5th Annual Celebrate the Family Expo Recap!

October 29, 2024September 23, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Birmingham Christian Family (BCF) celebrated 25 years of sharing GOOD NEWS at the 5^th Annual Celebrate the Family Expo presented by Benton Nissan of Hoover on September 14, 2024. Here are just a few of the highlights from the free day of family fun at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex’s Finley Center!

Watch the video below to hear directly from Expo attendees about the fun they enjoyed.

City of Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato and Benton Nissan of Hoover’s General Manager Ken Banks helped us kick off the day of fun. Special thanks to our Celebrity Chef Emcees WBRC-TV’s Janice Rogers and WERC’s JT and our Expo Emcee Mark Harvard who stepped away from his day job as associate pastor at Clearbranch Methodist to announce all the jam packed Expo activities for the 4th year in a row.

The first 200 families that arrived at the Expo received an Expo swag bag packed full of great giveaway items from Expo sponsors.

The Chick-fil-A Herd of Cows danced with Expo attendees and handed out plush cows.

Each attendee received a Birthday Bingo sheet when they arrived. Every booth had a special stamp and if attendees filled out six rows of stamps by visiting each booth, they were entered to receive great prizes like a $100 Walmart gift card courtesy of WAY-FM, $50 Publix gift cards from Alabama Credit Union, $50 Mark’s Outdoors gift cards courtesy Mark’s Outdoors, cases of Bud’s Best Cookies, and much more. Seen here is Mark Whitlock of Mark’s Outdoors who provided Bingo gift cards.

Live praise and worship music was enjoyed by all thanks to Kevin Derryberry who joined us for the 5^th year in a row!

Children enjoyed getting their faces painted for free, courtesy of Painted Personalities.

The Hoover Belles joined us for the fun day and welcomed attendees to the Expo.

Inflatables, balloon animals, interactive games and free Bibles from River of Life Church were a huge hit in the Expo’s River of Life Kids’ Zone. Pastor Mike Woods explains, “We are committed to serving our community and sharing the love of Jesus every chance we get. Today more than ever we need to share and reflect biblical family values.”

A big thanks to Eugene’s Hot Chicken and The Lil Bougie Foodie for providing Expo attendees with delicious food.

Thanks to The Arc of Central Alabama’s RecylABILITY for providing free shredding services to Expo attendees. Sweet Heart Service Guild of Birmingham and the Birmingham Squadron’s Commander also helped with the shredding. RecylABILITY Director Letessia Penick shared, “It was such a success. We had lots of shredding and also lots of people asking us about the mission of The Arc of Central Alabama and how they can get involved.”

Adorable adoptable dogs and cats with Two by Two Animal Rescue enjoyed lots of attention at the Expo and Bam Bam, a four-year-old cat, even found his forever home!

The Sweet Grown Alabama Celebrity Chef Stage was a crowd favorite of the day. WBRC-TV’s Janice Rogers and WERC’s JT welcomed a new chef to the stage every 30 minutes. The line up of local chefs included Josh Schaff and Chef Chris Ippolito of Cayo Coco Restaurant; Julie Kimbrough of The Meal Prep Mamacita; Annie McDaniel of Miss Annie’s Home + Kitchen; BCF contributors Kathleen Phillips of Grits and Gouda, Danna Standridge, author of Happiness is Homemade, Y’all, and Katrina Adams of In the Kitchen with K Marie; and Food Network Star finalist Martie Duncan. Click here to watch the livestream video of the Sweet Grown Alabama Celebrity Chef Stage.

Special thanks to our Expo sponsors for making the event a reality and sharing great family resources, free entertainment and giveaways to attendees!

Title Sponsor: Benton Nissan of Hoover

Celebrity Chef Stage Sponsor: Sweet Grown Alabama

Major Sponsors: Avadian Credit Union, Children’s of Alabama and Jimmie Hale Mission

Event Sponsors: Alabama Credit Union, Jefferson Credit Union, Renewal by Andersen, Strickland Counseling, Verizon, and Vulcan Termite & Pest Control

To view more photos of the fun day, visit our Facebook page. Click here to view media coverage of the event. Plans are already underway for the 6^th Annual Celebrate the Family Expo- mark your calendars for free fun on Saturday, September 13, 2025!

