Can’t Miss Alabama: ¡HICA!’s Pig Roast brings communities together
Celebrate the Latin tradition at the ¡HICA! Pig Roast Aug. 20 at the Cahaba Brewing Company. (Britt Allen)
Weekend events feature good food, exciting festivals and special activities.
¡HICA!’s Birmingham Pig Roast
Bring a big appetite to ¡HICA!’s 2nd annual Birmingham Pig Roast for juicy, tender pulled pork and sides at Cahaba Brewing Company. In Puerto Rico and other Latino cultures, a pig roast happens whenever there is a big celebration. ¡HICA! will bring the celebration to the Magic City Saturday, Aug. 20, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Cahaba Brewing Company has brewed Lagerveza, a special beer just for the pig roast. In addition to the slow-roasted pig and specially crafted beer, there will be live entertainment, activities for all ages and a Birmingham Legion FC and Memphis 901 FC watch party at 7 p.m. ¡HICA! scholarships will be awarded to three Latino students. Proceeds from the event will benefit ¡HICA!. Alabama Power is among the sponsors for the event. ¡HICA! is a community development and advocacy organization that champions economic equality, civic engagement and social justice for Latino and immigrant families in Alabama. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin. Purchase tickets here.
¡HICA!’s Birmingham Pig Roast offers pulled pork, sides, activities and live entertainment for all ages. (Britt Allen)
Legends in Concert
Summer performances are underway through Sunday, Sept. 4, at OWA in Foley. Fans will see performances by Isaiah Mercado as Bruno Mars, Nellie Norris as Katy Perry, Nae Cullors as Michael Jackson and more. The show features high-energy dancers, backup vocalists, a live band, costumes, elaborate theatrical sets and a full array of special effects. Performances are at the OWA Theater Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m.
Temple Beth El Birmingham
Temple Beth El invites you to Tzofim La’atid Thursday, Aug. 25, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The sneak peek event will help in building the Beth El Civil Rights Experience. The evening will feature an exhibition of Spider Martin’s civil rights photographs; docent-led tours of the upcoming exhibit; an opportunity to provide real-time feedback on the project and special remarks from guest speakers J. Mason Davis (Dentons Sirote), DeJuana Thompson (Birmingham Civil Rights Institute) and local author T.K. Thorne. Hosted by the Civil Rights Experience committee, attendees will enjoy drinks, appetizers and networking with community partners and donors. Registration is here.
Sidewalk Film Festival
The 24th annual Sidewalk Film Festival is set for Aug. 22-28 in Birmingham’s historic theatre district. Festival venues include the Sidewalk Film Center and Cinema, the Alabama Theatre, the Lyric Theatre, the Carver Theatre, First Church Birmingham, the Alabama School of Fine Arts Dorothy Jemison Day Theatre, Recital Hall and Lecture Hall, as well as the Steiner Auditorium at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Alabama Power is among the sponsors for the event. Follow this link for tickets. For more about the festival, visit sidewalkfest.com/how-to-fest. With events being added to the festival schedule through Aug. 23, stay updated here for new additions.
‘American Mariachi’
Family, tradition, progress and the freedom to dream big are at the center of the hilarious and big-hearted musical “American Mariachi.” Lucha spends her days caring for her ailing mother. Yearning to break free from her life’s monotony, she comes up with a wild idea: an all-girl mariachi band. But it’s the 1970s and girls can’t be mariachis … or can they? Follow Lucha and her spunky cousin as they hunt for bandmates, dodge disapproving relatives and bring mom along for the ride. Will the band come together? Performances are through Sunday, Aug. 21. Visit the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to purchase tickets.
Birmingham Barons
The Birmingham Barons and the Tennessee Smokies will square off through Sunday, Aug. 21. The Barons also are scheduled to play the Mississippi Braves Aug. 23-28 at Regions Field in Birmingham. Follow this link for the complete schedule, updates, promotions and giveaways. Regions Field is a cashless facility. Credit and debit cards will be accepted at the Joe Drake Ticket Office, the Barons Sports Depot and all concession stands at Regions Field. Get tickets online.
Finches
The Gadsden Museum of Art presents “Finches” from Harper Lee’s classic “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The exhibit examines the character of Atticus Finch, combines film with objects and artifacts from the Monroe County Heritage Museum and showcases quotes from Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and her book “Go Set a Watchman.” Click here to read a related article. Visit the exhibit through Thursday, Aug. 26.
Red Mountain Entertainment
Upcoming shows include:
- Aug. 18 – Luke Bryan, Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham.
- Aug. 19 – Weird Al Yankovic: Unfortunate Return of the Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, Mark C. Smith Concert Hall in Huntsville.
- Aug. 19 – Local Natives, Iron City in Birmingham.
- Aug. 19 – JJ Grey & Mofro, Mars Music Hall in Huntsville.
- Aug. 20 – Weird Al Yankovic: Unfortunate Return of the Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, Alabama Theatre in Birmingham.
- Aug. 25 – PJ Morton, Watch the Sun Tour, Soul Kitchen Music Hall in Mobile.
For the complete schedule, visit redmountainentertainment.com.
Celebrating Sam Hairston
The Negro Southern League Museum (NSLM) in Birmingham will host an open house Saturday, Aug. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. celebrating the life and legacy of Sam Hairston, who was a Negro League and Major League Baseball player. Hairston played for the Birmingham Black Barons and the Indianapolis Clowns before going to the Chicago White Sox. Hairston became the patriarch of a large family of professional baseball players. His sons, Jerry and Johnny, as well as his grandsons, Jerry Jr. and Scott, played in the major leagues. His son, Sammy Jr., and grandsons, Johnny Jr., Jeff and Jason, played in the minor leagues. Layton Revel, the founder and executive director for the Center for Negro League Baseball Research, helped to assemble the artifacts that honor the accomplishments of Sam Hairston and his family. Revel will lead “PitchTalk” at 10:30 a.m. There will be free guided tours, food trucks and an appearance by the NSLM mascot “Barry.” NSLM is at 120 16th St. S. For more information, go to birminghamnslm.org.
Franklin County Watermelon Festival
Summer’s favorite fruit will take center stage Aug. 19-20 at the annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival. The festival offers arts and crafts, a variety of watermelon contests, 5K run and 1-mile fun run, car and truck show, food vendors, children’s activities, games, musical entertainment and free samples of watermelon.
The music lineup includes:
Friday, Aug. 19
- 5:45 p.m.: Opening ceremony (national anthem: Cassandra James).
- 6 p.m.: Cody Bowen.
- 7 p.m.: Joseph Baldwin Band.
- 8:30 p.m.: Velcro Pygmies.
Saturday, Aug. 20
- 6 p.m.: Tremayne.
- 7 p.m.: Rewind of the Shoals.
- 8:30 p.m.: Thompson Square.
The festival takes place along Main Street (Jackson Avenue) in downtown Russellville. Franklin County is also the Watermelon Capital of Alabama. The hours are 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free. For more details, visit the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce website or call 256-332-1760. Follow on Facebook.
