteers will help young visitors create special art projects.
Adults will have the opportunity to browse arts, crafts, concession and business information booths. Free health screenings for blood pressure and cholesterol will also be available. There will be a 5k run that begins at 8 am.
Keith Anderson will headline the day's musical performances with many local, talented area bands such as The Bradley Roberson Band and Dave Cameron of Bridge Street Coffee Shop and Eatery.
There is no charge for most festival activities, although small fees apply to some of the children’s games and rides.
For additional information, call the chamber office at 334-567-4811.
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm City Stage Crater Commission Presentation
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm City Stage Chris Stapleton (Country Music)
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm City Stage Crater Commission Presentation
5:00 pm KidZone Closes
5:00 pm - 7:30 pm City Stage Keith Anderson (Country Music)
7:30 pm Close of Show
City Stage and GoldStar Stage will both be located in Gold Star Park with alternating activities and events.
If you are interested in performing, please email our Event Chairperson, Teresa Forehand Roberson at sebusinessprinters@elmore.rr.com or call her at (334) 514-6888.
Backstage VIP Passes for Photos with Keith Anderson by Sweetest Smiles Photography
Arts & Crafts
Kid Zone with Inflatables, Kiddie Train, Swings, Face Painting, Petting Zoo, Pony Rides
Wetumpka Impact Crater Lectures by the Crater Commission
Local Author Book Signing Pavilion
Delicious Food & Beverages
Canoe Raffle Donated by Coosa Outdoor Center
Lee Mason Racing #34 Race Car on Display for Autographs & Pictures
Blood Pressure Checks & Blood Sugar Screenings
Kiddie Characters by Zap Pest Control
Humane Society Adoptable Pets & Ron’s Critter Kids
Angler’s For Kids Trailer
Wetumpka High School Fishing Team Trailer
Crater Crawl 5k and 1 mile Glow in the Dark Fun Run April 19 @ 6:30 PM City Admin. Bldg.
WIN THIS CANOE!!
This is a new Mad River Explorer 16' Canoe donated by Coosa Outdoor Center/ Southern Trails for Craterfest. The Explorer is a "for-everyone” canoe--durability, stable handling, and capacity. Perfect for family outings or tandem paddlers on the Coosa River or out for a canoe camping trip almost anywhere.
Purchase your raffle tickets at the Chamber Office or at The Chamber Booth at Craterfest on April 20, 2013. Need not be present to win. All proceeds benefit the Wetumpka Area Chamber of Commerce Craterfest fund.
Drawing at 4:30 PM on April 20, 2013 at Gold Star Park.
$5 Entry
5 Entries $20
Purchase your raffle tickets online and turn in your receipt for your raffle ticket at either the Chamber Office at 110 East Bridge Street, Wetumpka or the Chamber Booth at Craterfest. Click Here to buy your raffle tickets:
Craterfest would not be possible without the help of our amazing volunteers. Volunteering is a fun way to meet new people and promote the Wetumpka Impact Crater in the community.
Energetic, friendly volunteers are needed for the following areas:
Booth Sitters, VIP Tent/ Hospitality Area, Festival Greeters, and Welcome Center Tent.
Booth Sitters
Responsibility: Enjoy meeting people? Give vendors a much needed 5-15 break. Volunteers will be teamed in pairs and assigned to specific areas of the festival to assist vendors watching their booths during breaks and providing assistance and refreshments as needed during the day. This is a great opportunity to get to know some of the vendors.
VIP Tent Decorating Committee
Responsibility: Assist with party decor, includes decorating the VIP tent and arranging food and beverages. Decorating Committee volunteers will receive wristbands to attend the VIP backstage party.
VIP Tent/ Hospitality Tent Setup
Responsibilities: Welcome patrons in hospitality tent, set up food, drinks & needs for artists and musicians. Volunteers will also serve as hosts to answer questions and provide information and assistance as needed. Tent Setup volunteers will receive wristbands to attend the VIP backstage party.
VIP Tent Backstage Party Help (Restricted to Chamber Ambassadors only)
Responsibility: Assists with wristbands at entrance to VIP Area, helping with drinks and food, and answering questions. VIP Backstage party help will receive wristbands to attend the VIP backstage party and meet Country Singer, Keith Anderson.
Welcome Center / Festival Greeters
Responsibility: Greeters are needed at the Welcome Center/ Information Booth to welcome patrons, distribute festival maps and provide general directions and information about activities, artists, musical performances and schedules. You must be 16 or older to help us a Festival Greeter.
Call (334) 567-4811 or email Jamie Young at jyoung@wetumpkachamber.org if you would like to volunteer for Craterfest on Saturday, April 20, 2013 on the banks of the Coosa River in beautiful downtown Wetumpka, Alabama and we will make every effort to accomodate you, but in some cases we may need to reassign your role, so please be flexible.
Glow in the dark fun run action!! Join us for Wetumpka's only night time race.
1 mile family fun run and 5k runs for the whole family! DJs Sweet-p & Big-papa will be rockin the tunes for some great motivation!
Location: Wetumpka Riverfront, Behind City Administration Bldg.
6:30 pm: Registration/ DJ Starts 7:00 pm: 5k Start 8:00 pm: Family Fun Run
$15 Adult Registration $12 18 & under
Registration includes Craterfest t-shirt, goodie bag and entrance to both 5k and/ or fun run.
Mail in Registration: You may print out this form and mail with check to: WACC Crater Crawl 110 East Bridge Street Wetumpka, AL 36092
Crater Crawl 5K Walk/Run and Family 1K Fun Run Registration Form Please read carefully and fill in all information. Please print clearly. Do not mail entries after April 5th, 2013. Entry Fee is non-refundable. One entry form per person. Fee schedule listed under Entry Fees tab, make checks payable to "Crater Crawl".
