We love Spring Time in Birmingham, so much to do it’s hard to fit it all in! This week and upcoming weekend is no exception!
Saturday Markets are back on at Pepper Place, we highly recommend making this a Saturday Morning tradition.
Earth Day is coming and you can celebrate at Railroad Park, or Ruffner Mountain Nature Center with special events happening at each park.
Lots of stortimes and if you’re into gumbo, check out the Gumbo Gala happening at Sloss Furnace.
Have a great week!!
It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!
Monday April 15th:
Toddler Tales – North Shelby Library
A story program for children and a caregiver. Stories, songs, finger plays and crafts make up a lively program designed especially for short attention spans. Best suited for ages 19 months to 3 years. Must Register
9:30am and 10:30am
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Tuesday April 16th:
Hippo Adventures – Birmingham Museum of Art
Meet at the Information Desk outside Bart’s ArtVenture! Join us for a new in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore Hip, Hippo, Hooray!, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art and hippos.
No reservations required. Hippo Adventures are also available by appointment for groups of 10 or more children aged 3 – 8. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 205.254.2964.
10:30am
Storytime – Homewood Public Library
Join us for the best part of your week with stories that make you laugh and songs that make you dance! Join us for the fun of it! All ages welcome. For large groups, a call to 332-6619 is nice.
10:30am
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Wednesday April 17th:
Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
April is National Poetry Month! Join us as we celebrate Dr. Seuss style by reading the classic Dr. Seuss book Green Eggs and Ham and other favorites. Come to our store and leave knowing more!
11am
Family Story Time with Mr Mac – North Shelby Library
Storyteller Extraordinaire – Come join Mr Mac and his musical storytime complete with puppets! All Ages, no registration required.
10:45am
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Thursday April 18th:
Family Night – Build a Salad Garden – Homewood Public Library
Sallie Lee, Urban Regional Extension Agent, will lead the whole family in constructing pallet gardens. We will sink our teeth into learning what veggies are the most delicious in the garden and which plants grow best in our region.
Registration is required as space is limited.
For more information or to register please call at 205-332-6619.
All ages welcome.
6pm
SNAP Crafts – Emmet O’Neal Library
We provide the materials, you provide the genius. Grades 3-6. No registration required.
3:30pm
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Friday April 19th:
Holy Inappropriateness! We couldn’t find any special events happening in the ‘Ham today. Make sure to check our list below for fun exhibits happening daily at our local attractions.
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Saturday April 20th:
Gumbo Gala – Sloss Furnaces
40 professional and amateur cook teams will cook and serve gumbo and compete for team awards, including “Birmingham’s Best Gumbo” and the Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission’s award for best seafood gumbo. Event guests can enjoy samples of gumbo from the teams, live music, family entertainment and vendors selling Alabama and gumbo-related products. Proceeds from the event benefit the 148 seniors and young disabled adults who live on low incomes at Episcopal Place. The affordable housing community provides supportive services, such as van transportation, resident activities, subsidized noon meals and housekeeping, and other services that residents need to age in place and remain independent for as long as possible.
$10 per person in advance
$15 per person at the gate
Children 12 and under FREE
11am – 2pm
Paint the Town Red –
Once again, for one night in April… downtown Birmingham will be transformed into stunning digitally created art: graphic art, digital photography and digital animated shorts… all projected. Celebrating its fifth year, Paint the Town Red is an innovative fundraiser for the Birmingham Chapter of the American Red Cross. It combines stunning visuals, eclectic live music, street entertainment, great food and drink and local vendors. This event is catered to all ages, so get ready to indulge your eyes in a visual feast. You can read about the musical performers on the Paint the Town Red website.
Preasle tickets: $15
At the Gate: $20
7pm – Midnight
Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Barons take on Hunstville
6:30pm
Cartoons and Cereal – Homewood Public Library
Join us for a morning of watching our favorite cartoons and munching on some delicious cereal (dry cereal only, no milk will be served).
Dixie Reptile Show – BJCC
Dixie Reptile Show was started in 1996 by Terry Heuring to fill the void in the mid-south reptile market. Terry’s life long passion for reptiles lead to a first in the herpoculture world. It is a little known act that he was the first to produce an albino Lampropeltis ruthveni and has since gone on to breeding many other successful projects. Come visit the show. You never know what you might see.
No venomous or endangered reptiles…
Adults – $4
Children under 12 – $1
9am – 3pm
Tannehill Trade Days – Tannehill State Park
shoppers and swappers come from far and near to Tannehill Trade Days in search of tools, clothing, jewelry, knives, furniture and other treasures.
