Can’t Miss Alabama offers a harvest of entertainment for fall-loving fanatics
Turn over a new leaf with exciting autumn attractions. (Getty Images)
This weekend brings a variety of concerts and award-winning shows.
International Association of Culinary Professionals
Famous chefs, food writers and editors, along with cookbook authors from across the nation, will gather in downtown Birmingham at Pepper Place and Sloss Furnaces for the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) event. Festivities will highlight Alabama chefs and artisan food-makers in a weekend of epicurean adventure. Mayor Randall Woodfin, former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, comedian Roy Wood Jr. and Alabama poet laureate Ashley Jones are among those expected to attend.
“An Alabama Feast” debuts at Pepper Place and Sloss Furnaces. (contributed)
Events include:
- Sweet Home Street Party – Presented by Sweet Home Alabama: The Official Travel Site of Alabama and taking place under the twinkle lights of Pepper Place, guests will enjoy live music from the Birmingham All-Stars, a retail crawl among the shops and eateries, in-store events and pop-ups from artisan makers. Mayor Woodfin will welcome IACP to Birmingham with a toast. Chefs from Bettola, Blueroot, Blueprint on 3rd, Hot and Hot Fish Club and other restaurants will share their signature flavors. Following the festivities, guests may purchase an optional chefs’ tasting experience with Tasting TBL at the John Hand Club or join a bar crawl led by Les Dames d’Escoffier of Birmingham (Friday, Oct. 22, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.; dinner and bar activities following).
- IACP Media and Cookbook Awards – Emceed by comedian Roy Wood Jr. and held in the open-air casting shed at Sloss Furnaces, the IACP Awards will honor the food media and cookbook industry’s best with more than 40 honors, including the IACP Cookbook of the Year Award, the IACP Trailblazer Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award (Saturday, Oct. 23; Alabama Makers’ pre-awards reception, 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; awards, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.).
- Tasting TBL Experience at John Hand Club – Chef Tyler Lyne and pastry chef Jennifer Lyne of Tasting TBL honed their culinary chops under greats such as David Bouley, Daniel Boulud, Shea Gallante and David Chang in New York City. The chefs’ tasting dinner will be in the private John Hand Club on the top two floors of a 21-story classic revival skyscraper built in 1912. Overlooking the lights of the Magic City, guests will enjoy a custom chef’s tasting menu with beverage pairings (Friday, Oct. 22, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.).
- Big Birmingham Bar Crawl – Sponsored by the Birmingham Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, this bar crawl through downtown Birmingham will deliver the best of the local bar scene through craft cocktails and special ambiance (Friday, Oct. 22, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.).
- Alabama Tastemaker Sessions – Some of Birmingham’s top tastemakers share tips on entertaining, mixology and brand building, plus chefs’ demos:
- Pastry chef Kristen Farmer Hall of Bandit Patisserie and The Essential demonstrate pate sucree.
- Dread River Distilling Co. co-founder John Cubelic demonstrates creative spins on autumn craft cocktails using Dread River’s house-made syrups and spirits.
- Sprouthouse founder Melany Robinson dishes on the secrets of building a brand.
- Designer Cyndy Cantley of Cantley & Co. covers tips on entertaining, focusing on the tablescape and autumn style.
- Chef Tyler Lyne and pastry chef Jennifer Lyne of Tasting TBL will do a fall-themed chef’s demo covering sweet and savory offerings.
Events are open to the food-loving public. For more information or to view the conference agenda, visit iacpculinary.com. For tickets, visit eventbrite. To enjoy fun details and teasers about the culinary weekend, follow @iacppix, @pepperplacebham and @marketatpepperplace.
Homestead Hollow
Enjoy music, food and fun at Homestead Hollow’s Fall Music Festival Saturday, Oct. 23. Tickets bought for the June show or won on the radio will be honored. Performances include Deputy 5, Shootin’ You Straight: The Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Band and The Journey Tribute Band. Gates open at 3 p.m. Visit ovationtix.com for ticket prices. The festival is at 1161 Murphrees Valley Road in Springville.
