Whether you want to see some of the biggest names in music perform or catch an up-and-coming band to be able to say “I knew them when …” Birmingham is the place to be this weekend. Secret Stages gets started tonight and runs through Saturday night with 60 musical acts performing at various venues downtown. The Schaeffer Eye Center CityFest will be at Railroad Park on Saturday, Aug. 1.

CityFest is headlined by Grammy Award-winning, hip-hop band The Roots, also known for being the house band on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.” The Roots performed at last year’s inaugural CityFest.

Common, who won an Academy Award this year for his performance of “Glory” with John Legend for the move “Selma,” will open for The Roots.

Birmingham’s own and American Idol Taylor Hicks will also perform at CityFest.

“The 2014 Schaeffer Eye Center CityFest was an incredible day in Birmingham like we have never really seen before,” said Dr. Jack L. Schaeffer, CEO of Schaeffer Eye Center, the title sponsor of the annual music event. “Attendance numbers were beyond our expectations and convinced us to bring back this free event another year.

“We really want to thank our key partners, including the Mayor William Bell and the Birmingham City Council,” he said. “The Schaeffer Eye Center CityFest is about showcasing the best of Birmingham and who we are as a city. From our amazing corporate sponsors to the local music, food culture, art and family – this festival is about Birmingham and for Birmingham.”

CityFest starts at 3 p.m. with local bands, food trucks, Beerfest with the AlaBev Beer Garden and other entertainment. There will be local art, a Ferris wheel and a tethered hot-air balloon. All proceeds go to benefit Camp Smile-A-Mile. More information can be found at the CityFest website.

Secret Stages, the two-day walking music festival, takes place within a two-block radius around First Avenue North and Second Avenue North starting today at 6 p.m. Bands from Birmingham, Montgomery, Auburn and Opelika are in the lineup as well as acts from Atlanta, New Orleans, Nashville, Louisville, Detroit and Baltimore. A full lineup can be found on the Secret Stages website.

Weekend passes are $35 and VIP passes are $75. Tickets can be purchased online at the Secret Stages website or at the “will call” booth in the parking lot in between Rogue Tavern and Pale Eddie’s Pour House on Second Avenue North.