Noble Street Festival and Sunny King Criterium Returning to Downtown Anniston April 11
Anniston — One of downtown Anniston’s largest annual events will return this spring as the Noble Street Festival and Sunny King Criterium takes place Saturday, April 11, 2026.
The day-long event will bring thousands of visitors to Noble Street for professional bicycle racing, live entertainment, family activities and dozens of vendors.
At the center of the festival is the Sunny King Criterium, a professional cycling event featuring 20 races throughout the day on a closed downtown course. The high-speed races attract cyclists from across the country and will again be broadcast through nine hours of live web streaming showcasing the action and atmosphere of downtown Anniston.
Admission for spectators is free.
Organizers say the event also continues to support a charitable cause. Since 2002, the Sunny King Automotive Group-supported event has helped raise more than $200,000 for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life chapter in Calhoun County.
Families will also have opportunities to participate, including the Noble Street Festival Kids Bike Races sponsored by Raymond James. The children’s races are open to students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Participants will line up at 4:15 p.m., with races beginning at 4:30 p.m. The course for fifth and sixth grade participants will cover approximately 0.7 miles.
All participants will receive a ribbon and T-shirt, and riders must bring their own bicycle and helmet.
Packet pickup for the kids races will be held from 11 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. at NEABA Headquarters located at 26 West 10th Street.
The festival itself typically draws between 8,500 and 10,000 attendees each year and features a variety of attractions including the Sunny King Kid Zone with free inflatables, balloon artist Big Sam the Balloon Man, Whit’z Kidz activities, face painting, live music on the festival stage and more than 50 food and craft vendors lining Noble Street.
Organizers are currently accepting vendor applications for food, crafts and other merchandise. Applications must be submitted by March 27.
The Noble Street Festival and Sunny King Criterium will take place in downtown Anniston on Saturday, April 11.
