FROM STAFF REPORTS

COLUMBIANA – Thirty tourism and recreation businesses operating in and around Shelby County were recognized during the 2022 Shelby County Tourism & Recreation All-Star Awards Luncheon held at the Grande Hall in the Old Mill Square facility in Columbiana.

The awards ceremony took place on Thursday, Oct. 6 at the Grande Hall in the Old Mill Square facility in Columbiana. Thirty organizations were nominated in one of the following categories: Lodging, Restaurant, Attractions/Recreation and Festivals/Events.

Nominees were evaluated by an independent panel based upon the following criteria developed by The Shelby County Chamber’s Tourism & Recreation Work Group: social media engagement, community engagement and general information – including customer service ratings, efforts to attract tourists and visitors to Shelby County and its communities.

The four recipients announced at the Awards Luncheon were:

• Restaurant: Oak Mountain Creekside BBQ
• Lodging: Hampton Inn in Pelham
• Attraction/Recreation: American Village
• Festival/Events: First Friday, Calera Main Street

The nominees that were celebrated included (in alphabetical order):

• American Village
• Amore Ristorante Italiano
• Arby’s Chelsea
• Bellinis
• Buffalo Wild Wings – Chelsea
• Candlewood Suites – Alabaster
• Chelsea Community Center
• City of Chelsea Melrose Park & Splash Pad
• ChelseaFest & The Big Kaboom
• Corbin Farms Winery
• DC Elite Productions
• Fairfield Inn & Suites – Pelham
• First Friday Calera Main Street
• Half Shell Oyster House
• Hampton Inn – Pelham
• The Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum
• Liberty Day, Columbiana
• Main Street Tavern
• Majestic Caverns
• Margarita Grill
• Melrose Park & Splash Pad
• Montevallo Arts Collaborative/Fest
• Oak House Restaurant
• Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
• Oak Mountain Creekside BBQ
• Oak Mountain State Park
• Pelham Civic Complex
• Pelham Palooza in the Park
• Pelham Racquet Club
• Station 31 Kitchen

This year’s event was sponsored by DC Elite Productions and co-hosted by Calera Main Street, Chelsea Business Alliance, Columbiana Main Street, Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, Montevallo Main Street and The Shelby County Chamber.