By: Shellie Chambers
Program Director, 3^rd grade and up
The Dance Foundation

It’s that time of year to look for activities to engage your child.  Dance is a great choice for all ages!   Not only do dance classes offer physical benefits like increased coordination, strength, flexibility, and poise, research shows that dance classes also develop creativity, problem solving, communication, high-ordered thinking, and social awareness.

There are many studios and community centers that offer dance classes, but each has its own philosophy and approach to teaching.  Often, a dance school is selected based on location and cost, but there is so much more to consider.  Just like you would with anything else, do your research when choosing a dance school for your child.  Some questions you might want to ask are:

What is the training of the faculty?
Some dance schools provide faculty bios and/or qualifications on their website.  Ask for them, if not.  A great dance teacher will most likely have a degree in dance from a college or university and may even hold an MFA.

What is the teaching philosophy of the school?
Dance schools have a variety of philosophies.  The school may emphasize competitions, or recreational dance, or a professional track.  The school may have a spring recital, or it may not.  What is the curriculum used for young children verses older students?  And, what styles of dance are offered to what ages?

Observe a class or performance, if possible.  Do you agree that the movement, music and costumes are age-appropriate?
According to Mary Margaret Bawden, founder of soultosolechoreography.org and “DA:NCE-Dance Awareness: No Child Exploited,”

“In some dance studios around the nation, there has been an increase in sexualized, objectified movement for children under 12. These studios/teachers often unknowingly model their movement choices on what they see in the media culture. I’ll label this cultural shift the difference between healthy, age-appropriate dance versus unhealthy, age-inappropriate dance.”  
It is up to you as the parent to determine what you want for your child.

Does the school offer live music?
Music is an essential component to dancing, but finding a dance class that offers live music is hard!  Live music creates imaginative environments, provides a collaborative atmosphere, and it develops the dancer’s musicality.

For students in elementary school and older, what is the commitment level required, and does it match what you are willing to invest?

Determine how much of a time commitment you are willing to make for your child and your family.  If dance is a new exploration for your child, maybe you want to start with a small commitment – one day per week.  But, as with learning anything, if you want to see the most progress, more classes per week will be required.

What is the trajectory of the program as your child gets older?

What is the oldest age student and what is the highest level class offered?   Does your child have a place to grow and progress if dance becomes their passion?

Location and tuition should be considered last, in my opinion.  When you consider the tuition, be sure to notice if the monthly fee is per class or per hour, and check out all the fees associated with the class(es) (ex: performances, costumes, required attire, tickets, competitions, traveling, etc.)  Some schools even offer financial aid, but you might have to ask.

Most importantly, after you have done your research and selected a school, help your child to have consistent attendance (that’s the best way to ensure that progress will be made).  Trust your decision and trust your dancer’s teacher – she/he’s the expert!

Resources:
Ndeo.org
Mary Margaret Bawden

About The Dance Foundation:

The Dance Foundation’s programs spark creative thinking, encourage collaboration and build confidence in the lives of children, teens and adults in our community.

We dance with 2000+ students of all ages and abilities in our studios and at more than 20 social service agencies, child care centers and schools throughout Birmingham. Our dance classes and performances inspire all involved – the growing toddler, the child who is homeless, disadvantaged or at-risk, the child who has special needs, and the inquisitive teen. The Dance Foundation is also home to dozens of artists and arts organizations for classes, workshops, rehearsals and performances. Creativity and collaboration are at the heart of our mission. The Dance Foundation. A Place of Discovery.

BIRMINGHAMMOMMY READERS!! We’re so glad you found our list of Pumpkin Patches in Birmingham, please make sure to check out our list of the Best Pumpkin Patches and Fall Festivals for 2019 by CLICKING HERE

Birmingham is packed full of some serious fall fun and we’ve got the ultimate guide for some Spooktacular events. From Pumpkin Patches, to Fall Festivals and library happenings, there’s plenty here to keep you and your little monsters busy!

Pumpkin Patches in Birmingham:

Old Baker Farm – Harpersville – September 30th – October 31st. Just off Hwy 280.

Open weekdays 3pm – dark
Saturdays 9am – dark
Sundays 1pm – dark
ADMISSION COST:
$10 per person (children under 2 free)
Admission includes pumpkin and all events except food, arts and crafts, and horseback rides.
Visit Site for more information.

