Birmingham Events Calendar: June 30th - July 7th

What a busy week we have coming up for Birmingham!! With the 4th of July on Thursday, you will find celebrations and specials happening all week!

Check out the I Love America Day Celebration in Vestavia, Thunder on the Mountain or Freedom Fest at the Hoover Met.

The Barons will have a home stretch beginning on the 4th and there are several fun storytimes planned at local libraries!

We hope you have a wonderful 4th of July Week!

It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!

Sunday June 30th

Jazz in the Park – Avondale Park
Magic City Smooth Jazz (MCSJ) is pleased to unveil the lineup for the upcoming Jazz in the Park® summer concert series, which marks the entry of the series into its fourth full season.
6pm – 9pm

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Monday July 1st:

We Dig Pirate Storytime – Hoover Public Library
Summer storytime for children under four.
10:30am

Tot Time with Ms Eve – Avondale Library
Storytime for 2-4-year-olds with a caregiver. Includes stories, songs, and craft. 24-hour advance registration required.
10:30am

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Tuesday July 2nd:

Family Tours – Birmingham Museum of Art
Join us for an in-gallery family experience! Children aged 3 – 8 and their adult companions are invited to join Museum educators to explore our collection, discover activities that make looking at art fun and exciting, and create new family memories about art.

No reservations required. Family Tours 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

Ronald McDonald – Homewood Public Library
Our favorite clown puts on a magical show!
10:30am

Mark Seymour, Be-at Your Best – Hoover Public Library
Mark Seymour brings and plays almost 70 different percussion instruments. Students sing along and learn positive life lessons through Mark’s original songs. In The Library Theatre
11:30a, 2:30p, 7:30p

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Wednesday July 3rd:

32nd Annual I Love America Day Celebration
Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 32nd Annual I love America Day. There will be free Swimming from 6:00 – 7:30 pm, Children’s Activities by Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Pops in the Park~Patriotic Music by the Shades Mountain Baptist Church Orchestra at 7:00 pm and then ending the evening with the movie, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted showing at 8:00 pm. Fun for all ages!

For the comfort of others, no pets allowed

Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Do you have a favorite pair of shoes? Pete the Cat does! Join us to find out why Pete loves his white shoes! We will also read Pete the Cat: Wheels on the Bus.
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 July 4th:

Thunder on the Mountain
For decades, Thunder on the Mountain, Birmingham’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration, has been hailed as one of the largest and most extravagant Independence Day traditions in the state of Alabama, and this year will be no exception. On Thursday, July 4 at 9:00 pm, Thunder on the Mountain 2013 will once again illuminate the skies above Birmingham’s beloved iron man, Vulcan. Free to the public, this year’s show will last approximately 20 minutes and will feature a variety of firework shells that will brighten the sky with new colors and patterns. The show will be choreographed to a musical soundtrack that will feature a mix of patriotic favorites and popular musical performances.

Flag Making and 4th of July Crafts
Let’s celebrate our freedom and those that have given us the opportunity to have that freedom. Will meet at the Campground Pavilion.
10am

Jazz in the Park – Railroad Park
6pm – 9pm

Independence Day 1776 – American Village
Celebrate Independence Day 1776! Alabama’s best ‘up close and personal’ fireworks

• Costumed historical interpreters

• Revolutionary Army drills 18th century games

• Independence Ball Full Moon BBQ and other tasty fare!
Noon – 9pm

Freedom Fest – Hoover Met
Freedom Fest is completely free fun on July 4th for your entire family! Car Show will begin at 5 pm in the parking lot, Music & Entertainment will take place inside the stadium from 6-9 pm, and a grand firework show beginning at 9 pm. You won’t want to miss this event as we celebrate our great America together!

Fourth of July at the Birmingham Zoo
In honor of this holiday, all active and retired military and their dependents can take advantage of free admission to the Zoo with proof of military I.D. from Thursday, July 4th to Sunday, July 7th.

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Mississippi Braves
6:30pm

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Friday July 5th:

Independence Day at The Outlet Shops of Grand River
The Outlet Shops of Grand River is celebrating Independence Day with family fun all weekend! All ages can come enjoy Amazing Animals on The Plaza at Grand River, featuring a Petting Zoo, barbecue and incredible shopping deals at participating stores. HK Exotic Petting Zoo is free to the public, with the option to purchase feeding bags for $1.
11 a.m. until 6 pm

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Mississippi Braves
7:05pm

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Saturday July 6th:

No reservations required. Family Tours 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

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! Celebrate with Pinwheels! // Get in the summer spirit and make your own pinwheel!
11am

Nature Scavenger Hunt – Oak Mountain
Come out to the park and hunt for something really cool things on this Nature Scavenger Hunt. We will start at the Campground Pavilion.
10am

Fourth of July at the Birmingham Zoo
The Zoo will celebrate the 7th birthday of the red river hogs, Star, Spangle and Banner! While you are here, go on an expedition through Dino Discovery*, check out Predator Zone, enjoy the Red Diamond Sea Lion Splash Show and much more. In honor of th 4th of July, all active and retired military and their dependents can take advantage of free admission to the Zoo with proof of military I.D

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Mississippi Braves
6:30pm

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.

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Sunday July 7th:

Birmingham Barons – Regions Park
VS. Mississippi Braves
3:00pm

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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: Flight of the Butterflies, Titians of the Ice Age

Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age – through December 31st, 2013
McWane Science Center is home to Alabama’s second largest natural history collection. Made up of over 500,000 specimens and objects pertaining to the natural history of the state, this important collection focuses on the preservation, education, and research of Alabama’s rich biodiversity and paleobiodiversity. One of the more significant subsets of the collection is Alabama’s largest collection of Late Pleistocene faunal remains – or Ice Age fossils.

Made up of nearly 10,000 cataloged specimens, the McWSC Pleistocene collection contains a unique diversity of fauna that not only includes those native to North America, but migrants to the state from both South America and the Old World. This collection includes mammals, both extant and extinct, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fishes, and botanical remains collected from both cave and stream localities in the state. Extinct mammals represented in the McWSC collection include mammoths, mastodons, giant beavers, saber-toothed cats, giant armadillos, tapirs, peccaries, and giant ground sloths.

This spring, visitors will have an opportunity to view some of the fossils in the collection with a new exhibit titled — “Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age.” This exhibit will not only highlight many of the Ice Age animals from the McWane Science Center Collection, but will highlight and dispel many of the common misconceptions surrounding the Ice Age in the state. The goal is for visitors to have a better understanding and appreciation for this time in Alabama. For example, guests might learn that Alabama was on average only five degrees colder than today, glaciers did not reach farther south than southern Illinois or that all the Ice Age animals did not go extinct at the end of the Ice Age. While the largest animals, such as mastodons, giant ground sloths, and saber-tooth cats died out, nearly all the animals that are living in Alabama today were also around in the Ice Age.

The Unearthing Alabama’s Ice Age Alabama display is located in the City Gallery on Level 2 of the museum. It is included in the cost of admission to the museum and free to members.

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.