Annual Events & Festivals

No matter the weather, no matter the time of year, it’s rare that a weekend passes without some event tempting residents out of their home for a fun gathering downtown or in the peripheries of the city. Neighborhood festivals, outdoor excursions, school benefits, art shows, gala, golf tournaments, and races—there is no end to the great options to while away your Saturdays and Sundays in Birmingham. From events like the ONB Magic City Art Connection and the Vulcan Run to races at the Barber Motorsports Park and Greek and Lebanese food festivals, you can eat, watch, run, and admire art to your satisfaction: often all in a single weekend.

Spring and fall alike are special times in Birmingham as the pleasant weather brings people back outdoors in great numbers. But for some reason, the fall is literally jam-packed with festivals, art shows, and outdoor cultural events—it must be the relief of knowing that another hot and humid summer is nine months away. It’s almost too much to keep track of: St. Nicholas Russian Food Festival, Artwalk, Moss Rock Festival, Magic City Classic, Bluff Park Art Show, and the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival, an event TIME magazine recognized as a “Film Festival for the Rest of Us.” And proof that the city also knows how to have fun, Birmingham’s annual “Mr. & Miss Apollo Pageant” is now the second oldest continuously running drag queen pageant in the country (see Mystic Krewe of Apollo, www.mkabirmingham.com, for details).

Many festivals and events are geared towards having a good time, but look closely and there is often more to them than meets the eye. Birmingham has always been a community that gets behind a good cause. In fact, according to a recent study that tallied the largest metropolitan areas, Birmingham is demonstrably the most generous city in America, giving a higher percentage of household income to charities than any other city. So don’t be surprised if a great number of the festivals and events listed here donate a portion (or all) of their proceeds to a worthy cause.

This certainly is not a comprehensive list of every festival or annual event in and around Birmingham. Look under the Parks chapter for other state parks and outdoor destinations that often host events. See the Recreation and Spectator Sports chapters for more active sporting events. And for keeping the younger ones entertained and engaged, the Kidstuff chapter holds many options.