• FESTIVAL WEEKEND Open Saturday and Sunday, October 28th-29th, 9am-5pm (*Entrance Gate Closes Each Day at 5pm)

• Western Cowboy Day – Saturday October 14th, 9am until Dark and Sunday, October 15th, 1pm until Dark
  Shootouts, Western Music, Hay Wagon Rides, Hay Mountain, Pumpkin Patch, & 0More!
  Kids, come dressed in your western attire! Cost: $10 per person; kids under 2 free (Payment types accepted: Cash or Check only) Admission Fee includes pumpkin and all events except food, arts and crafts, horseback rides

• Cotton Pickin’ Celebration – Saturday October 28th 9am – 5pm and Sunday October 29th 9am – 5pm.
  Cost: $10 per person; kids under 2 free (Payment types accepted: Cash or Check only) Admission Fee includes pumpkin and all events except food, arts and crafts, horseback rides

Great Pumpkin Patch – Hayden – 65 North to the Hayden Corner Exit. September 23th – October 31st
Open Monday – Thursday 8am – 4pm,
Friday and Saturday 8am – 6pm,
Sunday 1pm – 6pm.
Admission to the Pumpkin Patch is free, pay for each activity.

Bennett Farms – Heflin –   I-20 toward Atlanta, exit 199.  In October – Open Friday, 2pm – 5pm,  Saturday 9am – 5pm and Sunday 1pm – 5pm. Live Music on Saturdays, 11am – 1pm.

$10 admission per child. 1 year and under free!
Pumpkins are not included with price of admission. Admission includes all activities: hayride, petting farm, corn crib, hay maze, pipe slide, tire crawl, pipe swing, wagon train. $5 admission per adult. Admission includes all activities. Pumpkins are not included with adult admission

Pumpkin Patch Express – Heart of Dixie Railroad Museum– Open Every Saturday and Sunday in October. The entire family will enjoy an autumn ride aboard the Pumpkin Patch Express. Lots of fun awaits at the Pumpkin Patch as you visit the Great Pumpkin, take a hayride, bounce in the inflatable bounce house, and participate in other family activities! Search our pumpkin patch to find your perfect pumpkin! Snacks and drinks are available for purchase at the Gift Shop and at the Pumpkin Patch for cash only.

The Pumpkin Patch event will take approximately 90 minutes.

Saturdays departing at 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM
Sundays departing at 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM

Infant Tickets

Children 0-24 months ride free of charge though required to sit in an adult’s lap at all times. When ordering your tickets, select “Coach Infant” for no additional charge. If you did not order an infant ticket with your initial order, notify the ticket agent upon your arrival at the Calera Depot that you have a child 0-24 months that will sit in your lap, and you will receive an infant ticket. For your safety, strollers and infant car seat carriers are not permitted aboard the train.

Tuscaloosa Barnyard
$10 per person
September Hours:

Friday 9-1
Saturday 9-4
Sunday 1-5

4D Farm
Visit 4D Farm this fall and experience a day of family fun and yummy food!  We have new activities that  you’ll love, just wait until you see our “Goats on the Barn at 4D Farm!”

Located in Cullman…just a short county drive from Birmingham and Huntsville!

September 29th – October 30th

Thursdays – 2pm till 6pm
Fridays – 2pm till 6pm
Saturdays – 10am till 6pm
Sundays – 1:00 – 6pm

Farm Location | 7182 County Road 703 |  Cullman, AL 35055

Fall Activities at Birmingham Libraries:

Emmet O’Neal Public Library

• A Night Dark & Grim: October 27st, 6pm
  Characters, Games, Photo Booth and prizes, Beauty and the Beast character sing along movie
  6pm, All ages
• Library Out Loud Costume Party: October 31st, 3:30-4:15 (K-2nd grade)

Hoover Public Library

•  Pumpkin Power:  October 10, 6:30 pm, Paint a hero costume on your pumpkin at the annual pumpkin       painting contest. All ages welcome.
• Halloween Heroes: October 27th, 7-9pm Save the day at our annual Halloween Party! We are celebrating all heroes with Batman, Paw Patrol and Firemen to the rescue. Wear your best costume for some major heroic fun!
• Trick or Treat: Wear your costume and trick or treat throughout the library. All ages. October 31st, 9am-9pm

