Celebrate the one you love with Can’t Miss Alabama festivities
Valentine's Day is a great time to share a heartwarming moment. (Getty Images)
Do something special for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day.
A Better Way to Celebrate Valentine’s Day
The sixth “Love for Literacy” gala is Saturday, Feb. 15 at Birmingham’s Regions Field Ballroom & Club Lounge. The gala will include a cocktail hour, seated dinner, silent auction and live jazz music. The program features inspirational speaker Lacy Gunnoe. This event is the signature fundraising event for the children’s literacy nonprofit Better Basics. Proceeds will support Better Basics’ academic intervention and enrichment programs for struggling students in Birmingham-area low-income communities. Tickets are $150 and $200 for VIP seating. Guests will enjoy complimentary valet parking. The attire is cocktail. For more information, message aboone@betterbasics.org. Learn more at literacy2020.givesmart.com.
Sidewalk Film Center Valentine’s Day Events
Join Sidewalk Film Center Cinema in Birmingham for back-to-back Valentine’s Day evening events. The Cinema bar will have photo booths, on-demand typewriter poets and astrology readings. Bartenders will serve two specialty cocktails, and bottles of wine will be $5 off. Go here and select the movie of your choice. Tickets for one film are $13 each. A Valentine’s VIP package ticket upgrade can be purchased for $20 and includes a drink ticket, iced cookie and limited edition Sidewalk magnet. The facility is at 1821 Second Ave. North.
Valentine’s with Oleta Adams and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra
Oleta Adams will be in concert with the Atlanta Pops on Valentine’s Day at 7:30 p.m. at the Oxford Performing Arts Center. The Grammy-nominated singer has toured worldwide with Tears for Fears, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton and Luther Vandross. Adams is known for the hit single “Get Here” and her “Circle of One” album. Get tickets online. The venue is the Oxford Performing Arts Center at 100 Choccolocco St.
‘Casablanca’ at Alabama Theatre
“Casablanca” will be on the big screen Valentine’s Day at the Alabama Theatre. “Casablanca” is a drama, romance and wartime movie produced in 1942. The movie is about a cynical American expatriate who meets a former lover with unforeseen complications. The actors are Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid. Sing along to the tunes of the Mighty Wurlitzer. Enjoy wine, beer, cocktails and soft drinks. The show runs 1 hour and 42 minutes and starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $9. The theater is at 1817 Third Ave. North in Birmingham.
Southern Museum of Flight
The Tuskegee Airmen Exhibit is being featured at the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham during Black History Month. A spotlight on a significant period of American history, this tribute highlights an extraordinary group of men who continue to provide inspiration for anyone who dares to dream. The exhibit features several World War II-era trainer planes, including a North American AT-6 Texan, a Vultee BT-13B Valiant and a Fairchild PT-19 Cornell. The museum is at 4343 73rd St. North. Learn more at southernmuseumofflight.org.
A student pilot early in his training at Moton Field in Tuskegee during World War II. (contributed)
Pour Your Heart Out
The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is hosting the hottest Valentine ticket in Huntsville. The sixth annual “Pour Your Heart Out” celebration is Valentine’s Day from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Celebrate the evening with heavy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar and live music by The Lamont Landers Band. Sloss Furnaces of Birmingham will help you create your own Valentine keepsake. Dressy casual attire suggested. The event is rain or shine. Ticket information is here.
Lalah Hathaway and Kenny Lattimore
It’s a Valentine’s Day evening of love with Lalah Hathaway and special guest Kenny Lattimore Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. Grammy-award winner Hathaway is the daughter of the late arranger, pianist and jazz, blues, soul and gospel singer Donny Hathaway. Lattimore is a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter with back-to-back Top 10 songs, “Stay On Your Mind” and “Love Me Back.” Tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.
Warehouse 31’s Bloody Valentine
Have a fun night out at the annual Warehouse 31 Bloody Valentine Feb. 14-16 in Pelham. The price range for tickets varies from $10 to $89.98. No refunds. Warehouse 31 is rated PG-13 for intensity and graphic scenes. It is not recommended for people with heart conditions, who are pregnant or who suffer from intense claustrophobia or anxiety. Attendees must be 12 or older or be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Warehouse 31 is at 3150 Lee St.
20th Anniversary of the American Village
American Village is celebrating its 20th anniversary Monday, Feb. 17. Anniversary activities include Washington’s Birthday Celebration and the opening of the fourth annual Festival of Tulips. There will be speakers, live music, birthday cake and family-friendly activities. Learn more about the festivities at americanvillage.org. Follow the event on Facebook. For more information, call 205-665-3535 or click here for directions.
American Village is celebrating its 20th anniversary Monday, which includes Washington’s Birthday and the opening of the fourth annual Festival of Tulips. (contributed)
Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend
The Mercedes-Benz Marathon Weekend is set for Feb. 14-16 in front of Boutwell Municipal Auditorium in Birmingham. This year’s race includes a marathon, half-marathon, marathon relay, Regions Superhero 5K and a kids marathon. For the complete race schedule, click here.
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is underway through Tuesday, Feb. 25 in downtown Mobile. Enjoy the sights and sounds of live marching bands, floats, the throwing of beads, MoonPies and more. The celebration concludes on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent. Stay updated at Facebook and Twitter.
‘Right or Privilege? Alabama Women and the Vote’
Vulcan Park & Museum joins communities across the nation to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment through Jan. 2, 2021. An exhibit and programming will examine the specific challenges faced by suffragists in Birmingham and analyze the racial issues that caused the suffrage movement to be a primarily white campaign. It will explore the efforts of black men and women to achieve the right to vote. Entrance to the exhibition is included with general admission to Vulcan Park & Museum. Admission is $6 for visitors 13 and older, $4 for ages 5-12 and free for children 4 and younger. Vulcan Center Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Alabama Shakespeare Festival
The Agitators examines the friendship and occasional rivalry between two American champions of freedom and equality – Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony – once known as revolutionaries but now seen as icons. Theirs is a story of defiance, rebellion and revolution. They agitated the nation. They agitated each other. They changed the course of history. The play is underway through Thursday, Feb. 13, produced by Mat Smart and directed by Logan Vaughn. The recommended age for the show is 13 and older. The venue is at 1 Festival Drive in Montgomery.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
Several exhibits will be featured at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) during Black History Month, including “Remember 4 Little Girls: A Gallery of Creative Expressions,” “Selma-to-Montgomery,” “Courage Under Fire” and “Elder Grace.” BCRI is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Monday. The museum is at 520 16th St. North. Visit www.bcri.org for ticket information.
