Spring attractions from Can’t Miss Alabama include Hangout Music Festival, Taco Fest
Take a fabulous weekend vacation on the sandy beaches of Gulf Shores at the Hangout Music Festival. (Hangout Music Festival)
It’s a big weekend for great music and good food.
Gulf Shores Hangout Music Festival
After a two-year hiatus, the Hangout Music Festival will return May 20-22 to Gulf Shores. Festival headliners include singer and rapper Post Malone, Australian psychedelic rock act Tame Impala and Grammy award-winning vocalist Halsey. Others scheduled to perform include R&B and rap sensation Doja Cat, Chicago pop-punk group Fall Out Boy, dance music standout Illenium, Houston hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion, country vocalist Kane Brown, Louisville rapper Jack Harlow, Grammy-winning German-Russian DJ and producer Zedd, and soul singer and songwriter Leon Bridges. Check out a variety of other fun things to do at the festival here. Ages 17 and younger must be accompanied by an adult older than 21. Children ages 5 and younger are admitted free (no more than two children per supervising adult) with a ticket-holding parent or guardian. Click here for the complete lineup. Festival gates open at 11 a.m. Friday-Sunday. A few tickets to the event are left. Follow this link to purchase a ticket.
Thousands of people are expected to attend the Hangout Music Festival for great music and fun in the sun. (Hangout Music Festival)
Tribute to veterans
A tribute to veterans will be celebrated with activities at the Alabama Veterans Memorial Park in Birmingham Sunday, May 22 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The newest StepStones installed at the park will be dedicated during a ceremony honoring those whose names are on the engraved bricks. StepStones are permanently installed at the park to honor any veteran, living or deceased, and are dedicated twice a year. Prior to the event, guests can view the Regiment of Columns, where they will see stories, letters, artwork and inscriptions about Alabama veterans and the state’s 24 Medal of Honor recipients. The Hall of Honor will display the names of 11,000 Alabamians who lost their lives in the service of this nation. Free shuttles will be provided from the parking area to the park, and seating will be provided at the event. The public is invited and admission is free. All activities are outdoors. The park is near the Liberty Parkway exit off I-459. For more information, go to alabamaveterans.org.
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions will face the Michigan Panthers at 6:30 p.m. and the Tampa Bay Bandits will face the Philadelphia Stars at noon Saturday, May 21 at Protective Stadium. Click here for the complete schedule. Buy tickets here. Follow the Birmingham Stallions on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons will battle the Rocket City Trash Pandas through Sunday, May 22 at Regions Field in Birmingham. Follow this link for the complete schedule, updates, promotions and giveaways. Tickets are available online.
Taco Fest
Bare Hands presents the Birmingham Taco Fest Saturday, May 21 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Sloss Furnaces. The festival will feature more than 20 of Birmingham’s top taco vendors and food trucks, music by DJ Khallima and La TropaKumbiambera, a children’s area that includes an interactive mural experience with artist Dewon Moton, face painting, art vendors and specialty business exhibitors. Attendees can vote for Birmingham’s best taco and pair their taco selection with crafted beverages. Proceeds will support the mission of Bare Hands, which includes organizing the Dia de los Muertos (Day of The Dead) celebration. Children ages 12 and younger are admitted free. Tickets are available at bhamtacofest.com. The event is rain or shine.
Taco Fest will offer taco vendors, food trucks, music, children’s area, complimentary parking, a new event layout, eight bars and plenty of hydration stations. (contributed)
Red Mountain Entertainment
Live concerts coming up include:
- May 19 – Kenny Chesney, The Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach.
- May 20 – Nothing More and Asking Alexandria, Avondale Brewing Company in Birmingham.
- May 21 – In This Moment, Mars Music Hall in Huntsville.
- May 23 – Brit Floyd, Mark C. Smith Concert Hall in Huntsville.
For more shows, visit redmountainentertainment.
Beethoven’s Ninth
Maestro Carlos Izcaray will conduct the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in “Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony” May 20-21 at 7 p.m. The program will Include Tania León: “Batá,” Johannes Brahms: “Song of the Fates” and Ludwig van Beethoven: “Symphony No. 9, Choral.” The beloved masterpiece symbolizes and honors the fight for equality, freedom and the empowerment of others. The conductor will incorporate comments into the concert each night at 6:15 p.m. in the Reynolds-Kirschbaum Recital Hall. Masks are not required. Click here for recommended parking. Tickets are available on the website. The concert will be at UAB’s Alys Stephens Center.
