Summer entertainment is heating up.

Freedom Fest virtual celebration in Birmingham

Stellar-award winner Pastor Michael McClure Jr. will headline Birmingham’s annual celebration of music and empowerment Saturday, July 24. Performances include Translee, Victoria Jones, Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins, Kristen Glover, Halo Wheeler, Sam Ervin and Spex Da Great. The festival will also feature the Party Rockers with Fly Dave as host. Panel discussion topics include Social Justice in America, IREP: Media Representation and Coverage, Existing: Black Women Segment, and Healthcare, Accessibility and Disparities. For the complete list of panelists, follow this link. Follow the festival’s social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. For a link to the livestream, viewers must fill out an RSVP form. For more information, visit the festival website.

‘Beauty and the Beast’ musical in Mobile

Celebrate the 60th season of Playhouse in the Park in Mobile with the musical production “Beauty and the Beast.” This is the theater’s first big production after being closed for more than a year due to the pandemic. The musical will run on weekends through Sunday, Aug. 8. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available here.

W.C. Handy Music Festival in Florence

Pay tribute to “Father of the Blues” W.C. Handy July 23-Aug.1. Handy, a Florence native, was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1993. The musician and songwriter wrote “Memphis Blues” in 1912. The Florence-Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau will host James LeBlanc, Angela Hacker and Bay Simpson on Monday, July 26; Peanut Montgomery, Mark Narmore and Bobby Tomberlin on Wednesday, July 28; Billy Lawson and Ed Hill on Friday, July 30; and Lenny LeBlanc, Michael Curtis and Travis Wammack on Saturday, July 31. Seating is limited. To learn more, follow this link. The venue is at 200 Jim Spain Drive.

3 Doors Down concert at Oak Mountain

The Better Life 20th anniversary tour of 3 Doors Down will include special guest Seether at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre Saturday, July 24, at 8 p.m. “The Better Life” is 3 Doors Down’s best-selling album. Tickets start at $63.

‘Hidden Spaces: People and Places of northwest Alabama’ exhibit in Decatur

The Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur will feature “Hidden Spaces” through Tuesday, Aug. 31. “Hidden Spaces” is a photo-historical documentation project that explores the people and places of lesser-known locations and histories in north Alabama communities. The exhibit identifies, displays and interprets cultural landscapes, built environments and natural features that highlight the inherent diversity of the greater Shoals region. In this exhibit, the focus will be on Old Town in Decatur, where the community was explored in an in-depth manner. Collaborators worked with residents and former residents to identify stories, places and people to help better understand the history and identity of the community. Other locations in Morgan and Limestone counties will be featured. A gallery talk featuring guest speaker Peggy Towns will be held at the Alabama Center for the Arts on Thursday, July 29, at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit is a collaboration between the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area, the University of North Alabama Public History Center and Abraham Rowe Photography Reception. Admission is free. The visual arts gallery is at 133 Second Ave. NE.

Foreigner tickets on sale for BJCC

Tickets are on sale for the Greatest Hits of Foreigner Tour. Foreigner will perform Wednesday, Nov. 17, at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. For more information, click on redmountainentertainment.com. Buy tickets at ticketmaster.com.