The Helena Autism Awareness Walk 2026 is set for April 18 from 10am-12pm at Joe Tucker Park in Helena, Alabama. This event is a family-friendly community gathering focused on promoting acceptance, visibility, and unity for autistic individuals and their families. The walk will feature inclusive activities, music, community engagement, resource tables inside the Helena Library, the Helena Police Department Sensory Room Trailer, and local vendor participation. Visit HelenaAutismWalk2026.eventbrite.com for event registration.
At OLS School, we proudly nurture the religious, academic, and social growth of every child from 3K through 8th grade. We believe that education is about more than academics; it is about forming the whole person.
At Open House, families can:
meet our welcoming teachers and staff,
tour classrooms and our campus, and
ask questions and gather helpful admissions information.
For more information about our Open House, call the school office at 205.879.3237. You can also visit olsschool.com to complete an application and to learn about programs that assist with tuition and fees for kindergarten through 8th grade. We are growing our children in knowledge and faith…we invite you to Experience the Difference!
Join Metropolitan Church of God on Sunday, December 7 at 10 a.m. as Metro Kids presents “Christmas at the Miracle Diner.” There will be a live nativity after the service. Learn more at metropolitanchurch.net.
You’re invited to the 3rd Annual Impact Road Race at Oak Mountain State Park, 200 Terrace Drive, Pelham, 35124, on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 8-10 am. The 5K and 10K courses are certified by the USATF. 5K – AL25028JE 10K – AL25027JE
* Gift card prizes for the top overall 10K & 5K Male & Female
* Race event t-shirt & swag bag for first 125 people to check in (sizes subject to availability)
* Awards for 14 categories plus finisher medals
* Every runner and walker has a chance to win a wonderful prize from one of the race’s generous sponsors
Fiesta, Alabama’s largest celebration of Hispanic culture, will mark its 23rd annual festival on Saturday, September 27, from noon to 8 p.m. at Linn Park in Birmingham. The event showcases the richness of Hispanic heritage through music, dance, art, food, and cultural exhibits. Since its founding in 2003, Fiesta has drawn thousands from across the Southeast, offering both entertainment and education about the vibrant Hispanic community in Alabama. The festival will feature five distinct villages—Cultural, Food, Health & Wellness, Community, and Sponsor—each offering unique experiences, from authentic cuisine to health resources and community engagement. Alongside its lively performances and family-friendly attractions, Fiesta continues its long-standing mission of supporting education, having awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to Hispanic and Latino students over the past two decades.
Join Connection Point Church for a free community Back to School Bash designed to equip and uplift families as they prepare for the new school year. This event is open to the public and will feature free food and drinks, free backpacks and school supplies for students, bounce houses, prayer for the upcoming school year, free haircuts for boys, and a grand prize drawing. It’s a fun and meaningful afternoon for the whole family!
Join our church family July 15th through July 19th for three evenings of spirit-filled fun and fellowship at New Vision Christian Church 2025 located in Helena! We offer Kindergarten age through adult classes! Dinner is served nightly at 5:30pm and VBS begins promptly at 6:30pm. Register at MyVBS | New Vision Christian Church.
Join The Church at Shelby Crossings on June 23-26 for The Clue Seekers Club VBS where attendees will uncover the truth of God’s Word. Vacation Bible School is for all children going into 1st-6th grade in the 2025-2026 school year. It begins each day at 9m and end at 12 noon. The week will end on June 26 with a Family Night at 6:30pm.
Grab your blankets and lawn chairs and join Homewood Church of Christ for an evening under the stars! Enjoy a showing of The Prince of Egypt (Rated PG)—an animated film the whole family can enjoy. Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Youth News
Girl Talk Ministries began in a living room in Pike Road, Ala., and has grown to reach girls and moms around the world. “Over the last twelve years, we have seen the Lord grow a living room Bible study into hundreds of girls and moms across the world coming together through who Jesus is and who God says we are,” explains Amy Cate, one of the founding leaders of Girl Talk Ministries.
Girl Talk Ministries provides girls and their moms a place to connect with others, build relationships, and grow in their faith and dependence on the Lord.
Meet the ministry’s leadership and learn more about Girl Talk Ministries’ mission at the Gardendale Magnolia Festival on Saturday April 26, 2025. The ministry seeks “to equip moms and girls in Christ-centered community through a relationship with Jesus and relationship with each other, aligning our lives with Biblical truth and our identity with Him.” Since its founding 12 years ago, leaders Amy Cate and Lindsey Curl have been able to grow the ways girls can get involved in this vibrant ministry. “We have small groups by grade and city gatherings of all ages. We have The Girl Talk podcast and YouTube videos anyone can watch and listen to. We are writing a curriculum that will be published this year that will be available for girls of all ages with a discipleship track for our interns and a track for moms to walk through alongside their daughters, as well. We have an internship program that girls can apply or to lead positions such as leading small groups, ministry operations, marketing, and missions,” shares Cate, adding that Girl Talk Ministries currently serves girls and moms in 26 cities and four missionary countries. In the Birmingham area, the small groups mostly meet in Homewood but are currently growing in the Gardendale community. Visit www.girltalkministries.info to find more details.
Learn more at the Gardendale Magnolia Festival. Each year, in addition to scholarships, the Gardendale Magnolia Festival donates $1,000 to local charities and gives them a booth space at the festival. Girl Talk Ministries was chosen for the 2025 festival on April 25-26, 2025. You can stop by the Girl Talk Ministries booth on Saturday to learn more about the small groups and how you can get involved. “We can’t wait to meet girls, moms, families, and everyone there and be a part of the Magnolia Festival this year,” Cate says.
In addition to hundreds of vendors and food trucks on Saturday, the Magnolia Festival will have live music, a car show, a pooch parade, free kids n’ art classes and kids’ zone, a carnival, and much more. Learn more at www.magnoliafestival.org. †
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