Block Party on the new 20th Street North
It is time to celebrate with a block party after months of improvements to the streets and sidewalks of 20th Street North in downtown Birmingham. The 20th Street party will extend two blocks between Second Avenue and Fourth Avenue North on Friday, May 20 at 4 p.m. The grand opening includes entertainment, art, interactive programming, shopping and dining in the streets. Remarks and a special celebration moment will be at 6 p.m. The 20th Street North streetscape updates will stretch from Morris Avenue to Linn Park with the expansion of new designs for the bike and flex lanes; native and drought-resistant landscaping, consistent with the plant palette found in Railroad Park and Rotary Trail; flexible cafe-style public seating plus interactive elements; sidewalk and crosswalk improvements and updated signs. As The World Games 2022 approaches, the street has been designated “World Games Boulevard.” The refreshed streetscape will be a thoroughfare of activity for the 3,600 competing athletes and international visitors. On 20th Street, pedestrians will see sumo, lacrosse, flying disc, karate, tug of war, waterski and handball sculptures. The new 20th Street will also be a place to spend time dog walking, photo taking, book reading, game playing, remote working, eating and drinking. Follow along on Facebook.
Vulcan Park and Museum walking tours
Birmingham’s Loft District remains one of the most historically relevant places in the city. Standing in one spot in this district would look strikingly similar to someone today as it did 100 years ago. The tour focuses on the history of the area while highlighting the beautiful architecture of the historic buildings. The walking tour will be Saturday, May 21 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Space is limited and advanced registration is required.
Logan Martin Lakefest and Boat Show
The 10th annual Logan Martin Lakefest and Boat Show is May 20-22. Test-drive boats, stock up on boating gear, see a variety of vendors, eat dinner, enjoy live entertainment and register for prizes. A kids zone has been added to the event this year. Tyler Farr will perform in concert Friday at 7 p.m. Lakeside Park is at 2801 Stemley Bridge Road.
Renew Our Rivers
Take part in the Renew Our Rivers cleanup at Lay Lake at E.C. Gaston Plant (Coosa River) Saturday, May 21. Supplies will be provided. For information about the cleanup, contact Jodi Webb at 205-669-8360. Follow this link for the complete Renew Our Rivers schedule. To learn more, visit shorelines.com.
Legends of Country
Performances featuring tributes to Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Martina McBride and Elvis Presley are underway through Sunday, May 29 at OWA Theater in Foley. Stacey Whitton Summers will pay homage to Shania Twain and Martina McBride, with Shawn Gerhard as country music superstar Garth Brooks and Patrick Dunn as Elvis Presley. Dunn is the recently crowned 2021 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist champion from Elvis Week in Memphis. “Legends of Country” is his first appearance in coastal Alabama. For tickets and more information, visit the website.
The Marvelous Wonderettes
Meet and learn about the lives and loves of Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts, in the smash off-Broadway hit “The Marvelous Wonderettes” at Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery. When the Wonderettes reunite to perform at their 10-year reunion, we learn about the highs and lows the girls have experienced in the past decade and are charmed to find that no matter what life throws their way, they will conquer it together. The production will feature more than 30 classic ’50s and ’60s hits, including “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover” and “Lipstick on Your Collar.” Performances are May 24-June 26. Read the COVID-19 Policy for Patrons before purchasing a ticket.
Cahaba Lily Festival
The 33rd annual Cahaba Lily Festival will present a two-part format Saturday, May 21 as it celebrates the rare lily that grows in spectacular clusters in the rocky shoals near the Cahaba River. The first part of the format is the festival livestream at 9:10 a.m. The program includes a keynote presentation by professor Larry Davenport and updates from partner organizations such as the Cahaba River Society, The Nature Conservancy, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the George Wood Chapter of the Alabama Wildflower Society and others. Attendees can watch on Facebook and YouTube. The second part of the format will encourage a visit to the refuge at 1012 Main St. in West Blocton from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The lilies will likely be blooming well into the first week of June. Admission is free, but donations are accepted to help keep the Cahaba Lily Center operating. There will also be food trucks in front of the building. For information email info@cahabalily.com.
