Community Calendar

This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, May 17 from 8:00 until 2:00 pm at
beautiful Hamner Park. It’s a free event for attendees. The festival begins with a
parade through the town ending at Meek Baptist Church. Activities lined up for
the day include a car show (with prizes!) arts and crafts vendors, food vendors,
bake sale, children’s games, water slides, horseback rides, free hotdogs for kids
and more. There are new additions in the Kidz Town this year which we know
will be enjoyed by the children. Parents, make sure to bring a towel…the kids
may get wet at the water slides…always a favorite activity! We are also excited to
welcome a special guest from the National Park service - do stop by the Fire
Station tent for a photo with the one and only, Smokey the Bear!

Arts Alive juried fine arts and crafts festival is in downtown Florence, Alabama. The festival takes place in Wilson Park and at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts and features quality national, regional and local artists and crafters. Admission is free so bring the family and stroll through the park as you meet artists, find one-of-a-kind treasures to add to your collection, and enjoy good food. The festival showcases artists specializing in painting, stained glass, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, fiber art, woodwork, photography, and much more. Arts Alive T-shirts and posters will be available for purchase in the park. The Arts Alive juried gallery exhibition is in Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts right across the street from Wilson Park and runs through mid-June.

Heal, Connect, Celebrate!
The FREE Harmony & Heritage Festival at Arlington Historic House! Mark your calendar for Saturday, May 17th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and join us for a powerful celebration of wellness and community on the historic grounds of Arlington Historic House (331 Cotton Ave SW, Birmingham, AL 35211). Presented with pride by Sandpiper Advisory Group, in partnership with Councilor Crystal Smitherman and Arlington Historic House, this vibrant and FREE festival is designed to nourish your mind, body, and spirit.
Reclaim your joy, honor African American heritage, and experience the strength of togetherness through a wealth of engaging activities for all ages. Discover Free Massages to melt away stress, participate in fitness classes to get your body moving, and learn some new steps with line dancing. Explore a vibrant Maker's Market full of unique creations from talented local artisans and entrepreneurs. Connect with valuable Wellness Resources and Vendors offering insights into healing practices, understanding your identity, and embracing the power of good nutrition. Savor delicious Free Meals and Refreshing Fresh Juices, inspired by Sandpiper's commitment to community well-being. Plus, the dedicated Kids Zone will provide educational and creative activities to keep the little ones entertained and engaged.
This is more than just a festival; it's an opportunity to connect with your community. All are welcome to this enriching and FREE experience. Bring your family and friends, and let's celebrate the harmony of our heritage and the power of community together!
For more information about the Harmony and Heritage Festival, visit https://www.birminghamal.gov/events/2025-05-17harmony-heritage-festival-arlington-house !

"Birmingham Folk Festival--Birmingham's annual FREE festival FOR ALL: highlighting local artists, celebrating OUR diversity in the city! Live music and arts, all day in Avondale Park, May 17th, 2025."

America’s largest interactive comedy murder dinner theatre show is now playing! Solve a hilarious mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just beware! The culprit is hiding in plain sight somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself as a Prime Suspect before you know it!

Join us for an event that is very different from a traditional mystery dinner show. Our actors are not dressed in costume and are hidden in the audience! This results in a fun, social and interactive evening suitable for all adults.

Each ticket includes our signature award-winning mystery dinner theatre show, along with a full plated dinner, waitstaff gratuity, and plenty of surprises during the show.

"The Moods of Dotts Johnson in Song"

This concert reading is free and open to the public. The presentation will be followed by a talkback with the creative team; all audience members are welcome to stay and attend.

Actor, composer, and singer Dotts Johnson made cinematic history as the African American GI in Roberto Rossellini’s 1946 film Paisan, but he also had a long and wide-ranging career in American theatre, TV, film, radio, and music recording that has largely fallen out of view. This new musical, The Moods of Dotts Johnson in Song, dramatizes Dotts Johnson’s life and contributions to the performing arts, featuring original arrangements of memorable jazz and blues songs composed and self-published by Johnson (such as “Make Believe Dreams” and “Jive Time Blues”), as well as new songs composed for the musical by acclaimed jazz musician Etienne Charles. Drawing on new scholarly research, this biographical musical tells the story of Dotts Johnson’s struggle to forge an artistic home for himself in the US and of his decades-long relationship with white Canadian actor and civil rights activist Madeleine Sherwood. This narrative is interwoven with the story of Johnson’s granddaughter, soprano Dr. Luvada A. Harrison, as she embarks on a journey to discover— through research and performance— the grandfather she never really knew. Notably, Dr. Harrison is one of the co-creators of this project, and will perform the role of herself in the first production of the musical.

This event is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.

In one amazing night you’ll find yourself back in the 80’s, back on the dance floor, singing along with Duran Duran's biggest hits. The sounds, the lights, and the visual experience will bring it all back for you.

Based out of Atlanta, THE REFLEX, brings a live-performance, multimedia tribute to one of the most enduring bands of the last four decades. Having grown-up on these classic songs and videos, the five members of THE REFLEX bring collective decades of experience to the stage.

The Choral Society of Pensacola invites music lovers to experience the beauty of sacred music in a sacred space.

Major works on the program are the cantata “I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes” by Adolphus Hailstork and excerpts from the oratorio “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn, both featuring tenor Christopher Moore. The concert also includes

• "Amazing Grace!” (arr. Mack Wilberg)
• "Salvation is Created” (Pavel Chesnokov)
• “My God is a Rock” and “Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal” (arranged by Robert Shaw and Alice Parker)
• “If Ye Love Me” (Thomas Tallis) and
• “Total Praise” (Richard Smallwood, arr. Patrick Barrett and Doreen Rao).

Artistic director Peter Steenblik and treble ensemble director Isabelle Peterson will conduct the 80-voice chorus, along with pianist Isabelle Areola, organist Hyunjoo Kim, and members of McGuire’s Pipe Band, representing the Pensacola Celtic Society.

Peter will post a preview on the Choral Society’s YouTube channel on Monday, May 5.

Arts Alive juried fine arts and crafts festival is in downtown Florence, Alabama. The festival takes place in Wilson Park and at Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts and features quality national, regional and local artists and crafters. Admission is free so bring the family and stroll through the park as you meet artists, find one-of-a-kind treasures to add to your collection, and enjoy good food. The festival showcases artists specializing in painting, stained glass, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, fiber art, woodwork, photography, and much more. Arts Alive T-shirts and posters will be available for purchase in the park. The Arts Alive juried gallery exhibition is in Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts right across the street from Wilson Park and runs through mid-June.

You can become a confident, skilled public speaker! Visit our weekly public speaking workshop for guidance, learning, practice, feedback, and fun. Lose the fear. Contact us now. Visiting is free. Tuesdays, 11:45 CT. Online. https://hinoonhsv.toastmastersclubs.org/

“If you can’t communicate and talk to other people and get across your ideas, you’re giving up your potential.” - Warren Buffet

Confidence is the first thing you will gain by participating in our workshop. By practicing public speaking, in our safe space, almost like magic, it quits being scary.

In Toastmasters you learn & practice presentation, listening, evaluation and leadership skills; overcome your fear of public speaking; boost your soft skills; develop your personal speaking style; and much more.

Hi-Noon guests often say, "it feels like home".