Park admission
$3.00 Adults (12 years and older)
$2.00 Seniors (Ages 62 and older)
$1.00 Children (Ages 6-11) ages 5 and under free
8am – 4pm
Bart’s Books – Birmingham Museum of Art
Bart’s Books is a storytelling program for children ages 4-7. Bart selects a new book and related work of art each month that he thinks kids will enjoy. This month, Bart has selected Eric Carle’s The Mixed-Up Chameleon.
11am
Bart’s Art Cart – Birmingham Museum of Art
This drop-in art program for kids and families features a different theme from our galleries and art activity each month. Stop by to make art with Bart!
April Abstractions // African Patterns! Try your hand at creating textures and patterns found in the new African Ceramics gallery.
11am
Family Storytime – Emmet O’Neal Library
Bring the entire family and join Mr. Mac for stories and music each Saturday morning.
10:30 a.m.
Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for Storytime as we read If You Hold a Seed. We will find out what happens when a boy plants a seed and watches it grow. We will make a craft and have something delicious from the Cafe.
11am
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Sunday April 21st:
Picnic for the Earth – Railroad Park
Get outside and celebrate Earth Day with good food and great company! The Nature Conservancy will host its second annual Picnic for Earth: All Hands on Earth Picnic benefiting The Nature Conservancy at Railroad Park.
The event includes a variety of environmental-themed activities; live music from the Magic City Choral Society, Red Mountain White Trash and Phil & Walon; a fun-filled kids’ area complete with giant Earth balls and animal encounters from The Birmingham Zoo; outdoor works of art on display for sale; and lots of picnicking. This free event is a part of the Conservancy’s worldwide effort to unite millions for a healthy planet!
Pack a picnic or purchase food onsite from Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q. They will sell picnic lunches during the Picnic with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The Nature Conservancy’s conservation work in Alabama.
Noon – 3pm
Lorax Earth Day Fun – Ruffner Mountain Nature Center
Join us for this family fun Earth Day celebration! Dr. Seuss wrote about environmental concerns in his book “The Lorax,” published in 1971, with a conservation message that still rings true today. We will kick off the celebration with a reading of “The Lorax” at 1:30 pm. Activities will include: recycled and nature inspired crafts, a guided 1/2 mile hike at 2:30 pm, meeting and learning about native Alabama animals at 3:30 pm, and learning some of the ways we can help out our planet.
Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
Barons take on Hunstville
3:00pm
Tannehill Trade Days – Tannehill State Park
shoppers and swappers come from far and near to Tannehill Trade Days in search of tools, clothing, jewelry, knives, furniture and other treasures.
Park admission
$3.00 Adults (12 years and older)
$2.00 Seniors (Ages 62 and older)
$1.00 Children (Ages 6-11) ages 5 and under free
8am – 4pm
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Local Attractions Open Daily!
McWane Science Center:
IMAX
McWane Science Center’s IMAX® Dome Theater puts you in the center of the action by projecting breathtaking quality images onto the 5-story-tall dome screen and delivering intense surround sound through almost 3 tons of speakers and subwoofers.
Now Showing: The Last Reef, Santa and the Snowman, Rocky Mountain Express
The Tornadoes of April 27th – Looking Back — Moving Forward, a new exhibit at McWane Science Center, reflects on the experiences of the April 27th, 2011 storms. The exhibit shares personal stories from those who experienced the devastation of the storms firsthand, while emphasizing the importance of tornado preparedness and explaining the science behind tornadoes.
Photos and stories from The Birmingham News help tell the story of the storms and the affect they had on survivors, volunteers, and the community as a whole. Students from Daniel Payne Middle School also help tell the story of their school and community through photos and artifacts from the storm for the exhibit. UAB students worked with the children from Daniel Payne Middle School to create short documentaries that can be seen in the exhibit as well.
In addition to sharing the personal stories from that day, the goal of this exhibit is to inform the community about how to prepare for extreme weather conditions, explaining the science of tornadoes and stressing awareness.
With vivid displays, the exhibit allows visitors the opportunity to learn about the scientific side of tornadoes. Graphics within the exhibit illustrate tornado formation and anatomy, educating visitors on how such extreme weather conditions develop. Additionally, the exhibit displays statistics and disputes common myths concerning the destructive storms.
