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Veterans Day in Chilton County this year will be quite more extensive with the addition of the Inaugural Chilton County Veterans Festival and Parade on Nov. 11.

The Owasso Foundation is spur heading the event and is currently in the planning process, which began in March.

Festivities are planned throughout the day with the parade kicking things off at 9 a.m. It will start in the Fred’s parking lot and follow the same route as the Christmas Parade.

Clanton Municipal Park will be the site of the festival and will open at 11 a.m. with the parade serving as a prelude.

Crafts and kids games will be some of the attractions on display during the festival.

According to Owasso Foundation vice chairman Phil Burnette, the festival is still in the organizing stages, but there are projected to be about 200 vendors.

A parade and festival are routinely held during other observed holidays, but have not had a place of Veterans Day.

It will join the annual tradition of the Veterans Day celebration and remembrance that takes place in the Chilton County Courthouse.

“We felt that it was time and well over due,” Burnette said.

Both Burnette and Owasso Foundation chairman Mike Welborn are disabled veterans. Burnette served in the Air Force, while Welborn served in the Army.

“We wanted to have more things that include not just the veterans, but their families,” Burnette said.

The Owasso Foundation was officially organized in January 2016. The goal of the organization is to aid veterans in finding the help they need in all forms of life. They work closely with VA operations to do so.

Despite not even being established for an entire year, Burnette felt that Veterans Day was the right time to get involved.

“Anything we can do to help our veterans, we will,” Burnette said. “Whatever the need, if we can’t help them we will find somebody who can.”