Inaugural Backwater Bash proves a big success for Alabama’s Wiregrass

Arriving by boat and automobile, more than 2,100 music fans made their way to Lake Eufaula in Abbeville, Alabama, last month for the inaugural Backwater Bash. Riding the wave of the success of the family-friendly concert, organizers plan to make Backwater Bash an annual event for Henry County.

“We’ve only had positive comments,” said Rhonda Harrison, executive director of the Henry County Economic Development Authority. “People really enjoyed it.”

Held on July 19 at Hardridge Creek Park, Backwater Bash featured performances by Blane Rudd, Sweet Tea Trio, Jonboy Storey and Dylan Kelley. Attendees could enjoy the live music from their lawn chairs in the park or from their boat on the lake.

“Many people voiced that they were impressed that it was such a professional production,” Harrison said. “People on the water said they could hear every word that was said on the stage.”

The concert was free and open to the public thanks to the support of more than a dozen sponsors, including Alabama Power.

“We were thankful for them believing in what we were doing,” Harrison said. “And we even had some people let us know the next day they wanted to be sponsors next year, so we thought that was a good sign.”

In addition to signing on as a sponsor for the event, Alabama Power supported Backwater Bash in other ways.  The Southeast Division of the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) volunteered with the Henry County United Way to park cars at event. All the funds raised from the parking fees will go towards the Henry County United Way’s 2025-2026 campaign.

“It was just a great community event and partnership,” said David Norwood, Southeast Division community relations manager for Alabama Power.

Plans for Backwater Bash have been in the works since 2021 when an assessment by the Economic Development Association of Alabama’s Rural Development Initiative revealed that Lake Eufaula was underused in Henry County. County officials began to explore the idea of hosting a lakefront concert.

To set plans in motion, Henry County worked with 423 Productions. Owner Chase Bass grew up spending time on Lake Eufaula and graduated from Abbeville Christian Academy.

“Once we met with him, we got the confidence that we could actually do something,” Harrison said.

But bringing the vision to life required collaboration and cooperation among a number of public and private sectors, Harrison and Norwood explained, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.

Furthermore, to keep the event free, organizers needed financial support from sponsors. The sponsors of the first Backwater Bash include: HNB First Bank, Alabama Power, Bob Woodall Air Care Systems, TriRivers Waterway Authority, City of Abbeville, Money Ford, TriDelta Systems, Jim Whaley Tires, Wiregrass Realty, Hidden Oaks RV Park & Cabins, Abbeville Chamber of Commerce, Headland Area Chamber of Commerce, Backwater RV Park, Billy Lawrence GMC, Mark Dunning Industries, Harley-Davidson of Dothan and Holland Motorsports.

The name for the event was the brainchild of Norwood and his wife.

“People around here our age and older call the lake ‘The Backwater’ because they remember when the water was ‘backed up’ to create the lake,” Harrison explained.

“If you say something about ‘The Backwater,’ people know exactly where you’re talking about,” Norwood said. “You’re talking about the lower end of the lake.”

Organizers also got local teens involved. Students from Headland High School Graphic Design Team created the event logo, which features an artistic blend of images of a wave, a boat and a guitar and the tagline, “Boats, Floats and Guitar Notes.”

“They just really did a great job of being creative and putting that logo together,” Norwood said.

Organizers are still gathering official data on the economic impact of Backwater Bash, but they’re confident the numbers will be encouraging. Harrison believes the county will note an uptick in tax revenue from gas purchases and that restaurants and stores near the lake will see a boost in sales, too.

“And we know that not very many weeks after the event was announced, a lot of the nearby Airbnbs and RV lots were filling up,” Norwood added.

The date for next year’s Backwater Bash has been set for July 18, 2026.