Grab your paddle and rally for a reason! Join GRACE Ministries of Alabama for a high-energy Pickleball Tournament benefiting women survivors of sexual violence. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just in it for the fun, you’ll enjoy friendly competition, community connection, and the chance to make a lasting impact.
The Patton Creek Fine Arts and Crafts Show is a signature event that highlights 50+ artisans and their work. The artists are juried and selected based on the quality and creativity of their work plus their artistic ability. Works include painting, scratchboard, pottery, sculpture, jewelry, glass, fiber, wood, metal, and mixed media. Guests will be able to enjoy interacting with the artists and perhaps purchasing some of their art. All art shown will be for sale. This two day event is indoors at the Patton Creek Shopping Center behind the Galleria Mall (two doors down from Dick’s Sporting Goods). The hours are 9am-6pm on Saturday, April 11th, and 11am-4pm on Sunday, April 12th.
Experience a taste of Italy in the heart of Birmingham! Celebrate the second annual Festa Italiana, hosted by the Italian American Heritage Society, on Saturday, April 11, 2026 from 12 to 9 p.m. at Sloss Furnaces (20 32nd St. N., Birmingham, AL 35222). Come immerse yourself in Italian culture with live music, Italian-inspired acts, Italian cuisine, cooking demonstrations, dancing, the Spina Stomp grape stomping event, games, and even Italian cars! Enjoy Festa Italiana’s different villages that each offer unique experiences. Festa Italiana is here to celebrate Italian culture in the Birmingham community!
Advanced general admission tickets are $10 and can be purchased at www.festaitalianabham.com. Day of event general admission tickets are $15. Children 10 and under receive free entry. General admission tickets are for admittance only and do not include food and beverage. It is strongly encouraged to purchase tickets in advance in case the event sells out. Attendees are encouraged to sign up for competitions in advance.
Join the Shelby County Arts Council(SCAC) for a fundraising Mardi Gras event, hosted by the federated Women’s Clubs of Columbiana. For this event, there will be dinner catered by The Fish Market Hoover, a live auction, and you’ll be able to dance the night away to the tunes of Sean of the South & Boeuf Gras “The sound of New Orleans.” Proceeds raised from this event will support SCAC programs such as, Writing our Stories, Art Therapy with the Arc of Shelby County, and scholarship funding for SCAC classes and programs. Let the good times roll at this festive event, while supporting your local arts community! Thanks to the Culture Club, the Novella Club, and the Vignette Club for organizing this wonderful event.
Join The Parkinson Association of Alabama for their Inaugural Tulip Gala on September 18 starting at 6 p.m. at The Country Club of Birmingham. This event will be an unforgettable evening dedicated to raising critical funds for the thousands of Alabama families affected by Parkinson’s disease.
Together, we’ll raise hope and critical funds for Alabama families living with Parkinson’s disease. The night will include a cocktail reception, an elegant seated dinner, live and silent auctions, a wine pull, raffle, and unforgettable music by Dr. Harrison Walker and Cooper & Johnson Trent. Black tie optional. Learn more at tulipgala.org.
Autism Support of Alabama invites you to a meaningful and memorable evening at the Autism Shines Gala—an elegant event that raises funds for vital programs supporting individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. Guests will enjoy live music from the Crystal Clear Band, a sensitivity-inclusive dinner, and a 360 photo booth experience. FOX6’s Jeh Jeh Pruitt will serve as emcee, with a mix of inspiring stories and high-energy entertainment throughout the night.
Since its inception, the Autism Shines Gala has become a beloved tradition, bringing the community together for an evening of connection, celebration, and support. Funds raised help Autism Support of Alabama continue its mission of providing education, advocacy, and services, including camps, conferences, support groups, safety initiatives, scholarships, and more. Tickets are $150 and can be purchased at autism-alabama.org/autism-shines-gala! For more info, call 1-877-4AUTISM, or email i[email protected].
Are We There Yet?
For the American Village in Montevallo, Independence Day means red, white and blue family fun, food, and fireworks. This year will be America’s 249th Birthday – just one year until the big semiquincentennial celebration (America’s 250th Birthday). Independence Day is a unique opportunity for all of us to rededicate ourselves and our families’ efforts toward learning more about our country and fostering a renewed sense of patriotism and pride. And what better place to jump start on that than the American Village!
Enjoy more than 50 patriotic activities throughout the day – music and dance, games, encounters with patriots of the past – including George and Martha Washington, Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Samuel Adams – the battle at Concord Bridge, and fireworks at twilight’s last gleaming! Visit more than 20 historically-inspired buildings such as Washington Hall, the Colonial Courthouse, the Colonial Chapel, replicas of the President’s Oval Office and the East Room of The White House, and a replica of Concord Bridge. Hands-on activities for children include cornhole toss, hula hoops, Jenga, sidewalk chalk art, and a farm animal petting area. A face painter and balloon artist will also be in the children’s area.
Come hungry! 18 food trucks will be on-site serving everything from hot dogs, burgers, po boys, BBQ, shaved ice, ice cream, lemonade, and root beer. Planning for the big day begins months in advance. Communications Officer Melanie Poole says, “We take July 5th off, then begin working toward the next Independence Day.” Dozens of volunteers drive shuttles, hand out programs, give directions, help in the gift shop, and man each building. American Village gates open at 11 a.m. on July 4, 2025 and programming is offered from 11:15 a.m. through evening fireworks at 9 p.m. No entry is allowed after 8 p.m. Admission is $10. Veterans, active military and children ages 4 and under are free. To learn more and find details about the new Independence Day VIP Pass available for $150, visit www.americanvillage.org. †
Special Feature
Birmingham Christian Family (BCF) celebrated 25 years of sharing GOOD NEWS at the 5th 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 5th 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 6th Annual Celebrate the Family Expo- mark your calendars for free fun on Saturday, September 13, 2025!
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! †
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