Published On: 08.13.20 | 

By: Shirley Jackson

Exciting events in Can’t Miss Alabama include online shopping, great food

Alabama has fun outdoor options you can still enjoy. (Getty Images)

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Top picks for a safe summer weekend. 

Fish Fry FRYdays and Soul Food Saturdays

Arlington Antebellum Home & Gardens has an abundance of weekend goodness. Fish Fry FRYdays is on Aug. 14 and Soul Food Saturdays is on Aug. 15. This week’s menu for Fish Fry FRYdays is Southern Fried Catfish and Arlington’s Toasted Pecan Southern Slaw with a choice of Arlington’s Signature Remoulade Sauce, House Made Ranch Dressing and Arlington’s House Made Wickles Tartar Sauce. This week’s menu for Soul Food Saturdays is a Lemon and Herb Marinated Grilled Chicken Sandwich or Blackened Catfish Sandwich with a choice of Arlington’s Signature Remoulade Sauce or House Made Ranch Dressing. Sides are Kettle cooked Potato Chips and Arlington’s Toasted Pecan Southern Slaw. For your safety and the safety of those bringing the food to your car, please wear a face covering when picking up food. Meals will be delivered curbside at Arlington Historic House at 331 Cotton Ave. S.W. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Orders and payment will be taken over the phone at 205-780-5656. Visit arlingtonantebellumhomeandgardens.com/curbside or email arlingtonantebellumhome@gmail.com for more information.

Birmingham Restaurant Week

Find your favorite coffee shop, bar or food truck among other restaurant favorites this week. Curbside and delivery options as well as to-go alcoholic beverages, cocktail kits and family-style meals will be offered Aug. 14-31. Check out meal options, participating restaurants and more at bhamrestaurantweek.com or follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Birmingham Museum of Art

Graham Boettcher, R. Hugh Daniel director of the Birmingham Museum of Art (BMA), takes virtual visitors into the galleries to highlight works of art from the collection. Join him on Facebook Live or view the videos at your convenience on BMA’s website. Boettcher goes live from the galleries every Wednesday at 2 p.m.

Woodlawn Street Market

Since live markets are postponed until further notice, support your favorite local vendors anytime online. Woodlawn Street Market is hosting ongoing virtual markets through REV Birmingham and Woodlawn Business Association. Click on the vendor’s e-commerce website and each link will open in a new window for easy browsing. Support the virtual market at woodlawnstreetmarket.com.

Fridays on the Green – The Tone Deaf Hobos

The Tone Deaf Hobos are from the Lake Martin area. The blended rock-country quintet will perform Friday, Aug. 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Hobos make cover songs their own to forge a Southern Americana sound. Grab your comfy stuff and leash for the pup, then come out for some great music in one of the most laid-back spots around. Participants are asked to social distance; just look for the circles. Admission is free. The venue is Russell Crossroads at 19 Russell Farms Road in Alexander City.

Alabama Black Belt Adventures

The 2020 Best Black Belt Fish Photo Contest is underway through Saturday, Aug.15. The contest is open to any type of fish taken from any lake in Alabama’s Black Belt. The prize will be a guided fishing trip for two on Lake Eufaula donated by Tony Adams of “Gone Fishing with Tony” and a collection of lures donated by Tru-Turn and Blakemore. The winner and guest will enjoy a half-day of fishing for crappie or catfish and top-of-the-line lures and hooks such as Pan Fish Hooks, Marabou Pros for pan fish and bass, GOGO Runners for Pan Fish and crappie, and Team Catfish Hooks, as well as many lures designed for bass fishing such as Bucktail Pros, Tru-Turn, Daiichi and Randy’s Swim-N-Runner. Black Belt counties include Barbour, Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Crenshaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Monroe, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Russell, Sumter, Tuscaloosa and Wilcox. The package is valued at $550. To enter the contest, follow this link. Visit Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association to learn more.

Vulcan Park and Museum Virtual Tour

Stay connected to Vulcan Park and Museum by taking a virtual tour. The virtual museum series will consist of seven episodes with an exhibit inside Vulcan Center. Check out the full playlist here.

Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama 

The 2020 Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama is open at the Alabama Center for the Arts. The exhibit is a traveling juried art show that displays artwork created by students throughout Alabama who have visual impairments, blindness and deaf-blindness. The show will be displayed through Wednesday, Aug. 26 in the Walking Gallery. The exhibit has been hosted by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the University of Alabama at Birmingham Vision Science Research Center and Education Outreach Module for the past 20 years. Children who participate in the show use various media to create one-of-a-kind artworks. This year’s exhibit will feature 40 pieces of art that can be purchased for a donation starting at $100. The funds collected will help with the costs of framing, opening reception, scholarships and summer workshops. Because of the pandemic, all Alabama Center for the Arts visitors must answer COVID-19 screening questions and have their temperatures taken using a thermal, no-touch thermometer. Those granted access will be provided a wristband that must be worn at all times while on the campus. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information about the gallery exhibit, visit the website.

Birmingham Legion FC vs. North Carolina FC

Birmingham Legion FC soccer club will face off against North Carolina FC on Saturday, Aug. 15 at 6:30 p.m. The matchup will air live on My68 and ESPN+.

Birmingham Zoo

“Fairytales & Frogs Royal March” will be featured at the Birmingham Zoo Saturday, Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Royal guests from The Enchanted Princesses will be walking and waving to all admirers throughout the Zoo’s oneway path. Children and adults are encouraged to dress up in their favorite costume for a magical morning where fairytales come to life. All royal subjects attending will receive a crown (while supplies last). The Royal March is included in the price of general admission for the day. Due to health and safety precautions, the event will not host a meet and greet for photos, only royal waves, curtsies and bows. Indoor animal habitats in the Predator and Primate buildings are now accessible for viewing. Visitors to the Predator building will be able to see our four male Pallas’ cat kittens during the times they are on habitat. The Zoo is open and operating with reduced hours of Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. and at limited capacity. All guests and Members of the Zoo are required to follow our health and safety guidelines, including face coverings for individuals over the age of six in accordance with State of Alabama ordinance mandating the wearing of face coverings in public places. Visitors are encouraged to pre-purchase tickets online at birminghamzoo.com to help minimize physical contact with Zoo staff.

‘Museums for All’

People of all backgrounds are invited to join Vulcan Park and Museum’s “Museums for All,” a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Association of Children’s Museums. “Museum for All” supports low-income families receiving food assistance benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Up to four people can visit Vulcan at no charge with the presentation of a (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Eligible members of the public can visit more than 500 museums across the country including McWane Science Center, Imagination Place Children’s Museum, Huntsville Botanical Gardens and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. More than 500 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums and more. Museums nationwide are participating, representing 48 states. For more information on participating museums, visit museumsforall.org.

Prattville Farmers Market 

The Prattville Farmers Market growers and makers will have fresh products available out in the Grove on Doster Road each Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon through the end of August. Summertime is great for grilling and there’s nothing like fresh grilled corn with lime butter or grilled peaches with a drizzle of honey. Make campfire pockets with potatoes, onions, carrots and peppers wrapped in foil or wake up to a slice of homemade morning glory bread with fresh farm-raised eggs. You can find all you need at the Prattville Farmers Market Saturdays, but come early for the best selection. The City of Prattville and the Prattville Farmers Market want market visitors and our vendors to be as safe as possible, so they are practicing social distancing, wearing masks and providing hand-sanitizing stations to help to stop the spread of COVID-19.  For more information about the Prattville Farmers Market, contact the Cultural Arts and Special Events office at 334-595-0850 or visit www.prattvilleal.gov or www.facebook.com/prattvillefarmersmarket.