Homewood Public Library

• Creepy Cupcake Wars – October 5th, 3:30pm. Test your cupcake decorating skills as we battle it out to see who will win our Creepy Cupcake Wars! Open to 4th-7th graders. Online registration required.
• Goosebumps Gala – October 21st, 10:30am. Wear your favorite costume and join us for a FANG-filled morning for our Goosebumps Gala! We’ll have bone-chilling games, ghoulish crafts and spooky treats.
• October Fest Book Party Featuring Father Goose – October 28th, 4:30pm. Join Father Goose himself at the library for prizes, games and giveaways as he launches his new book, First Times. Charles Ghigna is the author of over 100 books and counting! His latest release, Strange, Unusual, Gross & Cool Animals is a bestseller on Amazon.
• Candy Corn Day – October 30th, 3:30pm. Crafts, games and snacks featuring our favorite tri-colored seasonal food!
• Trick or Treat – October 31st, 9am – 9pm. Wear your costume and trick or treat at the children’s desk

North Shelby Library

• Pumpkin Painting Workshop – October 13th, 4pm – 5pm. BYOP (Bring Your Own Pumpkin). We’ll provide the paint. Registration is required. All ages welcome, with a caregiver.

Fall Festivals and Halloween Happenings in Birmingham:

2017 Fall Fest at Westwood Baptist
Westwood will be throwing a community-wide Fall Festival on Friday, October 6th, from 6-9 pm on our campus! We will have a food court & food trucks with great food prices for the family! There will be $1 admission. Come on out and bring the family for live music, inflatables, live wrestling, free candy, hay ride, games, and so much more!

City of Clay Fall Festival
Hay Ride, Inflatables, Food and Games at the Clay Library Ball Field. October 13th, 5pm -8pm

Boo at the Zoo
Make plans to head to the Birmingham Zoo for Boo at the Zoo presented by Wells Fargo! Watch as the Zoo transforms into a destination of spooky attractions for 16 nights of Boo at the Zoo. New this year, come experience the thrill of Bug-A-BOO, larger than life animatronic bugs! Fun for all ages, take in the glow as you control the light of the firefly, see a 12 foot tall moth, 14 foot long beetle and more at this exciting new attraction in Trails of Africa play area.

Be sure to come dressed in your favorite family-friendly costume to ride the Spider Slide, jump on the Eerie Express train, see a Schaeffer Eye Center Wildlife Show, ride the ghost rollers, take a spin on the Scarousel, trick-or-treat throughout the Zoo and SO much more! Boo at the Zoo presented by Wells Fargo is one spook-tacular event you won’t want to miss!

NEW THIS YEAR! 1 ticket gets you into the event PLUS Unlimited Rides all night!

Members: $15 – Unlimited Rides and Admission
Members: $8 – Admission Only

Non-Members: $18 – Unlimited Rides and Admission
Non-Members: $10 – Admission Only

October 15, 19-22, & 26-31 (5-9pm)

Harvest Festival Hosted by Oak Mountain State Park
Join us on October 14th at Oak Mountain State Park for our annual Harvest Festival! The festival will be held in the South Trailhead Field!
Parking will be available in the South Trailhead parking lot, Cedar Pavilion, and at the Playground parking lot! (Additional parking can be found on the side of Terrace Dr. from the field down to the beach parking lot.)

Saturday October 14, 9-2

Regular Park Entry Fees Taken at Gate. CASH ONLY at gate!
Ages 3 and Under- FREE
Age 4-11 are $2 each
Age 12-61 $5 each
Age 62 and Up- $2 each

Entrance Fees are Valid for the entire day! So come out and play, shop, learn, and then enjoy the park for the remainder of the day!

Town of Mt Laurel Annual Fall Festival
Happening on October 14th from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The Mt Laurel Fall Festival has something for everyone, including shopping the many arts and crafts vendors and farmers in the Town Center; watching live music on the Bryson Square Stage; and savoring delicious eats at Birmingham food trucks. Browse handcrafted artwork, home décor items, jewelry, and pottery from local artisans and pick up fresh produce from participating farmers.The festival will extend to Mt Laurel’s beautiful Olmsted Park to allow for an expanded Kid’s Park area. Children of all ages will love the inflatables, face painting, and rides in the idyllic Olmsted Park. Admission is free to the Mt Laurel Fall Festival and will be held rain or shine.

