Lots of Spooky Halloween fun happening around Birmingham this week.
Storytimes, crafts and pumpkin carvings. If you’re looking to enjoy the outdoors, check out Vulcan AfterTunes next Sunday for a little music and fun family time.
For a full rundown of Festivals and Pumpkin Patches, make sure to check our Fall Happenings list so you don’t miss out on any fall fun!
It’s Not Our Fault if Your Kids are Bored!
Sunday October 20th:
Boo at the Zoo
Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 15 nights of Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. This year, you can see your favorite ©Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America*! Don’t miss your chance to experience special meet and greets with the heroes, get their autographs and take your very own pictures!
Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Safari*, jump on the Eerie Express train*, take a spin on the Scarousel*, participate in animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival tent, trick-or-treat your way through safe candy villages and much more! Boo at the Zoo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!
*©Marvel character appearance dates: October 4-5 (Captain America), 11-12 (Thor), 18-19 (Iron Man) & 25-26 (Spider-Man)
*The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.
*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo.
* Daily attraction fees still apply
* Wristband includes unlimited access to: Eerie Express Train, Sasquatch Safari, Scarousel, Creepy Carnival, Gruesome Golf, Ghost Rollers and Cajun Sadie’s Fortune Telling Adventure
$8 Non-members*
$6 Members*–NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT!
$11.50 wristbands*
$3.50 attractions*
5pm – 9pm
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Monday October 21st:
Pumpkin Carving – Gardendale Public Library
3:30pm
Halloween Monday Movie – Homewood Public Library
Join us for hot popcorn and a cool movie!
3:30pm
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 October 22nd:
Family Tours – Birmingham Museum of Art
FREE // Meet in the Main Lobby
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
Storytime for All Ages – Homewood Public Library
10:30am
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Wednesday October 23rd:
Mole Day – McWane Science Center
Join us for hands-on activities throughout the day as we celebrate Mole Day! Mole Day commemorates Avogadro’s Number (6.02 x 10^23), which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry first discovered by Amadeo Avogadro (1776-1858).
Activities included in the cost of admission to the museum, FREE for members
Storytime – Homewood Public Library
All Ages
10:30am
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
Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate. The first one said “Oh my, it’s getting late.” Join us for some fun as these pumpkins roll and run.
11am
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Thursday October 24th:
Storytime Live – Hoover Public Library
Stories, songs, poetry, puppetry and more for ages 3 and up. Groups must register.
10:30am
Pj Storytime – Hoover Public Library
Wear your pajamas to this storytime! Kids of all ages can enjoy stories, finger plays, songs, and a bedtime snack.
6:30pm
Campfire Ghost Stories – Homewood Public Library
For our older, braver patrons. Hear a chilling tale and enjoy some Halloween treats.
Suggested age range: 7 to 12 AND a parent.
6:15 – 7:15
Mummy and Me Storytime – Homewood Public Library
Story Time for our younger patrons (birth to 30 mo.) and their lap partner.
10:30
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Friday October 25th:
2nd Annual Spooky Tales on the Spooky Trial
This year, the Good Times Traveling Theater will scare the socks off of you with their fearsome folktales from all around the world. Once again, we start out easy in the Community Room for our little ones (ages 5 & under) then progress out to the Amphitheater for progressively spookier tales. The night will end on the trail, which will be “spookified “ for those brave enough to walk it. Seasonal fun for the whole family! Shuttle service will be available if parking lot is full.
6:30pm
4th Annual Halloween Bash – Brierfield Ironworks State Park
Family fun, face painting, games, concessions, trick or treat and moon bounce. Campsite decorating competition.
Walking Ghost Tours $5
Park Admission $2
7pm – 10pm
Boo at the Zoo
Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 15 nights of Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. This year, you can seeyour favorite ©Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America*! Don’t miss your chance to experience special meet and greets with the heroes, get their autographs and take your very own pictures!
Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Safari*, jump on the Eerie Express train*, take a spin on the Scarousel*, participate in animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival tent, trick-or-treat your way through safe candy villages and much more! Boo at the Zoo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!
*©Marvel character appearance dates: October 4-5 (Captain America), 11-12 (Thor), 18-19 (Iron Man) & 25-26 (Spider-Man)
*The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.
*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo.
* Daily attraction fees still apply
* Wristband includes unlimited access to: Eerie Express Train, Sasquatch Safari, Scarousel, Creepy Carnival, Gruesome Golf, Ghost Rollers and Cajun Sadie’s Fortune Telling Adventure
$8 Non-members*
$6 Members*–NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT!
$11.50 wristbands*
$3.50 attractions*
5pm – 9pm
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Saturday October 26th:
Keep It Simple Silly Program – Ruffner Mountain Nature Center
Join us for this monthly mini program. This month we will be making sand candles!
$2/ $3 (non-member)
1pm
Owl O’ Ween – Alabama Wildlife Center/Oak Mountain State Park
Owl-O-Ween features childrens’ activities and crafts, story time, games, candy, guest owls, and a birds of prey presentation.
