Labor Day festivities in Can’t Miss Alabama for the unofficial end of summer
Celebrate a long holiday weekend with a host of fun activities. (Getty Images)
Fun things to enjoy during a long holiday weekend.
OWA – Labor Day Car Show
There will be lots of excitement this holiday weekend in Foley. Classic cars and live music are returning for a third year on Saturday, Sept. 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for OWA’s Labor Day Car Show. During this socially distanced event, cars of all makes and models will be on display throughout the Southern-style streets of Downtown OWA. With hot rods and custom builds lining the street, this car show is picture perfect. There will be trophies for every decade from 1929 through 2020. Look out for unique and classic cars, including antiques, customs, foreign, hot rods, rat rods and modern autos. For an extra fun twist for the kids, get their photo with a roaming transforming robot. Enjoy a day snacking and shopping, and maybe an amusement park ride or two. Day passes to The Park at OWA are on sale for $19.99.
OWA – Labor Day Fireworks
If a car show isn’t enough fun, stick around for the Labor Day Celebration Fireworks on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 8:45 p.m. The patriotic show timed perfectly with music will be seen throughout the property. There will be 3D glasses while supplies last for some of the favorite viewing spots, including bridges over Lake OWA, the green space on both sides of Cinnabon, by Clash eSports Center, the OWA Theater and the OWA Island Amphitheater. For a prime spot in The Park, check out the views from behind the Rollin’ Thunder and the large fountain, on the benches at the Midway Games, or by the Sky Balloons and the Magic Fountain.
Alabama Splash Adventure
Alabama Adventure Amusement Park and Splash Adventure Water Park are open through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Operating dates and hours are subject to change without notice. The complete operating calendar is here. There will be regular disinfecting of frequently used items and surfaces. These common surfaces include (but are not limited to) lounge chairs, touch screens, picnic tables, benches, water fountains, tubes, life jackets, trash cans, rides, vehicles and restraints, queue rails, sunscreen and hand sanitizer stations. Social distancing guidelines for the parks are here. Click here for park attractions. For questions, message info@alabamasplash.com. For tickets, visit alabamasplash.com.
Sidewalk Film Center reopens with ‘Tenet’
Sidewalk Film Center + Cinema, in The Pizitz building in downtown Birmingham, reopened this week after having been closed since March 12 due to the pandemic. For the next five weeks, Sidewalk Cinema will run the highly anticipated Christopher Nolan film “Tenet,” starring Robert Pattinson and John David Washington. The film will be shown Thursdays-Sundays through Oct. 8. Sidewalk has instituted safety protocols, including advance ticket sales only, seating limited to 12 people per theater, assigned seating, hand sanitizer stations, strictly enforced mask requirements and sanitation of all seats and high-touch surfaces between screenings. Several changes have been made to the physical space as well. For more information or to purchase advance tickets and seating, visit sidewalkfest.com.
Black Jacket Symphony live at Logan Martin Sept. 4
The Black Jacket Symphony presents Queen’s “A Night at the Opera” featuring Marc Martel in a live performance at the Pell City Sports Complex on Logan Martin Lake on Friday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. Reserved land tickets will be sold in 8-by-8-foot tailgate squares. One ticket admits up to four people. All tailgate squares are socially distanced. VIP tickets are available. Fans are allowed and encouraged to bring their own tailgate setup, including beverages, food and lawn chairs. None will be available for purchase on site. On-site parking is free. Arrive in one vehicle per ticket. Doors open at 6 p.m. Follow this link to learn more.
Support Calera Main Street Farmers Market
Calera Main Street Farmers Market will offer fresh goods and products through Friday, Sept. 18 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The market hosts 12 to 15 vendors weekly, including Medders Family Farm, Skull Girl Soaps, Bohanan Folk Art and Nana Bakes. Support local artisans and growers, and stick around to enjoy all that Calera Main Street has to offer. The market will be in the courtyard behind the downtown shops on Alabama Highway 25, accessible via 17th Avenue. Follow the Market’s health restrictions found here under more.
Will Kimbrough returns to the New Black Box Theatre Friday
Enjoy an evening with Will Kimbrough Friday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the New Black Box Theatre in Columbiana. The Shelby County Arts Council (SCAC) will present the show to a limited audience. Adjustments have been made to create the safest environment possible. Ticket sales are limited to 60 patrons. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are nonrefundable. Upon entering the building, wear a mask to protect others and yourself. Sanitizer will be available at convenient stations. The show will be livestreamed on the SCAC’s YouTube Channel and Facebook page. Call 205-669-0044 or email info@shelbycountyartscouncil.com for questions and concerns. The Black Box Theatre is at 105 W. College St.
Swift night out with Alabama Audubon Sept. 3
Enjoy a virtual bird-watching experience with Alabama Audubon on Thursday, Sept. 3 beginning between 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tune into Alabama Audubon’s Facebook page for a Swift Night Out with Sarah Randolph, outreach and communications director, and Lianne Koczur, science and conservation director. Watch the skies around a chimney in Birmingham (#BIRDingham) for one of Audubon’s favorite urban birds, the chimney swift. After these aerial acrobats have fledged their young and cleared out their nests, the entire North American population makes its way far south to winter along the headwaters of the Amazon River. On their way there, they congregate in huge roosting flocks with 2,000-3,000 birds sharing a single chimney – numbers that make for a tremendous spectacle when they pour into the tiny opening at once in a nightly “swiftnado.” Learn about the Alabama SwiftWatch community science program at alaudubon.org/swifts. To watch, go to facebook.com/alaudubon (@alaudubon) and click on the post once it goes live. Timing will depend on lighting and is expected to be a little before or after 7:15.
Big Wills Creek offers family fun
Make it a fun holiday weekend with family and friends at Big Wills Creek Campground in Attalla. Activities include tubing, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, swimming and hiking. Because of the pandemic, the campground will not rent tubes or life jackets. Bring your own or purchase them starting at $9.99. A waiver is required to participate. Call 256-344-2473 for rates and reservations or follow this link to learn more. The venue is at 2075 Highway 77 in Attalla.
Hiking at Oak Mountain State Park
See the stunning view and waterfall at Peavine Falls in Oak Mountain State Park. Peavine Falls is a 65-foot-tall, spring-fed waterfall at the topmost ridge in Oak Mountain. With temperatures cooling off as summer transitions to fall, this attraction is a fantastic opportunity to take a hike and enjoy the great outdoors. Click here for the trail map and photo gallery. For more information, visit alapark.com.
Birmingham Legion FC vs. Memphis 901 FC Saturday
Enjoy a soccer match at BBVA Field on the campus of UAB. Birmingham Legion FC will face Memphis 901 FC on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 6:30 p.m. The matchup will air live on My68 and ESPN+. Get tickets and check the full schedule at bhmlegion.com. Stadium capacity will be limited and seating will be socially distanced, in accordance with federal, state and local safety guidelines, but all existing season ticket holders, as well as some single-game ticket holders, will be able to enter the stadium while wearing a mask. All single-game ticket-holders will be placed in specific, socially distant seating as well as sections previously deemed “General Admission.” For questions, contact the ticket office contacts page. The venue is at 800 11th St. S. in Birmingham.
Follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which includes helpful tips and reminders about coronavirus, steps to prevent illness, and symptoms.
