Can’t Miss Alabama steps into autumn with Fiesta, Opera Shots and Homestead Hollow
The annual Fiesta will have artists and performers live on two music stages, including the festival’s Coca-Cola Main Stage. (contributed)
Plan your weekend around festive outdoor events.
Fiesta in Birmingham
Journey through more than 20 represented cultures from Hispanic countries with music, dancing, performing arts, cultural education and children’s activities. This year’s theme is “!Celebrando a Pura Vida! | A Celebration of Life!” World-renowned Hispanic entertainers and artists include Los Rojos and La Sonora Dinamita. Hispanic and Latin cuisine food vendors will be on-site. The event will promote health-related resources and information at the family village, cultural village, community village and health and wellness village. Guests will have the opportunity to receive a free COVID-19 vaccine, a test and other health services at the Jefferson County Department of Health vaccination site. Fiesta is at Linn Park Saturday, Sept. 25 from noon to 8 p.m. Advance tickets are $10; children ages 12 and younger are admitted free. Patrons will be encouraged to show proof of vaccination, but not required. Anyone who shows a vaccine card will be entered into drawings throughout the day to celebrate the Fiesta pro-vaccination message for the Hispanic community. Paper masks will be provided and hand sanitizing stations will be available throughout the park. Visit fiestabham.com for more details.
Reggae Block Party in Birmingham
Move to the beat of reggae, afrobeat, soca and dance hall music by DJ Rich Muzic at L.i.t. on 8th Bar Sunday, Sept. 26 from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be a limbo line contest, Caribbean food and tropical drinks. Admission is $10. For more information, call 205-427-0710. The venue is at 518 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr. Blvd.
The Great Pumpkin Patch in Hayden
It’s the perfect time of year to take a hay ride to the patch for pumpkins in the beautiful city of Hayden. The entire family will enjoy inflatables, a petting zoo, train rides, horse and pony rides and bungee jumping. Live music will be performed on the weekends with arts and crafts available, and the country store will be open for shopping. Beginning Sept. 25 and going through Nov. 15, the hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Visit the website for ticket information or call 205-616-6431.
Pooches on the Patio at Vino in Birmingham
Patrons are invited to dine with their dogs on the patio of Vino Mediterranean Restaurant. The restaurant will host Pooches on the Patio Sept. 25 from noon to 9 p.m. in celebration of its 10th anniversary. Tito’s Handmade Vodka will feature specialty craft cocktails for animal lovers and give out Vodka for Dog People merchandise. Guests will have a chance to win prizes, such as a $100 Vino gift card. From noon to 2 p.m., Vino will offer its new brunch menu, now every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring classic Vino dishes as well as staple brunch favorites. Vino’s regular menu will be available from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, which will be on-site with adoptable dogs. Reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling 205-870-8404. Vino is at 1930 Cahaba Road in Mountain Brook.
Opera Birmingham
Bring your lawn chairs, coolers and refreshments to the parking lot of 3601 Sixth Ave. S. for a free happy hour outdoor concert series. Opera Birmingham will kick off its fall Opera Shots outdoor concert series Thursday, Sept. 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Opera Shots will feature guest artists Savannah Bracewell, DeLee Benton, Dylan Hughes, Temperance Jones, Caitlyn Rodrigue and Emily Scott accompanied by Christy Vest on piano. Selections will include “Je dis que rien ne m’epouvante” from Carmen, “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide and “Caro nome” from Rigoletto. Donations are welcomed. Opera Shots will continue monthly throughout the fall (Oct. 22 and Nov. 6) and will resume in the spring, as Opera Birmingham pops up at unexpected locations across the Birmingham metro area. For more information regarding Opera Birmingham and upcoming performances, visit operabirmingham.org or call 205-322-6737. For the health of patrons, staff and performers, masks are required and social distancing will be in effect.