Activities are free after paid admission to Oak Mountain State Park
$3 for Adults
$1 for Children 6 to 11 years of age
$1 for Senior Citizens 62 years of age and older
Cereal and Cartoons – Homewood Public Library
Dry cereal only, available until 10:45 am.
10am – Noon
Sugar Skulls – Birmingham Museum of Art
Trick us with your sweet skills while decorating these ornamental treats
11am – 1pm
4th Annual Halloween Bash – Brierfield Ironworks State Park
Family fun, face painting, games, concessions, trick or treat and moon bounce. Campsite decorating competition.
Walking Ghost Tours $5
Park Admission $2
7pm – 10pm
Boo at the Zoo
Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 15 nights of Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. This year, you can seeyour favorite ©Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America*! Don’t miss your chance to experience special meet and greets with the heroes, get their autographs and take your very own pictures!
Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Safari*, jump on the Eerie Express train*, take a spin on the Scarousel*, participate in animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival tent, trick-or-treat your way through safe candy villages and much more! Boo at the Zoo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!
*©Marvel character appearance dates: October 4-5 (Captain America), 11-12 (Thor), 18-19 (Iron Man) & 25-26 (Spider-Man)
*The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.
*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo.
* Daily attraction fees still apply
* Wristband includes unlimited access to: Eerie Express Train, Sasquatch Safari, Scarousel, Creepy Carnival, Gruesome Golf, Ghost Rollers and Cajun Sadie’s Fortune Telling Adventure
$8 Non-members*
$6 Members*–NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT!
$11.50 wristbands*
$3.50 attractions*
5pm – 9pm
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.
Halloween Storytime – Barnes and Noble Summit
Join us for Halloween Storytime featuring Go Away, Big Green Monster!, activities, costume parades and treats.
11am
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Sunday October 27th:
Vulcan AfterTunes – Vulcan Park
Birmingham’s unique musical event returns to Red Mountain this fall for its 9th season! Enjoy cool tunes, fresh brews, and sweet views on Sunday afternoons with Birmingham’s hip iron man, Vulcan. Chill out in Birmingham’s backyard and end your week with friends and family (of all ages) while listening to some of the area’s best music.
Gates open at 1 p.m. Tickets and seating are first-come, first-served and general admission. Lawn chairs and blankets strongly encouraged. Food, beer, wine and soft drinks will be available for purchase. No pets or outside alcohol allowed. All shows rain or shine. For additional concert details and up-to-date artist information, log onto www.visitvulcan.com.
Bring the kids to enjoy fun games and activities.
Music by: Leon Redbone (with Supporting Dead Fingers)
General Admission – $15 (Includes concert, admission to Vulcan Center Museum and Observation Tower and tax)
Children 12 & under are FREE!
Vulcan Members – $7.50
VIP Ticket Packages are available for $75
Barking at the Moon Festival and Parade – Fultondale Bark Park
The Barking at the Moon Festival and Parade is a family-oriented event held in conjunction with the Fultondale Arts Council. The event includes vendors, a dog parade, dog pageant, Guess your Dog’s Weight, dog games, Photos with your Dog, and other family activities. The Flying Houndz Frizbee Trick Dog Show will be our featured entertainment.
12pm – 5pm
Pumpkin Carving Party – Ruffner Mountain Nature Center
Let your creativity run wild as you create your very own Jack-O-Lantern. Ruffner will provide the carving tools. You may bring your own pumpkin, or buy one from Ruffner. Take your pumpkin home, or leave it to be displayed at Faces in the Forest. The Pumpkin Carving Party will take place on the Back Porch.
Oktoberfest – Our Savior Lutheran Church
Our Savior Lutheran Church is hosting an Oktoberfest celebration. This event will be fun for the whole family. Offering entertainment such as a Corn Hole tournament, inflatables, and music. Please join us and enjoy Bratwursts, hot dogs, German dishes, and homemade desserts.
Noon – 4pm
Boo at the Zoo
Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 15 nights of Wells Fargo Boo at the Zoo. This year, you can seeyour favorite ©Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor and Captain America*! Don’t miss your chance to experience special meet and greets with the heroes, get their autographs and take your very own pictures!
Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to search for Bigfoot on the Sasquatch Safari*, jump on the Eerie Express train*, take a spin on the Scarousel*, participate in animal-themed games at the Creepy Carnival tent, trick-or-treat your way through safe candy villages and much more! Boo at the Zoo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!
*©Marvel character appearance dates: October 4-5 (Captain America), 11-12 (Thor), 18-19 (Iron Man) & 25-26 (Spider-Man)
*The Zoo will close at 4pm on each day of Boo at the Zoo.
*Animals will not be on exhibit for Boo at the Zoo.
* Daily attraction fees still apply
* Wristband includes unlimited access to: Eerie Express Train, Sasquatch Safari, Scarousel, Creepy Carnival, Gruesome Golf, Ghost Rollers and Cajun Sadie’s Fortune Telling Adventure
$8 Non-members*
$6 Members*–NEW MEMBER DISCOUNT!
$11.50 wristbands*
$3.50 attractions*
5pm – 9pm
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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.