Alabama Ballet ‘Ovation’
Performances of “Ovation” will be Oct. 22-24 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. “Ovation” is a mixed repertory performance featuring an original work by international choreographer Garrett Smith titled “Imitations” and George Balanchine’s “Western Symphony.” The show highlights the Alabama Ballet dancers’ versatility, strength and artistry while showcasing a timeless classic and bold, creative contemporary works. Masks are required for all audience members regardless of vaccination status or age. Purchase tickets at alabamaballet.org.
Reba McEntire tickets on sale
Tickets are on sale for the Reba: Live in Concert tour with special guest Tenille Townes. McEntire will perform Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022, at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. All seats are reserved. Dates, acts and ticket prices are subject to change. A service charge is added to each ticket. Buy tickets at ticketmaster.com. For more information, click on redmountainentertainment.com.
‘Pippin’ musical
The University of Alabama Department of Theatre and Dance presents “Pippin” Oct. 21, 22 and 24. Set in the ninth century, “Pippin” takes audiences on the journey of a young man, King Charlemagne’s son, who feels the need to be extraordinary in some way. Lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz sets a group of players to tell the story, turning “Pippin” into a morality tale as the main player makes numerous mistakes on the path to grandeur. Tickets are available at the Rowand Johnson Hall ticket office, by phone at 205-348-3400 or online. Find more information about the production and the University of Alabama Theatre and Dance season at theatre.ua.edu. See the production at the Marian Gallaway Theatre on the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa.
Sustaining Dialogues: Two Painters exhibit
The “Sustaining Dialogues: Two Painters” exhibit is on display at the Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur through Thursday, Oct. 28. The exhibit features 20 paintings each by Alabama artists Daniel White and Tony Sturgis. Sturgis’ work is from the past year and White’s exhibit is from the past few years. White’s work in “Sustaining Dialogues: Two Painters” focuses on the abstracted portrait. Often these paintings can serve as studies for larger paintings, but the intimacy of the facial expression and the abstraction it offers within that framework is intentionally paired with Sturgis’ larger, often monumental works to create a dynamic conversation for the viewer about painting abstraction. While differing in approach and style, the intersection of patterns, color and line bring the artists’ work together in this show. White lives in Northport and Sturgis resides in Tuscaloosa.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
For decades, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) has raised money for research by the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center and its collaborative partners. These funds remain in Alabama to support local research, which in turn makes a national impact.
BCRFA events include:
- ARC Realty Blue Goes Pink: Throughout October, $25 will be donated for each new property listing, while employees and agents are encouraged to raise funds and awareness.
- BDA Farm: Throughout October, BDA will donate 10% of its proceeds. Every purchase includes a bracelet to show your support.
- Bertolone’s Classic Italian: Throughout October, Bertolone’s will donate $1 for every slice of strawberry cake sold. Patrons can buy a pink ribbon for $1 to display in the restaurant, in honor of a loved one.
- brick & tin: Throughout October, brick & tin will donate 100% of proceeds from sales of pink macarons, pink cocktails and “b&t x BCRFA” shirt sales in Birmingham and Mountain Brook.
- Kendra Scott Charity Pop-Up: Attendees of the Calera Goes Pink Disc Golf tournament may shop at a Kendra Scott charity pop-up (including online shoppers), with 20% of proceeds going to BCRFA.
- Fire Station Pink Ribbon Project: More than 20 fire stations from Florence to Eufaula will sell specially designed Pink Ribbon Project T-shirts throughout October.
- Renasant Bank: Twenty-four Renasant branches across Alabama are holding community fundraisers and accepting donations to support the BCRFA and Alabama breast cancer research. Renasant Mortgage will donate $50 per mortgage closed during October.
- Standard Heating, Cooling & Plumbing: Throughout October, the company will donate $5 per service ticket to the BCRFA.
- Stokes Automotive: The company will donate $100 for every new car sold at the Clanton location during October.
- Tameron Automotive Group: The Hoover and Gadsden locations will donate $100 in support of breast cancer research for every new car sold at Tameron Honda and Tameron Hyundai.
During October, watch for more BCRFA-affiliated events.
