The WC Handy Music Festival is held at various locations throughout Shoals. It is celebrated for one whole week which pays tribute to the heritage of the northwestern part of Alabama along with celebrating the legacy of the Father of the Blues. It comes with a parade, several concerts, a few exhibits, the theatre, sports events, and other musical performances in various venues as well.

The festivals that were held previously featured some of the top blues artists of the industry like Jimmy Smith, Bobby Blue Bland, Billy Taylor, Dianne Reeves and Dizzy Gillespie. Of course, these are just some of the many artists that were featured during the event. If you are one big fan of the blues genre of music, then you would enjoy participating in this event.