With 24 years in the making, Panoply is a time-honored tradition in Huntsville’s heritage. During the long weekend of April 22-24, Huntsvillians young and old, as well as art enthusiasts throughout the valley, will rediscover their Southern roots and celebrate the distinct flavors of America’s melting pot – the humanities.

The 2005 festival theme is reunion, a salute to friends, family and good times gone by, and this year’s entertainment lineup has been set with an old-fashioned get-together in mind.

The Bellsouth/Cingular Wireless Showcase Stage presents rock ’n’ roll great Chubby Checker, Friday at 9:15 p.m. In 1959, Checker – whose real name is Ernest Evans – launched the dance revolution popularly known as “The Twist”.

Bellsouth and Cingular Wireless will also host blues legend Koko Taylor Saturday at 8:45 p.m. Taylor has been featured alongside such names as Melissa Etheridge, B.B. King and Ray Charles, and her soulful sound has captured Taylor 19 W.C. Handy Awards.

The Publix Kids’ Stage will feature Pam Tillis, Saturday at 9:00 p.m. A Broadway veteran and Grand Ole Opry member, Tillis is the daughter of country star Mel Tillis.

In addition to these and other celebrated names, Panoply will contain over 70 local music, dance and theater troupe performances, ranging from ‘50s tunes to big band, from various dance forms to magic shows by local magic club members.

The Boeing Art Marketplace will host valley artisans as well as those from across the nation. Original works can be purchased from the artists themselves.

Featured will be painters, photographers, jewelers, sculptors and other craftsmen, using a variety of materials to create one-of-a-kind art.

The arts demo Village will display the artists at work, showing off their crafts in the making.

Free entertainment will be provided for children attending Panoply, including the opportunity to make a clock out of a CD, discover musical possibilities, participate in the Publix Oreo-stacking contest, create a Panoply “Critter” and enjoy a complementary face painting, courtesy of the Sparkman Beta Club.

This is the first year that the Beta Club has taken part in Panoply. Club members will work six four-hour shifts at one of the festival’s two face-painting booths. The club will earn $500 for a weekend’s worth of work.

“The money earned will go into the Beta Club’s general account to help fund several projects, such as new flowers for the school’s planters, a future field tip of anything else that members determine spending towards,” Beta Club sponsor Leslie Machen said.

This has the possibility to become one of the Beta club’s yearly projects.

“Panoply will hopefully be a fun and easy fund-raising even that the Beta Club can continue in the future,” Machen said.

Sparkman Beta Club participation is not the only change that has been made to Panoply.

Traditionally, Panoply has been a free event, open to the public. Gate attendants simply asked for a $5 donation. This year, and possibly years to come, entrance to the festival will cost.

Panoply officials say that these new admission charges are due to rising costs. Fund collected will go towards the festival’s expenses, such as electrical bills, stage equipment and souvenir production, ensuring that Panoply will “be around for another 25 years”.

Despite the new entrance fee, attendance is not expected to drop.

“We do not anticipate any problems with charging attendance. We feel that the community will continue to support the festival and The Arts Council as we continue to produce a quality festival for the public,” Panoply Marketing Director Shannon Magers said.

Adult day passes can be bought for $8 at the gate. Advance tickets, including weekend passes, are available at a reduced rate. Children under 12 are admitted free with the purchase of an adult ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at several locations, including AmSouth Bank, Colonial Bank, Regions Bank, The Arts Council and The Huntsville Times.

“The word panoply means ‘wonderful array’, and it is our mission to provide cultural events that the local community might not otherwise experience,” Magers said.

Panoply is Huntsville at its best, a family affair and a veritable Southern treasure.

Parking is available in the following locations: the city garage off of Monroe Street, the Fountain Circle Parking Garage, the VBC South Hall Parking Garage and Lot K, located on Clinton Avenue across from the post office. Several businesses will allow the use of their parking lots as well.

For more information, visit the official Panoply web page at www.panoply.org or call 519-2787.