Human Rights New Works Festival
Red Mountain Theatre, Birmingham’s premier performing arts and theater education company, will host its annual Human Rights New Works Festival Sept. 24-26. The three-day festival will feature performances of powerful new works and community conversations with audiences. Through the Human Rights New Works Festival, Red Mountain Theatre is giving a platform to powerful and essential stories, such as those of Holocaust survivors, victims of racial injustices in Jefferson County from the 1890s through the 1930s, and more. Tickets to individual readings will be $10 and festival passes will be $20. Shows are general admission seating and will be performed in the Discovery Theatre at Red Mountain Theatre’s Arts Campus at 1600 Third Ave. S. More information about the event can be found here.
Festival schedule:
- “Memorial” – Friday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m.
Commissioned by Red Mountain Theatre and based on research provided by the Jefferson County Memorial Project, “Memorial” is a theatrical experience that examines the scourge of lynching in Jefferson County from the 1890s through the 1930s. Through spirit-stirring music and drama, this play commemorates the lives lost to racially motivated violence in a dark time in American history. - “True North” – Saturday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m.
A new holiday musical steps inside the world of a modern family who find the holidays joyful and challenging. When their widowed father is deployed on a top-secret mission just weeks before Christmas, young Ben and his big sister Kami find their already turbulent lives shaken again. With a wish, a letter and some seasonal help, the Patterson family discover what just an ounce of belief can do. Told through the lens of a child on the spectrum, “True North” is a magical and insightful story about being authentic, accepting change and holding an unwavering hope in the magic of Christmas. - “Survivors” – Saturday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m.
“Survivors” was commissioned by Red Mountain Theatre and is based on the true stories of local Holocaust survivors. Set in a racially diverse, contemporary high school classroom, “Survivors” explores the parallels between the past and the present, with the Holocaust stories serving as abject lessons about the consequences of hate. As the slippery slope of prejudice and intolerance is examined in the classroom, we see the power of personal stories to bring understanding and change attitudes. - “Bar Mitzvah in Birmingham” – Sunday, Sept. 26, 2 p.m.
“Bar Mitzvah in Birmingham” tells the story of an Orthodox Jewish family from Brooklyn in the last place they ever expected – a small town just outside Birmingham. But what begins as a comedic, fish-out-of-water story opens the door for an important dialogue about the evolution toward a “New South” and the alleviation and persistence of systemic racism. It is through the bonds that form between cultures that the protagonists will transform this small town – and each other – from chaos to community, as an example for all.
Homestead Hollow
Springville is known for good food and entertainment at its annual fall arts and crafts festival. See the finest in homemade arts and crafts, cabins from the 1800s, demonstrations of blacksmithing, whiskey making and other activities. Kids will have plenty to do on the playground, with rides and a petting zoo. The festival will be Sept. 24-26 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Click for ticket information. Homestead Hollow is at 1161 Murphrees Valley Road.
Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive
Alabama Power Service Organization will partner with Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank for its seventh annual Stuff the Bus Diaper Drive during Diaper Need Awareness Week. The 10-day drive will aim to fill a school bus with 400,000 diapers. Bundles of Hope will accept new or opened diaper packages, pull-ups, wipes and diapers in size 6. Online items can be purchased at Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank Wish List. Items dropped off will be handled in a safe drive-thru format at the school bus parked on U.S. 280 on the gravel easement below the Target shopping center Sept. 24-Oct. 3. For more information, call 205-283-7550. To learn more, visit the website.
Alabama State Fair in Birmingham
Enjoy exciting carnival rides and other family fun through Sept. 26. There will be a Hollywood Circus, Banana Derby, White Tiger display, Aquatic Acrobatics, Lady Houdini, Rhinestone Roper, Motorcycle Stunt Show, Comedy Hypnotist, Bohm’s Magic Show, kiddie rides, petting zoo and food. Youths must be accompanied by an adult. Follow this link for ticket information. The event is at the Birmingham Race Course Casino.
