Published On: 02.11.21 | 

By: Shirley Jackson

Can’t Miss Alabama shoots Cupid’s arrow for a special weekend of entertainment

Have a safe and happy Valentine's Day. (Getty Images)

can't miss alabama-valentines

Enjoy Black History events, World of Wheels and OWA’s springtime events.

 

Wild About Chocolate virtual gala

Join the Alabama Wildlife Center (AWC) for its annual Wild About Chocolate virtual gala and auction on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. For the silent auction, visit 32auction.com. More than ever, AWC needs your support that enables care for Alabama’s injured and orphaned native birds to permit their return to the wild. Donations provide conservation education to people of all ages to heighten awareness and appreciation of Alabama’s native wildlife. For more information, email wildlife@awrc.org or call 205-663-7930.

Valentine’s Day Horse and Carriage Rides

Sweeten the plans for your Valentine and spend your evening under the moon in a horse-drawn carriage at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Trot along Main Street, gaze at the palm tree lights and watch them come to life in the Spectra Laser Light Experience shows. Take your camera along for the ride. The cost is $25 per carriage ride for up to four. Guests must adhere to social distancing and facial covering guidelines. For your safety, hand sanitizer stations are throughout the property. For more information, visit alwharf.com.

GALentine’s Day Brunch at the Tin Roof

Women will get their first mimosa free at the Tin Roof Sunday, Feb. 14. Enjoy a brunch menu from scratch, $3 mimosas and $5 bloody marys. Live entertainment begins at noon with Matt Bennett and Sam Rife playing country love songs. Reservations are required.

Celebrate Valentine’s Day Weekend with Vino dine-in or to-go

Vino, Birmingham’s premier Italian and Mediterranean restaurant in Mountain Brook’s English Village, presents a special prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu Feb. 12-14 crafted and selected by owner Al Rabiee. The dinner will feature four courses, including canapes, starters, a selection of main courses and dessert with a choice of dine-in or to-go for $70. The venue is at 1930 Cahaba Road. Vino’s regular menu offerings are available on request. Visit vinobirmingham.com or call 205-870-8404.

Warehouse 31’s Bloody Valentine

This Valentine’s Day weekend, the Twisted Nurse will roam the halls of the abandoned warehouse looking for new patients. If you dare to pay her a visit, be sure to bring a date. The Twisted Nurse knows all too well that misery loves company. Visit Warehouse 31 for a Bloody Valentine’s Day Feb. 12-14 in Pelham. The price range for tickets varies from $22.49 to $49.99. No refunds. Staff and customers are required to wear face masks and social distance. Read COVID-19 rules prior to your visit. 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 age 12 or older or be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Warehouse 31 is at 3150 Lee St.

Mobile’s Mardi Gras Day

Mobilians will find a way to celebrate Fat Tuesday on Feb. 16. More than 400 Mobile homes and businesses are decked out for the Carnival and Mardi Gras season. Many have transformed their front yards into Mardi Gras floats to participate in the Mobile Porch Parade. Learn more here. Follow along on Facebook. Link to the parade map here. Social tags are @MobilePorchParade and #MobilePorchParade.

Prattville’s Yardi Gras

Keep the good times rolling this Mardi Gras season at “Yardi Gras” in Prattville. Lights will be featured on the covered bridge, the creekside park and other areas along Main Street through Tuesday, Feb. 16. Instead of a traditional Mardi Gras parade, businesses and residents are encouraged to decorate their storefronts, homes and yards. Join the fun of this communitywide event and show off your festive décor. A map will be on the city’s website and social media beginning Friday, Feb. 12. Participants will be able to enter their business or home into a photo contest for the “Best of Yardi Gras” award. There will be a Valentine’s Heart Garden on the lot across from Daniel Pratt Gin Co. Feb. 12-14. If you want the perfect backdrop to capture photos during Valentine’s weekend, this is the spot for you. For more information, visit the website www.prattvilleal.gov.

Fat Tuesday at Bellingrath Gardens and Home

Bellingrath Gardens and Home will present Bellingras, a golf cart Mardi Gras parade, on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Catch some beads and MoonPies in safe, socially distanced surroundings at this fun Carnival celebration on the Great Lawn. Applications are being accepted from those who would like to ride their golf carts in the Bellingras Parade. The day will include concessions on the Great Lawn. Prizes will be awarded in several categories for the best-decorated golf cart “floats.” Parade participants are asked to pay a $25 participation fee per cart, which includes Gardens admission for two people. Additionally, parade participants are asked to supply their own Mardi Gras throws (beads, MoonPies, trinkets, etc.). Celebrate Mardi Gras with your family and enjoy the great outdoors in the beautiful setting of Bellingrath Gardens. To sign up for the Bellingras Parade, follow this link and scroll down for the form. For more information, call Heather Herrington at 251-459-8985, or message her at hherrington@bellingrath.org.  Admission is $14 for adults, $8 for children ages 5-12 and free to members ages 4 and younger.

