Published On: 07.23.20 | 

By: Shirley Jackson

Beat the summer heat in Can’t Miss Alabama with virtual events

Tune in to Freedom Fest for enriching power panels and entertainment acts.

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Relax over a weekend of family entertainment.

Freedom Fest goes virtual

Birmingham Freedom Fest is an innovative event Saturday, July 25 at 3 p.m. to celebrate the triumphs of Birmingham and its commitment to forging a united future. Birmingham Freedom Fest will provide attendees an online avenue for engagement. U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams will be the featured panelists. Rapsody, Translee, Pastor Mike Jr., Sherri Brown and Shaheed & DJ Supreme are among the roster of artists. Throughout the day, thought-provoking discussions, interactive videos and interviews will shine a light on issues of equality and civic engagement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and for the safety of the community, the festival will be streamed live. Last summer, the inaugural festival was hosted in and around Kelly Ingram Park, which is in the footprint of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. Registration is required.

Highland Park Golf Course

Unwind at the Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Golfers are welcome to walk along the cart path. Book your tee time at highlandparkgolf.com or call 205-322-1902. The course management is carefully monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation and is in regular contact with health agencies for information. Click here for updates.

Live Nation Virtual Music

Discover the best live streams, artist content and new music from around the globe, all in one place. Fans can stay connected to their favorite artists and search through hundreds of performances and other videos at livenation.com/livefromhome.

This week’s lineup:

  • July 23, noon: AWOLNATION x setlist.fm’s Tour Update: WFH, a social-distancing twist on the popular setlist.fm interview series in which viewers catch up with artists while they’re working from home. (Live From Home)
  • July 23, noon: Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. (Twitch)
  • July 23, 2 p.m.: KIDZ Bop. (YouTube)
  • July 24, noon: Sarah Silva x setlist.fm’s “At Home.” Each episode features a different artist’s self-shot and self-guided tour of his or her current life at home, offering a rare glimpse of their lives off stage and off the road. (Live From Home)
  • July 24, noon: Michael Franti x setlist.fm’s “At Home.” (Live From Home)
  • July 25, 7 p.m.: Budweiser Stage “At Home” with Alanis Morissette and The Beaches. (Live From Home)

All proceeds from “Live From The Drive-In” merchandise are donated to Crew Nation, a global relief fund for live music crews. The company has committed $10 million for the fund: an initial $5 million, then matching all additional donations dollar for dollar, up to another $5 million. BottleRock has launched (re) “LIVE BottleRock”, a weekly virtual series to benefit Crew Nation and Napa Valley Food Bank. Tune in to revisit past performances on the BottleRock YouTube channel. For more information about Live Nation, contact Red Mountain Entertainment at 205-868-3192 or 205-706-0661.

Alabama Public Libraries Online Services

Major libraries across the state offer a huge slate of online services. Patrons can check out e-books and audiobooks, stream movies and TV shows, prepare for standardized tests and get expert help with homework. Some systems have expanded access to their online offerings since the start of the pandemic, or even shifted their purchasing patterns for new materials. Some have taken storytime sessions online to maintain a sense of normalcy for their youngest clients (and some relief for their parents). A Digital Media Zone powered by OverDrive allows patrons to check out e-books, audiobooks and movies. Freading adds yet more e-books. Freegal has thousands of songs and music videos available for free and for keeps. The exact mix of services varies from system to system, as does the way they’re presented on websites. Most systems are actively promoting their online offerings on their homepages, but it pays to poke around. The Birmingham Public Library has a “Digital Library” tab. The website for Jefferson County public libraries has a coronavirus update on its homepage that lists online services. At the Mobile Public Library’s MPLonline.org, you can find the most popular offerings under the “eResources” tab, where you can select “Digital Downloads.” Options on the Mobile system’s site include Cloud Library (audiobooks and e-books), Flipster (magazines), hoopla (e-book, audiobooks, comics, music, TV shows and movies) and kanopy (movies, with an emphasis on independent, foreign, documentary and classic cinema).

NASA at Home

NASA’s new internet and social media special, “NASA at Home“, will engage viewers in the agency’s discoveries, research and exploration from around the world and across the universe – all from the comfort of your home. NASA offers something for the whole family. It brings together a repository of binge-worthy videos and podcasts, engaging e-books on a variety of topics, do-it-yourself projects and virtual and augmented reality tours, which include the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope and International Space Station, as well as an app that puts you in the pilot’s seat of a NASA aircraft. This special spotlights educational and entertaining resources and activities for families and students from kindergarten up. Plus, it provides access to everything from formal lesson plans to amazing imagery and stories about how science and exploration help the world. If you want to practice safe science at home, there are opportunities for citizen scientists to contribute to ongoing research, from our solar system’s backyard to your own backyard. This includes searching for brown dwarfs and planets in our outer solar system and helping track changes in clouds, water, plants and other life in support of climate research. NASA at Home will feature ongoing opportunities to interact with and hear from agency experts. For example, astronaut Christina Koch reads children’s books on weekdays at 3 p.m. on Instagram live as part of educational and STEM activities for students. NASA Television is running NASA at Home-themed programming from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, as well as broadcasting around the clock with recent mission events and news, conversations with astronauts on the International Space Station, educational looks at science, technology and exploration topics, and historical programs from the agency’s storied past. Check in regularly with #NASAatHome for updates. For more information about all of NASA’s programs, projects and activities, visit nasa.gov.

Birmingham Legion FC vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies FC

Enjoy a soccer match at BBVA Field on the campus of UAB. Birmingham Legion FC will play Tampa Bay Rowdies Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Due to social distancing, Legion FC requires that tickets be purchased in sets of two or four for Section 101 or 109 and sets of four in the Good People Deck. Tickets can be purchased online. The venue is at 800 11th St. South in Birmingham.

The Quarantine Cat Film Fest

The Quarantine Cat Film Fest is what’s happening at the Sidewalk Film Center through Friday, July 31. Amateur filmmakers from around the world filmed their beloved cats during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. This compilation reel brings together the cutest, funniest, bravest and most loving of these videos, exclusively filmed during the pandemic. Check out the trailer here. To rent the movie, follow this link. Sidewalk gets a portion of the proceeds. Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema is a year-round independent movie theater that also hosts the annual Sidewalk Film Festival, entering its 22nd year. It hosts year-round film screenings, classes and filmmaking competitions (under normal circumstances). The Film Center has been closed since March due to COVID-19, but ticket purchases help sustain it while closed. Half of each ticket purchase directly supports Sidewalk Film Center. For tech support, please visit the Help & Connect Page. There are no native apps for smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick or Apple TV. They are available for mirroring only. For specific questions, email tech@rowhouse.online.

The Quarantine Cat Film Fest brings together some of the cutest, funniest and bravest videos you will ever see. (Sidewalk Film Center)

Home learning with Louie the Lightning Bug

Keep kids learning and engaged with “Learn with Louie,” a website filled with electrical safety activities and videos. The Louie the Lightning Bug character was developed for Alabama Power in 1983 to introduce electrical safety to children. Follow this link to learn with Louie.

Shelby County Arts Council

Enjoy the Shelby County Arts Council (SCAS) free live stream performances from the Black Box Theatre on the SCAC Youtube channel. For the complete lineup, click here. Follow this link for upcoming events. For donations and memberships, go here.