August 15, 2024July 25, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Besides the Sweet Grown Alabama Chef Stage, there is even more fun to enjoy at the 5th Annual Celebrate the Family Expo. This free event presented by Benton Nissan of Hoover happens from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on September 14, 2024 at the Finley Center, Hoover Met Complex. The Expo highlights the importance of family and provides an array of activities for kids and adults, exhibits, resources, live music, cooking demos, product samples, food trucks and many freebies for the entire family.

For adults, there will be many resources and vendors at the event plus free giveaways and swag bags for the first 200 families. Swag bags will be filled with different novelty items from participating sponsors. Free shredding will also be offered by RecylABILITY, The Arc of Central Alabama.

For children, there will be many free activities provided by River of Life Church including inflatables and games. Plus, opportunities to meet special mascot guests like the Chick-fil-A Herd and free face painting courtesy of Painted Personalities.

Birmingham Christian Family owner Laurie Franklin says, “We’re happy to be celebrating 25 years of publishing Birmingham Christian Family magazine and living out our mission of spreading GOOD NEWS. The Expo is a great way for us to invite the entire community to celebrate with us as we share free resources to help them meet their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.”

Special thanks to our Title Sponsor Benton Nissan, Celebrity Chef Stage Sponsor Sweet Grown Alabama, Major Sponsors Avadian Credit Union, Children’s of Alabama and the Jimmie Hale Mission and Event Sponsors including Alabama Credit Union, Jefferson Credit Union and Renewal by Andersen.

We hope to see you at the Finley Center, Hoover Met Complex on September 14, 2024, www.BirminghamChristian.com/Expo2024! †

June 26, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

TO SAY THANK YOU for reading and supporting the businesses and organizations that advertise with Birmingham Christian Family(BCF) and make spreading Good News possible we have TWO Family Four Packs of tickets to Alabama Adventure Amusement Park & Splash Adventure Water Park.

Enter on both Facebook & Instagram to double your chances!

Instagram. To enter, simply LIKE and COMMENT on the Giveaway Post on Birmingham Christian Family’s Instagram @cfpbirmingham.

For EXTRA ENTRIES:

SHARE the giveaway post on your story
FOLLOW US on Facebook @Birmingham Christian Family
SUBSCRIBE to receive your free digital issue of BCF at www.birminghamchristian.com.

Facebook. To enter simply LIKE and COMMENT on the Giveaway Post on Birmingham Christian Family’s Facebook @Birmingham Christian Family.

For EXTRA ENTRIES:

TAG a friend in the comments.
SHARE the post on Facebook
FOLLOW US on Instagram @cfpbirmingham
SUBSCRIBE to receive your free digital issue of BCF at www.birminghamchristian.com.

Offers end Thursday 7/18/24. Winners announced 7/19/24 on Instagram and Facebook so be sure to FOLLOW our Instagram @cfpbirmingham and Facebook @Birmingham Christian Family pages.

May 29, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Are We There Yet?

Mark your calendars for a wonderful evening of family fun at the annual Chelsea Fest and the Big KaBoom. The free event hosted by the City of Chelsea takes place Saturday June 29, 2024 at Chelsea Corners Way just behind the Dairy Queen.

Chelsea Fest stage — Public parking will be in the field behind the event area as well as behind Winn Dixie. Handicap parking will be provided behind the stage.

If you love America and want to celebrate in style with good food, good music, good friends and an amazing firework display, Chelsea Fest is for you! The Yankee Doodle Dandy Children’s Parade kicks off the event at 6 p.m. Children are invited to decorate their bicycles, tricycles, scooters and wagons and parade down Chelsea Corners Way.

