The City of Sumiton
The City of Sumiton is located on the eastern edge of Walker County and the city limits extend into Jefferson County. Some of the friendliest people on the planet live here.

Within the last several years Sumiton has grown extensively with the addition of several national chain stores and lots of new restaurants, and many other local businesses which combined make Sumiton a bustling area of commerce.
Sumiton is also the home of Bevill State Community College which has grown exponentially over the last several years. Sumiton School which is K-8 is one of the largest schools in Walker County.
The Library which is located at city hall has a large selection of books for the entire family. Also available for Library visitors is a computer with Internet access which is ideal for research, job hunting, and educational pursuits.

There are upscale subdivisions and charming older homes in the area depending on your tastes. Sumiton recently completed construction of a multi-function Senior Citizen Center which server the people of Sumiton and surrounding communities. The Senior Center is a hub of activity for Seniors and a place where they can meet, play games, eat hot meals and enjoy companionship. The Senior Center is also a safe shelter for the community during violent weather situations. Click here for photos of the Senior Center.
All of this together makes Sumiton is a great place to raise your family.

Sumiton Veterans Memorial Ceremony Hundreds gather in Sumiton to honor vets Mary Bailey Daily Mountain Eagle Reporter Wednesday, Nov 11, 2009 SUMITON — Hundreds of community members turned out for “A Celebration of God and Country,” a tribute to area veterans at the Sumiton Senior Center Tuesday night. Local members of the police and fire departments as well as area veterans gathered together to celebrate Veterans Day. During the ceremony, a presentation of colors was given by Scout Troop 120. After a reception dinner, veterans were called by name and stood before the standing room only audience. “It’s an honor to be here tonight,” said Sumiton Mayor Petey Ellis. “We honor all you Veterans and I want to make an apology that it has taken us this long to make plans for a Veterans Memorial, but we hope that what we do will honor the sacrific that has been made.” Bill Fowler, member of the Sumiton Area Veterans Memorial Board and a Sumiton City Council member, thanked the veterans and their families for their participation in the event. “We anticipated a good group, but we have far exceeded our expectations,” Fowler said. “We appreciate everyone coming out tonight and also appreciate the Veterans for making our freedom possible.” Also during the ceremony, an unveiling of blueprints for the new Sumiton Veterans Memorial Monument was given by Richard Bradley of Laser Works of Alabama. According to Bradley, a new walkway will be made in front of the senior center leading to the monument. The monument will be 10 feet long and be 5-feet, 8-inches tall. The front of the monument will contain the six seals of the branches of the military. The back of the monument will list the names of local soldiers who were lost during the wars. Around the monument will lay 550 granite bricks that families may purchase to honor a loved one who served in the military. The granite pavers are being sold for $100 each and can hold 20 characters per line.For more information about purchasing a paver, contact Sumiton City Hall at 648-3261. Click here for photos of the event.

The Sumiton Frog Festival October 3th 2009 The 2009 Sumiton Frog had picture perfect weather again. The long-range forecast did not bode well but the rain moved out on Friday afternoon and the skies were blue as a swimming pool. It would be hard to order up a better day off a menu of Great Day optiong. The air was cool before sunrise but when the sun peeked up above the horizon and burned off the early morning dew, the weather was perfect. There is no way to count the number of people that attend the festival, but at one point looking down main street in either direction was wall-to-wall people> The vendors seemed happy this year as people were not only out in droves, but they were buying more than in years past. Below is a link to photos from this year's festival. 2009 Frog Festival Fhotos

Frog Festival was a hoot? Rick Watson Syndicated Writer Sunday, Oct 11, 2009 Rick Watson Jilda and I went to the Frog Festival last weekend and it was a hoot, or should I say, a croak. The weather was perfect! I had a booth at this year’s event where we sold and signed copies of my book. The long-range forecast for the weekend showed a chance of rain, and on Friday it did come a toad strangler, but the low steel-gray clouds moved off to the east by late afternoon and the skies on Saturday were picture perfect. We arrived at 6:30 a.m. to set up our tent, and I regretted my decision to leave my jacket at home. Once we got the tent, table and chairs situated, we sat down for a moment and drank some coffee I’d bought from one of the other vendors. Jilda hugged herself against the cold and her teeth chattered like a typewriter. (I guess I need to be more mindful of my similes because there are probably a lot of young folks out there that have never heard the rattle of a typewriter.) Just before 7 a.m., the sun peeked above the roofs on Main Street in Sumiton and the sunshine felt warm on our faces. By the time the gates opened at 9 a.m. I knew it was going to be a great day for a small town festival. Jilda and I have been involved with the Frog Festival since the beginning. The first three years we helped do the planning and we worked our tails off.  But this year, our schedules didn’t leave much time, so we left the planning to others. I think they did a remarkable job. The people who came by our booth shared the same sentiment. I may be prejudiced, but I think The Frog Fest is one of the best small town festivals around. The event is free and has a little something for everyone. This year’s event had two stages that rang out all day with the music of local artists. Many of those walking on Main Street while munching on parched peanuts and swilling ice tea would probably agree that we have a lot of talent in these parts. Each year, the booths are packed with hand-made arts & crafts, clothes, candles, jewelry and many other interesting things. I always use the food as a means of judging anything. “Yes, the Grand Canyon was nice, but the food at that little restaurant was worth the trip!” You get the idea. Anyhow, the food at this year’s Frog Festival was definitely worth the trip.   While sitting at our table eating ribs on a stick and drinking fresh lemonade, I basked in the moment, soaking in the sights, sounds and smells around me. There were booths at the festival that painted faces and did “crazy hair.” Even now, as I sit here writing, the memory paints a smile on my face. Jilda and I had the good fortune to visit Ireland several years ago and the thing we loved most about the Emerald Isle was that it felt like the south we remember from our childhood. People sat on the doorsteps in the afternoon greeting neighbors who happened by. As we walked past a small community park, we heard the sound of guitar music and children laughing. It felt like home. I feel sure that if any of those people found themselves on Main Street in Sumiton during the Frog Festival this past week, they would have felt right at home.

Sumiton Swears in New City Council
The new Sumiton City Council has some new faces. On November 3rd, the city held their "Swearing In" Ceremony at the Senior Citizen's Center.
Click here for more photos of the event.

 

On the first Saturday in October (October 4th 2008), the city is the home of "The Frog Festival". Last year's inaugural FrogFest drew over five thousand people to downtown Sumiton. Music, Arts & Crafts, great food, and street performers all contributed to a carnival atmosphere that people still talk about.
This year's festival was special in that it paid tribute to our veterans. More than thirty veterans from our nations wars were honored.
Petey Ellis; Mayor of Sumiton, and Bruce Hamrick, Chairman of the Walker County Commission presented Leldon McLeroy (center) a belated Silver Star for his efforts during World
This year's festival was even bigger and better than last year. Click here to see photos from the 2008 Sumiton Frog Festival.

Sumiton Mayor Petey Ellis and the city council welcomes you to come for a visit and see for yourself why they call Sumiton, Alabama "The Friendly City."