Guests can watch live video from the storms that rolled across our state on April 27th, 2011, including the
weather forecasts from that day and actual images of the tornado as it made its way through our area provided by FOX6 WBRC. The exhibit is located in the City Gallery on Level 2 of the museum this summer.
Be Ready Alabama Exhibit Presented by:
The Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
www.readyalabama.org
Animal Grossology
Experience a new exhibit that is oozing with science as you meet some of the slimiest and yuckiest creatures on Earth! You’ll never look at the animal kingdom the same way after you see “ANIMAL GROSSOLOGY!”
The Animal Grossology exhibition, based on a popular series of books by science teacher Sylvia Branzei, is an educational experience grounded in the theory that the best way to get kids interested in science is to present it in terms they find most appealing. Let’s face it, topics such as slime, vomit, dookies and other gross stuff are completely fascinating for your average six to 14-year-old.
By physically stepping into the Animal Grossology exhibition, these subjects have become an interactive, larger-than-life biology lesson that harnesses kid’s natural curiosity about themselves and teaches them about how animals function.
Oozing with disgusting science and interactive learning games, the all-new “Animal Grossology” exhibit is sure to provide a unique perspective on the animal kingdom. Museum guests will experience some of the slimiest, stinkiest and downright yuckiest creatures on earth.
The exhibition contains solid science and introduces it in a way that makes kids giggle. It’s science disguised in interactive entertainment and kids are more apt to learn when they’re having fun doing it. You may think leeches are pretty gross but they’re used after some surgeries to assist in the healing process. Did you know that cows are one of the gassiest animals on earth? Learn why the dung beetle is nature’s living pooper scooper and why scientists are studying slug and snail slime production for clues in treating cystic fibrosis.
Animal Grossology is a temporary travelling exhibit created and produced by Advanced Exhibits, a division of Advanced Animations LLC, in collaboration with Sylvia Branzei, the author of the GROSSOLOGY series of books. The books are published through Price Stern Sloan, a member of Penguin (USA) Inc.
Birmingham Zoo:
Lorikeet Aviary – Our Lorikeet Aviary has more birds than ever! Zoo guests can feed these exotic birds every day. You and your family will see these birds’ behavior as they eat nectar out of your hand.
Weekends 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
PELICAN FEEDING – A great way to see our pelicans in action is to witness them eating their favorite treats near the pelican boardwalk.
RHINO ENCOUNTER – Embark on an African adventure and experience one of the world’s most extraordinary animals, the Southern White Rhino. Watch from only feet away as our zookeepers engage in hands-on interaction with the animals inside their African-themed exhibit. Don’t miss this exciting encounter with one of the largest mammals on the planet!
Weekdays: 3pm – 3:30pm
Weekends: 11:30am – Noon & 3pm – 3:30 pm
GIRAFFE FEEDING – This up close and personal animal encounter is a memory you and your family will have for a lifetime.
Weekday: 11am – Noon
Weekends: 10am – 11am & 2pm – 3pm
Vulcan Park and Museum:
Vulcan is the world’s largest cast iron statue; made of 100,000 pounds of iron and 56 feet tall, he stands at the top of Red Mountain overlooking the city of Birmingham. But, Vulcan is more than a statue. Vulcan Park and Museum features spectacular views of Birmingham, an interactive history museum that examines Vulcan and Birmingham’s story, and a beautiful public park for visitors and locals to enjoy. With an official information center that is operated by the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, Vulcan Park and Museum serves as the first stop for visitors to the Birmingham area!
Railroad Park:
Railroad Park is a 19 acre green space in downtown Birmingham that celebrates the industrial and artistic heritage of our great city. Situated along 1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets, the park is a joint effort between the City of Birmingham and the Railroad Park Foundation. Hailed as “Birmingham’s Living Room,” Railroad Park provides a historically rich venue for local recreation, family activities, concerts, and cultural events, while connecting Birmingham’s downtown area with Southside and UAB’s campus.
Southern Museum of Flight:
Earn Your Wings – Bring your little pilot and soar above the clouds in our little pilots room. Kids enjoy building aircrafts, flying kites, and more.
Museum Open Tuesday – Thursday
9:30am – 4:30pm
Do you have or know of an event you would like to have added to our weekly calendar? Please email us at contact@birminghammommy.com, subject line “Events Calendar” – We would love to hear from you!
** All information listed on our calendar is subject to change without notice to us or you… We do our best to keep the information accurate and will always update as soon as we learn that something has changed. It’s always best to double check with the event via their website or a quick call, especially when weather can impact the event.