Chelsea Fest Fireworks — The big finale of ChelseaFest & the Big Kaboom is fireworks. Click here to watch a video of what to expect at ChelseaFest and the Big Kaboom.

There will be a variety of food trucks in attendance and plenty of tents, tables and chairs near the food truck area. You can also bring blankets and make it a picnic. There will also be a Family Zone area provided by local churches that includes inflatables, face painting, games plus much more. A Vendor Alley with local vendors, churches and businesses will also be set up. Local scout troops will lead the Pledge of Allegiance, Abigayle Hyche will sing the National Anthem and Chaplain Eddie Burchfield with Fresh Fire Ministries will lead in prayer for the city, state and nation. The Monsters of Yacht band will provide all types of live music to be enjoyed by young, old and everyone in between. The fireworks show will begin promptly at 9 p.m. with synchronized music not only played at the main event but also simulcast by radio station KOOL 96.9. Learn more at www.chelseafest.com. †

February 26, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Are We There Yet?

Are you looking for opportunities to learn more about the history of the faith? Look no further than the Ave Maria Grotto in Cullman, Ala. where you will find 125 intricate structures depicting the Ten Commandments, the crucifixion, the resurrection and much more. Roger Steele, Director of the Ave Maria Grotto, explains that Brother Joseph Zoettl is to thank for the beautiful structures visitors can view today.

“He was one of the first-generation monks that came here from southeastern Germany when he was 14 years old,” Steele explains, adding that Brother Joseph was unable to become a priest, so he eventually started shoveling coal in a steam plant. He suffered a back injury that left him hunched for most of his life. “Long story short, he started to make things with his hands,” Steele says, which eventually led him to make depictions of religious structures from around the world. He placed his creations out in the woods near the monastery and it became a tourist attraction. “Eventually, the visitors bothered the monks, so they moved Brother Joseph’s creations to where the Grotto is now in 1934,” Steele says, adding, “He created all of this starting in the early 1900s and the last one he created in 1958,” Steele says. Brother Joseph died in 1961.

Ave Maria Grotto structures — Visitors of Cullman’s Ave Maria Grotto are invited to browse the intricate creations of Brother Joseph Zoettl seven days a week. Learn more at www.avemariagrotto.com.

Ave Maria Grotto is located on the campus of St. Bernard Abby and visitors stroll through the grounds to see the intricate details of Brother Joseph’s 125 structures. “We have roughly 35,000 visitors a year,” Steele shares. The Grotto welcomes visitors seven days a week Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for self-guided tours. “If anyone wants a guided tour from a monk or me, they need to call us in advance,” Steele says. The standard rate of admission is $10 for adults, children four and under get in free. Group rates are also available.

Why visit the Grotto? “You come to the Grotto and get two things. You get natural peace – nature, hearing God speak through the creek at the bottom of the Grotto or the woodlands you are in. Also, the peace that you experience by looking at Brother Joseph’s work,” Steele explains. The Grotto also has a beautiful gift shop where you can purchase gifts, fresh bread and cookies made on the property, honey, pecans, and more. “It is Cullman’s oldest tourist attraction by far,” Steele says. Visit www.avemariagrotto.com to learn more.

-Melissa Armstrong

January 29, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

The 50th Annual Birmingham Home Show will feature hundreds of top local experts with the latest home products and services, special guest Ati Williams from Netflix’s Hack My Home and a cooking stage with a lineup of chefs that include none other than Birmingham Christian Family cover story and contributor Danna Standridge. The three day show will be February 16-18, 2024 at the BJCC.

Hack My Home host Ati Williams will be on stage Friday February 16, 2024 at 5 p.m. and Saturday February 17, 2024 at Noon. Guests will have the chance to get renovation advice from the self-proclaimed “Renovation Ninja” who is a licensed general contractor and designer. On her show, she and a team of design wizards work magic on homes with space-maximizing solutions and ingenious engineering.

