The Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce has big plans brewing as October approaches. That’s when the Great Greenville and Butler County Homecoming is set to take place, part of yearlong celebration of the Year of Small Towns and Downtowns in Alabama.

The local celebration is set for Thursday-Saturday, October 28-30.

“We are hoping to bring a lot of people back to town and to the county during this weekend,” said David Norrell, board member for the GACC, during the Greenville Lions weekly meeting.

“We are also hoping our local churches will hold homecoming celebrations on Sunday to round out the weekend.”

The roster of planned activities kicks off at 11 a.m. Thursday with a new historical marker dedication in Greenville.

“There will be more to come on that. I will say there will be lots of media and press and quite a few dignitaries involved, so it’s quite a big event,” Norrell said.

Thursday evening a community trick-or-treat event is set for downtown, similar to one held in Andalusia, Norrell said.

“Downtown businesses will be open to share candy with the kids; businesses on the by-pass are welcome to come down and set up booths, fill their car trunks for trunk-or-treating . . . we’ll be keeping everything in a confined area that will make itself conducive to bringing lots of people downtown. We’ll conclude it with a great skit by costumed characters from the Haunted Fire House-I understand it is to the music of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,'” said Norrell.

Friday’s main event will be a free concert at the Ritz that night, featuring Southland and their four-part gospel harmonies, along with several other local talents performing solos.

“With no local football team playing in town that night, we wanted to offer people a chance to enjoy a night of entertainment right here in town,” Norrell said.

Saturday brings the return of Old Time Farm Days at their site off Sandcutt

Road. “If you haven’t been out there, it’s a pretty neat event . . . seeing how it has evolved and grown is pretty impressive,” Norrell said.

In downtown Greenville on Saturday, a car show is set for Confederate Park, featuring vintage, collectible and interesting new vehicles.

A blast from the past will arrive in the form of a big street dance set for Saturday night.

“We’ll have a live band performing oldies and the street will be closed off that night. We want to give the folks who have come back to town for the weekend something fun to do Saturday night,” Norrell said.

The Haunted Firehouse will also be open Thursday through Saturday nights.

Also scheduled that weekend is the Butler County Historical and Genealogical Society’s 46th anniversary meeting on Sunday afternoon.

For more info, contact the Chamber offices at 382-3251 or visit their website at www.greenville-alabama.com.