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport honors Black History Month

As a part of Black History Month, travelers are encouraged to visit exhibits, including one honoring the Tuskegee Airmen. The exhibit features four P-51 Mustang Red Tail aircraft in formation as well as related artifacts, photographs and a uniform. There is also an exhibit honoring civil rights activist the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, which offers an overview of his crucial work during the civil rights movement. For more information, email info@flybirmingham.com or call 205-595-0533. The airport is at 5900 Messer Airport Highway.

Birmingham Civil Rights Institute spotlights Black history 

February is Black History Month, a federally recognized celebration of the contributions that African Americans have made to this country and a time to reflect on the continued struggle for racial justice. The Black History Month 2021 theme, “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity,” explores the African diaspora and the spread of Black families across the United States. The Black family has long been a topic of study in many disciplines — history, literature, the visual arts and film studies, sociology, anthropology and social policy. Its representation, identity and diversity have been reverenced, stereotyped and vilified from the days of slavery to our own time. Click here for the full schedule of events. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is at 520 16th St. N. Visit bcri.org for ticket information.

University of North Alabama features Black History Month events

Sponsors from across the University of North Alabama have created a unified Black History Month program calendar, bringing a variety of events and activities to celebrate and highlight Black history at UNA, in the Shoals and throughout the country. The complete list of events is here.

World of Wheels

See classics and hot rods at World of Wheels, coming to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex on Valentine’s Day weekend. Meet the stars of the hit TV show “Fastest Cars in the Dirty South”: Eric Malone, Deda Ford Minor, Malcolm Storey, Dayne Hearn and Andrew Acklin. See their cars on display: The Black Mamba, The Prosecutor, Dirty Dart, Alabama Hammer, Lil Duke and Buford Pusser. Because of time constraints and large crowds, paid admission to the show does not guarantee you an autograph from a celebrity. Allow as much time as possible by arriving before celebrities go on stage. There will be chances to win prizes and more. For more information, visit the website.

Avondale Brewing Company

Tickets are on sale at avondalebrewing.com for the Aaron Lewis show Saturday, March 13. A limited number of reserved seats will be sold in groups of four or eight. Tickets are $55 to $125. Patrons will be required to wear a mask on entry and when moving around the venue. Social distancing rules and regulations must be followed at all times.

Gulf Coast Comedy Fest at OWA

Get ready for a night of laughs at the annual Gulf Coast Comedy Fest featuring Brandon Styles’ “A Trip Down Memory Lane Dinner Show.” The live show features spot-on impressions and songs from classic artists. Enjoy a meal and adult beverages – catered by OWA’s Groovy Goat restaurant – while Styles’ impersonations take you back in time. Tickets to the dinner show start at $42 (with VIP upgrades available) and include salad, main course, side, dessert and one drink of your choice. Group pricing is available on request by contacting Brandon Styles Theater & Magic Shop. Doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday in February. The theater is between Alvin’s Island and Sassy Bass Amazin’ Grill at OWA in Foley.

Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama

The Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama is an annual traveling juried event. The show is open to students throughout the state who have visual impairments, blindness or deaf blindness. The artists are of various ages and attend public, private, residential and home schools. The show provides artists an opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities. Children who participate in the show use various media to create their works. Art is included in the students’ academic curriculum in areas such as the development of communication skills using visual and tactical abilities, math, science, reading and leisure activities. The artwork emphasizes creativity, color and tactile media. Student artwork is exhibited in an open reception ceremony at the beginning of the year, then in museums and venues throughout the state. The art show will be on exhibit at the Shelby County Arts Council, 105 West College St. in Columbiana, until Thursday, Feb 25.

Quilts in the Courtroom in Monroeville

The Monroe County Museum will showcase a variety of quilts on loan from around the region in a free exhibit. Quilts in the Courtroom will run through Friday, Feb. 26 during the museum’s regular opening hours Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Quilts will take center stage, adding lively patterns and vibrant splashes of color throughout the courtroom made famous by the film version of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Designs will range from the traditional to one-of-a-kind originals. Raffle tickets will be sold for the “Magnolias in Bloom” quilt donated by Wanda Fountaine and LuAnn Joswick of the Pensacola Quilt Guild. To purchase a raffle ticket, call 251-575-7433. Proceeds from the raffle will go toward support and maintenance of the Old Courthouse Museum. Proper protocols related to COVID-19 will be followed during the exhibit, such as social distancing and the wearing of masks or face coverings.

Alabama Center for the Arts

The seventh annual juried Festival of the Cranes Exhibit is underway through Friday, Feb. 19, presented by the Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur. The exhibit is a walking gallery held in conjunction with the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Association. The exhibit will feature artwork inspired by cranes and other wildlife. For more information about Festival of the Cranes, visit Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Association, Festival of the Cranes Facebook page or Festival of the Cranes at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. During normal hours, the Alabama Center for the Arts is free and open to the public Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.

Give a gift from the heart. (Getty Images)