When Joey Stuckey was only 2 years old, his mother knew something was different about him.
"My mom thought that I was not tracking her or being aware of her presence like I should," Stuckey said.
This motherly intuition led to a trip to the doctor's office. After multiple trips and plenty of doctors saying nothing was wrong, finally, a diagnosis was found.
Stuckey had a brain tumor.
The surgery to remove the tumor would be risky, but Stuckey says his parents knew there was no other option.
The procedure was successful, but left Stuckey blind. Every year on the anniversary of the procedure, September 29, Stuckey and his family celebrate through a day they call "Alive Day," an obstacle he has overcome with music.
"It's kind of like a second birthday," Stuckey said.
This celebration has now evolved into something bigger -- a festival. The festival allows Stuckey to bring his passion to the community.
"Music, as a blind person, is really important to me. That's the primary way that my spirit sort of communicates," Stuckey said.
Music, Stuckey says, is also the best and only suitable way to celebrate the joys of life in Macon.
"Music is in the blood of the population, it's in the air, it's in the water, it's in the breeze, it surrounds us here," Stuckey said.
Now on Saturday, music will surround the town with the Alive Day Festival at 3rd Street Park in Macon.
It's a festival Stuckey says he hopes to see grow.
"I believe that in today's fast-paced world, we gotta take more time to be part of our community, more time to uplift our neighbors, and revel in the joys of life, and, in my case in particular, the joys of music," Stuckey said.
The festival is completely free, and the first act hits the stage on 2:30 p.m.
September 29 was also officially made "Alive Day" in Bibb County in 2017.