The show will also feature a Design from the Decades exhibit highlighting throwback interior design trends that have dominated over the last five decades. The show’s 50th anniversary will also be celebrated with gifts for guests. Each day, the first 50 people through the door will receive a special gift from participating vendors. “We’ll have lots of surprises for guests to mark our milestone and show our appreciation for the Magic City every day of the show,” said Mari Franco, Show Manager. “And as always, we’re bringing hundreds of experts together under one roof to simplify and streamline the process for homeowners…”

The show offers free admission all three days for active military personnel, veterans, EMTs, nurses, healthcare workers, firefighters, police and medical personnel. Friday, February 16 is Seniors Day. Guests aged 60+ receive a discounted $7 admission. Sunday, February 18, all educators receive free admission. For all specials, bring a valid ID with you to the box office.

Show hours are Friday 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.–8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Tickets are $11 for adults and free for children 12 and under. On Friday only, the show offers special $5 tickets after 5 p.m. Advance $9 tickets are available when purchased before the show weekend at www.birminghamhomeshow.com and BCF readers who use the CODE Family can purchase advance tickets for $8. †

February 8, 2024January 29, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Are We There Yet?

Celebrate Washington’s Birthday. In a day of family fun, patriotic music and birthday cake, the American Village in Montevallo will celebrate the 293rd birthday of the Father of our Country, George Washington, on Monday, February 19, 2024. Washington’s Birthday holds special meaning for the American Village. The land on Highway 119 in Montevallo where the American Village campus is located was purchased on Washington’s Birthday, and their first school program began on Washington’s Birthday.

Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington’s Birthday of February 22, the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents, past and present. Visitors to the American Village on President’s Day will enjoy family-friendly activities with their staff of costumed historical interpreters from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and can share birthday cake with George Washington at noon.

Watch the video below for more details on the celebration!

8th Annual Festival of Tulips. Over 100,000 tulips were planted for this year’s festival, in early, mid and late-blooming varieties. The Festival is expected to open in mid to late February, but check the American Village website, Facebook or Instagram pages for an exact date.

Little girls in tulip field — The Festival of Tulips is coming soon! Visitors can stroll through the field of tulips and take their favorites home.

During the Festival of Tulips, American Village will be open seven days a week as long as the flowers are in bloom (weather permitting). Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Admission to the Festival of Tulips is $5 per person with children ages 4 and under and veterans admitted free of charge. Tulips are $2 each, bulb included, and can be purchased at the tulip field. (The flowers last longer if left on the bulb until you get them home.) Coca-Cola products, water and American Village merchandise will also be available for sale at the tulip field. In addition to experiencing the tulips, there will be scheduled entertainment in the tulip field by American Village costumed historical interpreters.

Watch the video below to find a sneak peek at the tulip field.

To learn more about the Presidents’ Day celebration or the Festival of Tulips, visit www.americanvillage.org. †

November 30, 2023 by Birmingham Christian Family

Ho Ho Hoover-Randle Open House is a holiday extravaganza with Heart! Experience the magic as Hoover nonprofits, organizations and entities “Deck the Halls of Hoover-Randle House” with over a dozen beautifully decorated trees, each telling a unique story of love and support for our community. Hoover Helps is having its annual Ho Ho Hoover-Randle fundraiser at the Hoover-Randle Home & Gardens (2255 Tyler Rd, Birmingham, AL 35226) on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023 from 2 to 5 p.m. There will be over a dozen trees decorated by local organizations and nonprofits, pictures with Santa Claus and performances by local community members and children under 12 are admitted free! Hoover restaurants will provide refreshments and Hoover community members will provide the entertainment. Join the fun and help your community, too!

One ticket gets you Pictures with Santa Claus, Local Community Performances and Appearances by the Spain Park Dazzlers, Hoover High Buccannettes, Hoover and Spain Park choirs and special guests, including Miss Hoover Abbie Stockard, Miss Hoover Teen Ali Mims, Mrs. Senior Alabama Kathy Paiml. It’s a day filled with talent, warmth and the spirit of the season.

