Can’t Miss Alabama: Enjoy the sweet fruits of summer at the Chilton County Peach Festival
The Chilton County Peach Festival will feature a variety of entertainment including the Peach Jam Jubilee. (contributed)
Chilton County Peach Festival and Peach Jam Jubilee
Thousands of people will celebrate the annual Chilton County Peach Festival and Peach Jam Jubilee through the weekend. Events at the festival include a pageant, parade, auction, car show and shopping. The festivities will wrap up on Saturday with the Peach Jam Jubilee at Clanton City Park featuring live music, arts and craft vendors, food trucks, inflatables and hot air balloon rides. You’ll find something for the entire family at the event, which celebrates Chilton County’s peach crop and farmers. See the complete schedule. Admission is free. Email info@chiltonchamber.org for more information.
The Chilton County Peach Festival will feature a variety of entertainment including the Peach Jam Jubilee. (Karim Shamsi-Basha / Alabama News Center)
Mobile’s J.A.W.S. Fest
The Jazz Art Writers South (J.A.W.S.) festival starts with an art exhibit in celebration of jazz music. The festival will celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Excelsior Band. The festival and exhibit will run until the end of June. The exhibit will have artwork populating the University of South Alabama Libraries Art Galleries: Mary Elizabeth and Charles Bernard Rodning Gallery of Art and Gallery Hall. Artworks will also be displayed in the brand new ArtSpace at BioMed (Charles M. Baugh Medical Library). Along the way, there will be several free events, including a concert from the Excelsior Band on Thursday, June 29, at 3:30 p.m. The exhibit is at 5901 USA North Drive in Mobile. Purchase tickets here.
Shrek The Musical
Red Mountain Theatre (RMT) presents “Shrek The Musical,” a theatrical extravaganza for the entire family. Based on the 2001 DreamWorks film, the musical version takes the familiar story in new directions with witty songs, goofy dance numbers and elaborate sets and costumes. The cast bringing the beloved characters to life is one of the most accomplished troupes seen at RMT. Familiar faces to both RMT and Opera Birmingham fans, Caleb Clark steps into the title role with Alie B. Gorrie taking the stage as Princess Fiona. The lead pair is joined by Dorian (Donkey), Halo Wheeler (Dragon), Blake West (Lord Farquaad), and an ensemble of gifted RMT veterans and new talent. NYC-based choreographer Sara Brians has enjoyed the camaraderie among the cast. Performances run through Sunday, June 25. Buy tickets online at redmountaintheatre.org. The show is recommended for all ages.
Hot Wharf Summer
The Sparks After Dark weekly fireworks show will flash to life again this summer at The Wharf in Orange Beach every Monday through July 31. Come early and enjoy entertainment from magicians, stilt walkers and jugglers. Stick around for DJ Matt at 6 p.m., fireworks at 8:45 p.m. and the Spectra Laser Light Experience shows at 8:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Tuscaloosa Restaurant Week
Visit Tuscaloosa for the inaugural Tuscaloosa Restaurant Week with many of the city’s most in-demand dining locations. Treat yourself to six days and nights of exclusive menu items, special discounts and a fleet of food trucks. Many of Druid City’s most talked-about restaurants will take part beginning Sunday, June 25. The week will culminate Friday, June 30, at the Government Plaza, as Food Truck Friday joins Live at the Plaza featuring Cotton Mouth Creek and CashBack. With nearly 200 options to eat out, Tuscaloosa offers innovative creations alongside favorite staples that can satisfy the cravings of virtually any palate.
Alabama Adventure and Splash Adventure
Whether you like to ride, slide or see a show, Alabama Adventure has more than two dozen attractions for the entire family. Water park attractions include Cocoa Island, Kahuna Wave Pool, Free Fall, Aqua Maze, Salamander Bay, Splash Island, Twister, UpSurge!, Warrior Lazy River and Neptune’s Plunge. Amusement park attractions include Rampage, Drop Zone, Little Harbor, Little Bumpers, Jump Around, Galleon, Centi-Speed, Yo-Yo and Tilt-a-Whirl. Visit the website for upcoming attractions and ticket information. The park is at 4599 Splash Adventure Parkway in Bessemer.
Poochella
The Shelby County Humane Society will host Poochella, a festival celebrating music, food, drinks, family and furry friends Saturday, June 24, from noon to 5 p.m. Before the event, the shelter will kick off the day with a low-cost vaccine clinic in the upper parking lot at 10 a.m. Poochella begins at noon featuring live music from Medicine Bus and Brendan Young, activities including an owner-and-pet “best dressed” contest, a 360-degree photo booth, face painting and games for the whole family. The event is at the newly renovated pavilion of the Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Pelham. Attendees are encouraged to bring their pets for their vaccinations and stay afterward to enjoy tasty treats, spirits and brews while experiencing live music, interactive activities and contests. The event will also feature an adoption area for rescue animals, where attendees can play with adoptable dogs. Pets must be on a leash at all times.
Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum
Join the Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum in Tuscaloosa Thursday, June 22, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a free presentation by Scott Lothes, director of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art, and Dr. Alexander Craghead of the University of California, Berkeley, titled “After Promontory: Photos, Myths & Railroads in the American West.” The presentation is in conjunction with the Warner Transportation Museum’s summer exhibit, “After Promontory: 150 Years of Transcontinental Railroading.” “After Promontory” takes a wide view of an entire era of transcontinental railroad construction that stretched for nearly 50 years. At its core is the assertion that, collectively, the transcontinental railroads profoundly reshaped the human geography of the West, giving birth to the region we recognize today. Light refreshments will be served. Register for the event here.
Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy
The Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy will host Celebrating Juneteenth Saturday, June 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dr. Howard Robinson, historian at Alabama State University, will present the history of Juneteenth. Follow along on Facebook. The venue is at 4295 Wilcox County Road 29 in Alberta.
