Between Birmingham And Montgomery Is Alabama's 'Little Swede Town' With Local Farms And A Popular Festival

Alabama is one of the South's underrated destinations, often overshadowed by its neighbors. Its Gulf Coast beaches are stunning, but don't get as much attention as Florida's Panhandle. It's got a diverse food scene in places like Bayou La Batre, the seafood capital of Alabama, and Birmingham, an artsy city with one of the country's best food scenes, but they don't get as much attention as New Orleans' or Atlanta's culinary scenes. It's not that Alabama doesn't have anything to offer; it's just underestimated. Even its little towns pack a punch, though. Take Thorsby, Alabama for example. It's a small rural town with a unique history, family-owned farms and fruit orchards, and a popular local heritage festival. It's ideal for a day trip adventure during a festival or as a stop for fresh fruit while passing through.

Thorsby was founded in 1865 by Scandinavian immigrants and quickly became known as Alabama's "Little Swede Town" as more and more Swedish, Norwegian, and other Scandinavian immigrants moved in and started fruit farms and other businesses. Today, Thorsby is a small community of 2,000 residents just under an hour's drive from both Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, and it's still very proud of its Scandinavian roots. The annual Swedish Festival brings in crowds every October, and the area's fruit orchards are still thriving, carrying on the town founders' legacies.

Many of Thorsby's early residents moved to Alabama to start fruit orchards and farms. Compared to the northern states where many Scandinavian immigrants initially settled in the United States, Thorsby's weather better suited agriculture. That strong farming community still exists today. These aren't tourist-focused corporate farm stands, either. These are local, family-owned farms sharing freshly picked crops with their neighbors and friendly passersby.

Several local farms have roadside stands on their properties and sell produce at regional farmers markets. Mountain View Orchards is about 10 minutes northeast of Thorsby and offers strawberries, peaches, apples, and other fruit throughout the growing season. Boozer Farms is five minutes south of Thorsby and grows only non-GMO vegetables and fruits. The farm also supports its local community through a weekly fresh produce program that allows residents to pay a fee to receive boxes of various crops hand-picked on Boozer Farm.

Burnette Farms is another popular, fourth generation family-owned farm just outside of town. You can't miss their peach sign as you drive by. While the farm stand on US-31 in Thorsby is open seasonally, Burnette Farms is also a long-standing vendor at Birmingham's Pepper Place Market, and they have their own shop, Burnette Farms Market & Café, in Pelham, a Birmingham suburb. The Pelham market and café are open year-round and carry locally grown and produced products from their own farm and other local vendors.

Thorsby holds its Swedish Festival every year in October, welcoming visitors with a smile and lots of fun events. The day kicks off with the Viking 5K Race, short enough to be done before the parade starts a few hours later. There's also an auto show on the school grounds and a festival area with vendors and food booths at Richard Wood Park. By the end of the day, the pageant will have crowned a new Swedish Festival Queen in five different age groups. It's a busy day of fun, food, and laughter that brings in plenty of day trippers from around the region.

If you're visiting in the spring instead, stop by Thorsby for the Chilton County Annual Strawberry Festival in April. In addition to the festival, other local events celebrating this seasonal fruit include a 5K race, Strawberry Queen Pageant, art competitions, a best of strawberry recipes competition, and a strawberry shortcake eating contest. Visitors can also stroll the arts and antiques booths, grab a bite from a food vendor, enjoy live entertainment, and take home a basket of berries from a farm stand.

There are no hotels in Thorsby, but nearby Clanton (famous for its fresh peaches) has plenty of lodging options on its southern side where U.S.-31 intersects I-65. Birmingham and Montgomery are also both less than an hour away by car, making a day trip to Thorsby easy. Whether you come for the fruit or the festival, Thorsby is worth a stop on your next visit to Alabama.