Local Hoover restaurants will tickle your taste buds with delicious bites, homemade hot chocolate from Grace Klein, homemade chocolate goodies from Michelle’s Chocolate Lab and other treats, adding to the festive atmosphere. Don’t miss the exciting moment when City of Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato announces the winners of “Deck the Halls of Hoover-Randle House” tree competition. It’s a competitive and festive showdown of creativity!

Tickets for this family-friendly affair are just $15, and every purchase helps Hoover Helps in its mission to provide food and clothing to needy children in Hoover. Join the festivities, make a meaningful impact and celebrate the spirit of giving during this holiday season. Your presence can change lives and make the holiday season brighter for children in our community.

Hoover Helps is a nonprofit organization dedicated to meeting the basic needs of students in the Hoover area. Founded on the principles of compassion and community, the nonprofit works tirelessly to ensure that no child in Hoover goes without the essentials they require to thrive. Through partnerships, initiatives and the unwavering support of the community, Hoover Helps continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.hooverhelps.org.

November 8, 2023 by Birmingham Christian Family

7pm-9:30pm at Christ the King Lutheran Church. Concert benefiting Built for the Wild Association – non-profit organization providing programs & conferences for underserved youth to build their faith life. Showcasing three Christian artists/bands: The Hedgerow Folk from Auburn; JustCordell from Birmingham and Andrew Morris and Band from Birmingham. Tickets can be purchased by phone 205-988-5004, at the church office, 611 Riverchase Parkway West, Hoover, AL, Monday-Friday 10am-1pm; or at the door. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. 200 tickets available.

April 4, 2024September 21, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Birmingham Christian Family (BCF) celebrated 23 years of GOOD NEWS at the Celebrate the Family Expo on September 16, 2023. Here are just a few of the highlights from the free day of family fun at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex’s Finley Center.

Click here to watch a quick recap of the fun filled day!

City of Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato (R) helped us kick off the day of fun. Special thanks to our Expo Emcee Mark Harvard (Center) who is a pastor and media specialist at Clearbranch Methodist.

The first 250 attendees to the event received an Expo swag bag packed full of great giveaway items from Expo sponsors.

The Chick-fil-A Herd of Cows danced with Expo attendees and handed out plush cows. Plus, JT with 105.5 WERC joined the fun.

Each attendee received a Birthday Bingo sheet when they arrived. Every booth had a special stamp and if attendees filled out six rows of stamps by visiting each booth, they were entered to receive great prizes like a $100 Walmart gift card courtesy of WAY-FM, Christmas Village tickets, three 100% executive leather padfolios courtesy of Vapor Ministries and their Kisanni Market, two $50 Publix gift cards courtesy Alabama Credit Union, and so much more.

Live praise and worship music was enjoyed by all thanks to Kevin Derryberry.

Children enjoyed getting their faces painted for free, courtesy of Painted Personalities.

The Hoover Belles joined us for the fun day and took photos with attendees.

Inflatables and interactive games from River of Life Church were a huge hit in the Expo’s Kids Zone.

Expo attendees enjoyed delicious food from Eugene’s Hot Chicken, Krazy Good BBQ, Lil Bougie Foodie, and Southern Coffee and Waffles.

Thanks to Gone for Good (a program of United Ability), free shredding and recycling was onsite at the Expo.

Adorable adoptable dogs with Two by Two Animal Rescue and feathered friends from Alabama Wildlife Center joined in on the fun day.

The Crumbl Cookies Celebrity Chef Stage was a crowd favorite! The stage welcomed a great lineup of celebrity chefs including Hannah Sparks, owner of Psalm 34 Bakery and Catering; Danna Standridge, author of Happiness is Homemade, Y’all; Katrina Adams of In the Kitchen with K Marie and BCF contributor; Ashley McMakin, owner of Birmingham favorite Ashley Mac’s; BBQ Pitmaster Van Sykes of Bob Sykes Bar B Q; Lee Pantazis owner of Gus’s Hot Dogs; and Brenda Gantt, beloved southern cook and her son-in-law Alabama outdoorsman and author Walt Merrell.