CITY SPOTLIGHT
MIXING NEW, OLD
Trussville stays true to its roots while opening
entertainment district, businesses
Bham Family August 2020 21
BY LAUREN DOWDLE
it might be easier to ask how Trussville has not
additions is Trussville’s Downtown Entertainment
District, which is set to open at the end of the
summer. The family-friendly location will bring
a different dimension to the city’s downtown
area with new restaurants, green space, sidewalks,
director at the Trussville Area Chamber of
Commerce.
With a stage and pavilion area that will have
new entertainment area is creating a buzz. The stage
LED video wall that can be
used for watching movies,
sporting events, or other
simulcasts. “We are looking
forward to getting the
entertainment district going
and bringing more family
friendly entertainment
options to this part of the
metro-Birmingham area,”
she says.
other openings, including restaurants like Half
The new additions have brought in more
people, which is good for business — but not so
much for the roadways. To ease some of their
growing pains, the city is working to address the
main downtown intersection.
While many plans were able to move forward
during the pandemic, other events had to be
cancelled or postponed. But with the chamber
to move forward with some of the annual
happenings, residents now have several to look
forward to in the coming months.
won’t be held as one big festival this year. Instead,
organizers are recruiting groups to set up minievents
across the city. Another local favorite event,
ensure the safety of vendors
and attendees. It’s just one
way the city is trying to give
people a sense of normal
again.
At the heart of these
projects and changes is
Mathews’s favorite part of the
city: the people. “I think what
makes living here so great is
that no matter how many people or businesses make
their homes in Trussville, we’ve managed to retain
that Mayberry-like small town atmosphere. We still
sit on the porch or visit with the neighbors after
supper. We can’t go to the grocery store without
seeing a dozen people we know.”
While Trussville is constantly growing and
looking to improve, several of the reasons families
fell in love with the city have remained the same,
like the variety of churches available and school
system. Their library, which was renovated and
Arts Council of the Trussville Alabama (ACTA),
parks and rec programs, walking trails, play areas,
and senior centers also top the list. “We don’t want
to be like anywhere else in the world. We just want
to be the best Trussville we can be,” Mathews says.