Can’t Miss Alabama is steeped in family, football and a day of thankfulness
Take the day to eat and watch football. (Getty Images)
Have a safe and happy Turkey Day!
Iron Bowl
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. for the 2019 Iron Bowl Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers will face off in one of the most hard-fought rivalry games in the nation. The game will be broadcast on CBS or CBS All Access and other streaming services.
Thanksgiving Day Hike
Start Thanksgiving Day with a Monte Sano hike at 9 a.m. The hike is a moderate three-hour, four-mile walk. Wear long pants and comfortable shoes with good tread. Bring bottled water, hiking sticks, cameras and trail snacks. Although admission is free, donations are welcomed. The hike, led by Land Trust volunteers and staff, starts at Bankhead and moves toward Three Caves on the Alms House Trail. Because parking is limited, carpooling is recommended. Dogs must be on leads. In case of rain, hikes may be canceled. Cancellations can be verified at landtrustnal.org or on the Land Trust of North Alabama Facebook Page. The venue is Monte Sano Nature Preserve (Bankhead Trailhead), 2442 Bankhead Parkway in Huntsville. For questions, call 256-534-5263 or inbox questions@landtrustnal.org.
Alabama Center for the Arts
The Alabama Center for the Arts presents Forgotten Alabama featuring photography by Glenn Wills. Wills, a self-proclaimed explorer, photographer, author and preserver of history, made it his mission to capture thousands of images of neglected places in Alabama before they disappear. Wills has traveled to all 67 counties in the state, logging more than 50,000 miles and taking nearly 40,000 photographs. The exhibit will be Wills’ first gallery show and is an Alabama Bicentennial-endorsed event. Forgotten Alabama will be on display Monday, Dec. 2, through Friday, Feb. 14, at Athens State University. The exhibit is free.
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
See what’s blooming at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Beautiful camellias, hollies, fall annuals, Japanese maples, ornamental grasses, herbs and vegetables are among the array of flowers. View the November flower gallery here. Admission and parking are free. Follow this link for donations. The Garden Center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. To schedule garden tours, inbox amoore@bbgardens.org. The garden is at 2612 Lane Park Road.
A.G. Gaston: The Man and His Legacy
Learn more about the legacy of business pioneer A.G. Gaston at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The multimillionaire operated several companies including the Booker T. Washington Insurance Company, Smith and Gaston Funeral Home, Booker T. Washington Business School and Citizens Federal Savings and Loan Association. Renovation plans for the A.G. Gaston Motel were announced on its 65th anniversary July 1. The historic motel was a place of refuge for many prominent civil rights leaders. View the A.G. Gaston exhibit during BCRI operating hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Vulcan Park and Museum
An exhibit by Marvin Clemons, author of “Terminal Station: Birmingham’s Great Temple of Travel,” is on display at Vulcan Park and Museum through the end of the year. The exhibit is based on Clemons’ pictorial history book of the historic train depot and explores how it affected many town visitors, residents and immigrants. Clemons’ book will be available for purchase onsite. General admission is $10 and member admission is $8.
Turkey Day Classic
Thousands of alumni will attend the 96th annual Turkey Day Classic on the campus of Alabama State University. The Hornets will play Prairie View A&M Panthers in one of the nation’s oldest HBCU football classics. The homecoming celebration will reunite friends around the exciting rivalry week Thanksgiving Day at 2 p.m. Buy tickets at app.mobilecause.com.
64th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Alabama State University’s National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture is hosting the 64th anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The celebration is part of the Rev. Ralph David Abernathy series, named for one of the university’s most distinguished alumni. The program is the centerpiece of events fulfilling the mission of the National Center to research, record, preserve and teach the history of a courageous and determined people who refused to surrender to fear and intimidation to secure their full rights as American citizens. The speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Julius Scruggs, pastor emeritus of the First Baptist Church in Huntsville. He is a past president of the Alabama State Missionary Baptist Convention and the National Baptist Convention. This year’s theme is the Seedbed of the African-American Freedom Movement in the Twentieth Century. The celebration is Monday, Dec. 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 347 North Ripley St. in Montgomery. For more information, contact Kenneth Mullinax at 334-229-4104.