Last Name: _____________________________ First Name: ___________________________ Address: ______________________ City: ________________State: ________Zip: _________ Male: ____ Female: ____ Birthdate: _________________ Age on 4/19/13: ________________ Phone Number: ______________________ Email: ___________________________________
Race (Circle One) : 5K Walk/Run Family 1K Fun Run
T-Shirt: Youth: M L Adult: S M L XL XXL XXXL *Participants will receive a white t-shirt with logo shown above **Entries after 4/5/13 not guaranteed a shirt or the correct size
Kids 18 and under: $12
Ages 19+: $15
WAIVER: In consideration of acceptance of this entry, I, intending to be legally bound hereby, for myself, my heirs, executors, and administrators, waive and release any and all right and claim for damages I may have or that may hereafter accrue to me against all sponsors, supporters, and officials associated with the CRATER CRAWL 5K, their representatives, successors, and assigns for any injuries incurred by me during, because of, or in the travel to or from the CRATER CRAWL 5K.
Date: ____________ Signature: __________________________________________________ (If Under 18, a parent or guardian must sign)
CRATER CRAWL SPONSORS
Sweet P and Big Papa
Tallassee Health and Rehab
Coosa River Bath and Body
TTL, Inc.
Map of Race Route:
Meet at City of Wetumpka's Administration Building (next door to Civic Center) at 6:30 PM. Once registered, everyone will meet at Gold Star Park and begin the race at the corner of Wharf Street and Ready Street. Racers will continue over the Bibbs Graves Bridge and travel West on West Tuskeena Street, North on Autauga Street, East on West Tallassee Street, crossing in front of the Wetumpka Police Dept. and back over the Bibbs Graves Bridge, ending at the Riverwalk at GoldStarPark.
The location of the Wetumpka Astrobleme —“star-wound”— originated from a cosmic event that occurred some 80 to 83 million years ago. It was confirmed only recently, after more than two years of extensive investigation and deep earth core drilling conducted on site. It is one of the few above-ground impact crater locations in the United states and one of only about six in the entire World. Even more unusual is the fact that the structure is actually exposed (as you can see from the rim evidence in these photographs). Despite the weathering that has occurred through millions of years, the crater walls are still prominent, so the rim was obviously much higher at one time. The projectile of the meteor impact was probably travelling between 10 and 20 miles per second. So this means the impact would have produced winds in excess of 500 miles per hour, and the meteor most likely struck at a 30-45 degree angle as it came from the northeast. They determined that it came from the northeast by the angle at which the rocks are slanted within the impact area which includes the current flow path of the Coosa River. This can be seen looking from both directions on the Bibb Graves Bridge.
Geologists speculate that the shock waves, the damage, and other effects of the impact explosion radiated out from the strike several hundred miles. Debris may have been thrown as far away as the present Gulf of Mexico. Geologists also theorize that the strike area would have been under a shallow sea, perhaps 300 to 400 feet of water, that covered most of southern Alabama at the time of the impact. It is estimated that the diameter of the meteorite to be 1,100 feet and could have been as much as three to four times larger. Rock samples were obtained for laboratory analysis for evidence of “shocked quartz.” Quoting from an article in The Wetumpka Herald published on July 1, 1999, “Another piece of evidence confirming meteoritic impact was uncovered …the unusual amounts of iridium, an element relatively common in asteroids and meteorites, but relatively uncommon in the Earth’s crust. Iridium, detected in amounts of approximately 200 parts per trillion within Wetumpka drill-core samples, is considered an anomalously high concentration. This discovery is important proof that an asteroid vaporized upon impact, thus contributing some of its iridium atoms to crater-filling rocks. Discovery of iridium abundance at Wetumpka follows the February 1999 announcement of the discovery of impact-produced shocked quartz in the core samples. Shocked quartz grains are found only in impact craters, and their discovery is considered the most important means of proving meteoritic impacts of the past.
One distinctively unique feature is its horseshoe-shaped ridge of rock which is not submerged in water or covered or eroded beyond visibility. In spite of the millions of years of weathering, the crater walls are still prominent with the rim approximately three to four miles wide.
A panoramic view of the highest point on the crater rim at Bald Knob Mountain is visible from routes into town. The Coosa River flows across the western edge of the crater. From the Bibb Graves Bridge one can easily see the upturned rock tilting in the direction of the crater. Outcroppings of dramatically upturned rock formations are visible along US Highway 231.
There is a Crater Impact Commission consisting of six members—three appointed by the City of Wetumpka and three appointed by the Elmore County Commission. They will be holding public hearings regarding the future development and use of this very rare anomaly in our City, including an interpretative center located on Highway 231 in Wetumpka, AL.
Jan 29, 2013 10:43 AM
The location of the Wetumpka Astrobleme —“star-wound”— originated from a cosmic event that occurred some 80 to 83 million years ago. It was confirmed only recently, after more than two years of extensive investigation and deep earth core drilling conducted on site. It is one of the few above-ground impact crater locations in the United states and one of only about six in the entire World. Even more unusual is the fact that the structure is actually exposed (as you can see from the rim evidence in these photographs). Despite the weathering that has occurred through millions of years, the crater walls are still prominent, so the rim was obviously much higher at one time. The projectile of the meteor impact was probably travelling between 10 and 20 miles per second. So this means the impact would have produced winds in excess of 500 miles per hour, and the meteor most likely struck at a 30-45 degree angle as it came from the northeast. They determined that it came from the northeast by the angle at which the rocks are slanted within the impact area which includes the current flow path of the Coosa River. This can be seen looking from both directions on the Bibb Graves Bridge. 