Heritage Festival – Jefferson Christian Academy
Families can enjoy a variety of entertainment such as carnival rides, huge inflatables, live music, arts and crafts vendors, informational booths, several food choices, great values in the silent auction, pony rides, games and more! This event is a great forum for crafters, small businesses and area retailers to have one-on-one exposure to all ages.
Saturday October 14th
10am – 3pm

Fall Frenzy – Pell City Lakeside Park
Live Music, kids activities, carnival rides, car truck and bike show
October 14th
10am – 5pm

Oak Mountain Elementary School
Oak Mountain Elementary School is hosting the 8th Annual Fall Fun Fest on Saturday, October 15, from 10am to 4pm. Cost is $13 for pre-paid wristbands; $15 at the door. The festival is held on the school grounds and features big screens with college football, $6 Chick-fila sandwiches, Steel City Pops, Kona Ice, a snack bar, inflatables, face painting, crafts, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, a silent auction, and more!

BooPalooza – Morning Star United Methodist Church
Boopalooza is a free event for the whole community of Chelsea to celebrate the fall season and trick or treat! Join the fun this year at the Tractor Supply parking lot!!
October 22nd
4pm – 7pm

Palmerdale Methodist Church Kingdom Fest
Everything is Free! Inflatables, Hot Dogs, Glow Party, and Candy!
October 25th, 6pm – 8pm

Hoover Hayride – Veterans Park on Valleydale
The Hoover Hayride & Family Night is an annual family-friendly event held October 26th.  The event includes hayrides around the park and a large exhibitor pavilion where children can gather treats throughout the night.

• Hayrides around the park
• Expansive Exhibitor Area
• Candy & Giveaways
• Food Vendors
• Balloon Artists
• Face Painting

October 26, 2017
5:00 – 8:00 PM

Dawson Baptist Church
Please join us for this year’s Family Fall Festival!. We will have free carnival games and rides for all ages. There is minimal cost for carnival food, Feel free to dress up in your best costume!
October 27th, 6pm – 9pm

Hey Neighbor Night at Trinity West Homewood
Bounce house, free pumpkins to paint, crafts and games for all the kids! Adults can enjoy pumpkin coffee and we’ll provide a hot dog dinner while we watch “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” outside together.

October 27th, 5:30pm

Tannehill
The Tannehill Halloween Festival, a non-scary fun-filled holiday event focused on the campgrounds, annually attracts over 6,000 visitors, most of them children. Begun in 1992, the event features park-sponsored programs during the afternoon and traditional Halloween candy “trick or treat” stops at more than 200 campsites during the evening. Park events include a moon walk, clowns, face painting, pony rides and sand art. A special tradition is the festival’s annual Halloween Festival T-shirt. Campground site decorations and lights are extensive, creative and surreal.
October 28th

Helena Fall Fest at Joe Tucker Park
The 3rd annual Helena Fall Festival on OCT 28th is MOVING this year to JOE TUCKER PARK. We are excited about this move and hope to have a blessed time once again this year. This is a free event open to the public. We will have games, inflatables, music, cotton candy and more! More info to come.
1pm – 3pm

City of Alabaster Fall Fest at Buck Creek Trail
October 28th, 2017 9:30am -3pm
Admission: Free (money needed for vendor and food purchases)
Fall Fest is a fun filled day with:

Arts and Crafts Vendors
Carnival Style Swings for children
Food Vendors
12:00 PM – Costume Parade (meet at the triangle in front of the Trick-or-Treat Trail)
Hay Rides
Inflatables
Live Music performed by 2BLU and the Lucky Stiffs
Trick-or-Treat Trail for children
And More

Gardendale Harvest Market
The first-ever Gardendale Harvest Market by Gardendale Music! Come with the whole family and trick or treat with our eclectic variety of local artists, artisans, farmers, and much more!
October 29th, 2pm – 7pm
528 Decatur Highway

Fall Festival Homewood Parks and Rec
Location: Homewood Central Park
Fall Festival – Event provides a variety of games, goodies, concessions,  attractions, Haunted Walk and candy!

Inflatables, Games, Trunk or Trick and More
Cost: $5 per person
Sunday October 29th
2pm – 5:15pm

Homewood Witches Ride
The Homewood Witches Ride is a fundraiser that benefits the American Cancer Society by celebrating the beautiful spirit of Paula Stringfellow Ford. Join the Hundreds of Witches as they take off from Homewood Central Park and toss candy to the kiddies in the designated candy zones.
For more information Visit this post
October 29th
Witches take flight approx 5:15pm

Ridgecrest Baptist Church Trunk or Treat
Games, Candy, Free Food, Free admission, Bounce Houses
Sunday, October 29th 4pm – 6pm

Sunday Fall Festival at Liberty Park Baptist Church
Carnival Rides, Games, Inflatables, Cotton Candy, Bake sale and Dessert Food Trucks and More!

