Gadsden, AL— If you hear the sound of basketballs dribbling, shoes squeaking and crowds cheering this weekend, it’s not your imagination. The City of Gadsden Parks and Recreation Department is hosting the 2017Alabama Recreation and Parks Association State Basketball Tournament for the 5th time. Tournament games start Friday, March 10 and run through Sunday afternoon.

March Madness takes on a new meaning in Gadsden: 139 teams from all reaches of the state will be vying for the State Championship. Teams are traveling to the tournament from Mobile, Enterprise, Huntsville, Birmingham, Tuskegee, Montgomery and other areas. 16 teams from Gadsden and Etowah County also received a bid to play in the State Championship.

Games will take place at facilities throughout the Greater Gadsden area including Mitchell Gym, Carver Gym, Jack Gaston Coliseum, Boys and Girls Club, Etowah High School Gym, Coosa Christian School Gym, and Gadsden City High School Gym. Admission to the games is $5 for ages 7 and older, 6 and under are free.

The tournament starts on Friday, March 10 at 6 p.m., Saturday at 8:30 a.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. Teams in the ARPA state boys and girls basketball tournament range from the Under 8 division to Under 18. Results, brackets, hotel information and team information for the tournament will be posted at http://www.cityofgadsden.com/index.aspx?nid=463.

For more information contact Tournament Director Jen Weathington at 256-549-4680 or at jweathington@cityofgadsden.com