Sunday October 29th 3pm – 5:30pm

Fall Festivals and Happenings Near Birmingham:

Desoto Caverns Childersburg
Tomb of the Risen Dead
Tomb of the Risen Dead is spooky fun for everyone! Be immersed in the extraordinary at Tomb of the Risen Dead every Friday & Saturday from October 6 – 28 from 6:30 – 10:30pm. Experience our two haunted attractions ranked top 8 in Alabama by ScurryFace.com. Enjoy our festival area including live entertainment ranging from fire dancing to acrobatics to comedic juggling and more! Fall into fun with our family friendly movies showing under the stars, s’mores for roasting, caramel apples, pumpkin decorating, lip sync contests, & Chick-Fil-A will be serving food! Gate entrance is only $8 (children 3 & under are free into our festival area) and a combo ticket for both attractions is only $20! We hope we have the pleasure of hosting your best memories yet!

Desoto State Park
Spookapalooza! Storytelling, Treats, Fun, & Games!

Chill-O-Ween Appalachian Festival, Mt. Cheaha
October 14, 10am-7pm

Admission: $5 per person park entrance fee at the gate

Mountain Chili Competition, folk music by Blue Yonder, storytelling, ghost hikes,autumn fairy houses, games, crafts, food, and more!

Days Gap Fest Oakman, AL
The 1st Annual Days Gap Fest will be a 2 day event on Friday, Oct. 13 & Sat. Oct. 14. We will have vendors, music, street games, food, arts & crafts, etc. A Car & Motorcycle Show will be held on Saturday.
Downtown Oakman

Children’s Hands On Museum of Tuscaloosa

Mask Mayhem – Choose a mask and decorations from the ART CHEST to design your ONE OF A KIND mask! Parade through CHOM to show off your design!!
Saturday October, 7th 10am – 4pm

Goblin Gala – Spooks and Goblins, and Bats Galore… Come for treats, games, and a whole lot more!
All activities included in admission!
Saturday, October 14th 10am – 4pm

Halloween Spooktacular and Monster Mash Ball – Carnival Games appropriate for multiple ages. Carnival Game tickets are available at: 50¢ each; 10 for $5; 25 for $10; $15 per unlimited play armband (good for 1 person). Games are located at exhibits and exhibits are not open for regular play during Spooktacular.

COSTUME + FOOD BANK ITEM = ADMISSION for each person! Yes, adults too!
BUY GAME TICKETS to PLAY for PRIZES! NEW Carnival Games & NEW Fun!
Music by DJ CHUCKIE!
Thursday, October 19th 5:3pm – 7:30pm

Monster Walk Scavenger Hunt – Follow the monster feet to find the clues and win a prize!
Saturday October 28th, 10am – 4pm

Noccalula Falls
The Noccalula Falls Halloween Super Bash is a fearfully fun and family-friendly event! Break out your costumes, and come enjoy games, inflatables, balloon fun with Big Sam, trick-or-treating, vendors and more. In the true spirit of Halloween, Noccalula Falls Park will have classic fall activities like bobbing for apples, and a pumpkin toss. The regular Park attractions will also get holiday twists with Halloween themed stops at the petting zoo, train ride and other locations around the park.
The Halloween Super Bash event will last from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., October 14th. Noccalula Falls will remain open until 5 p.m. for guests who wish to tour the park.
Tickets for the event are $6.00 for adults and children ages 4 and up. Season passes are not valid for the Halloween Super Bash..

If you have a festival or fall event you would like added to our list, email us at: contact@birminghammommy.com subject line, Fall Festival

Our Sponsor:

Desoto Caverns Tomb of the Risen Dead is spooky fun for everyone! Be immersed in the extraordinary at Tomb of the Risen Dead every Friday & Saturday from October 6 – 28 from 6:30 – 10:30pm.  Experience our two haunted attractions ranked top 8 in Alabama by ScurryFace.com. Enjoy our festival area including live entertainment ranging from fire dancing to acrobatics to comedic juggling and more!