Another busy weekend with plenty of things to choose from! Here are our top picks for fun in the ‘Ham this weekend!

• Buck Creek Festival:

The Buck Creek Festival is a free, family-friendly community event held on the second weekend of May in Helena’s Amphitheater Park. On the banks of Buck Creek, just below the dam, the heavily wooded site together with the incredible stage provides a wonderful venue for people of all ages to enjoy crafts, children’s activities, great food, and fabulous music.

Friday, May 12th 6pm – 10pm

• Day Out with Thomas:

Take a ride with everybody’s favorite #1 engine, Thomas the Tank Engine, and enjoy Thomas-themed activities at the Imagination Station, including temporary tattoos and hands-on arts and crafts.  Have your photo taken with Sir Topham Hatt and enjoy Storytelling, Inflatable Bounce House, Carpet Golf, Bubble Station, Sandbox, Railroad Signal Yard, and Live Music!

Find exclusive (not available in any store!) Thomas merchandise in the Gift Tent!  Delicious food vendors will be on site.

A fun-filled family experience not to be missed so be sure and bring your camera!

Advance purchase recommended.

Tickets include one train ride with Thomas and all attractions for $22 plus processing fee for ages 2 and up. Processing fee $3.65 for tickets purchased online and $4.25 for for tickets purchased by phone. Children 0-24 months ride free of charge though required to sit in an adult’s lap at all times. For your safety, strollers and infant car seat carriers are not allowed on the train.

Ride Times for Friday, May 12:  9:45 am, 10:30 am, 11:15 am, noon, 12:45 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:00 pm, 3:45 pm

Ride Times for Saturday, May 13: 9:00 am, 9:45 am, 10:30 am, 11:15 am, noon, 12:45 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:00 pm, 3:45 pm, 4:30 pm

Ride Times for Sun May: 9:45 am, 10:30 am, 11:15 am, noon, 12:45 pm, 1:30 pm, 2:15 pm, 3:00 pm, 3:45 pm

• 5th Annual International Street Fair:

This free event celebrates the diversity of Birmingham through food, music, dance and art. Join us for dance lessons, drum circles and a taste of the world. Bring your lawn chairs and an adventurous spirit. No outside food please.
Saturday, May 13th 10am – 4pm, 3rd Avenue North & 20th Street

• Patriot Park Spring Street Fest:

You, your neighbors, friends and family are invited to a free event featuring live music, local food and inflatables for the kids on the street right next to the beautiful Patriot Park.

Patriot Park in Homewood
Saturday, May 13th 4pm -9pm

Last but not least.. Celebrate Mother’s Day!! If you’re up for a little adventure, check our list of free things happening for Moms around Birmingham!

For more events happening in Birmingham this weekend, make sure to visit our Events Calendar

We always love seeing what new exhibits come to McWane in the Summer, check out Design Zone!

What does it take to create an addictive and fun video game? How many beats per second does a DJ need to get bodies moving on the dance floor? What goes behind creating a roller coaster or a skate park that produces the most fun and biggest thrills? Discover the secrets behind how videogame developers, music producers, roller coaster designers, and other creative problem solvers do what they do in McWane Science Center’s new exhibition, Design Zone, opening May 27th. Design Zone is presented at McWane through the generous support of Wells Fargo and will be on exhibit through September 4th.

Design Zone is a highly interactive, hands-on exhibition where visitors can explore a variety of creative concepts to learn the processes and tools needed to create a successful design. Design Zone is organized into three thematic zones, all highlighting the importance of science and mathematical thinking in areas critical to building creativity and innovation: art, music, and engineering.

The Big news at the Birmingham Zoo this summer is PIRATES! You’re invited to set rail on the all new Pirate Red Diamond Express Train Ride at the Zoo! The Zoo’s newest attraction promises to be both entertaining as well as inspiring and is designed to send an important message about water conservation. Guests of all ages will enjoy the dozens of life-size, animatronic swashbucklers who are taking over the Zoo trains.

Memorial Day – Spend your Memorial Day weekend at the Birmingham Zoo. Splash in the fountains, take a ride on the new Pirate train* and carousel*, enjoy Schaeffer Eye Center  Wildlife Shows and experience all the Zoo has to offer. In honor of Memorial Day weekend, the Zoo is giving FREE admission to veterans as well as all active and retired military and their dependents. Bring your proof of military service (military ID card, dependent ID card, driver’s license, etc.) to take part in all the fun the Zoo has to offer. *Additional cost

Parrots and Pirates – Pirates, parrots and more are invited to the Birmingham Zoo to join the celebration of Parrots and Pirates on Saturday, June 3, from 10am-2pm. Festivites are free for Members or with paid admission to the Zoo.

Children are encouraged to dress up in their favorite pirate (or parrot!) costume for the exciting day when the Zoo’s pirates come alive. All attendees will receive a free eye patch and have a chance to get their face painted. Photo opportunities will be plentiful as several costumed characters will be present to entertain the attendees, as well as photo opportunities with the Zoo’s macaws.

Parrots and Pirates will also feature special keeper chats and animal demonstrations, a DJ providing dance music, arts and crafts, and an awesome sampling booth provided by Coca-Cola. For additional activities, see below!

This event will be held behind the Schaeffer Eye Center Wildlife Stage.

Event Includes:

FREE lorikeet feeding for kids
$2 discounted Pirate Train Rides
$1 Hot Dogs
FREE eye patches
Pirate Craft
Face Painting
Costumed Characters
Special Keeper Chats and Animal Demonstrations
DJ
Sampling Booth Provided by Coca-Cola

Father’s Day Weekend – In recognition of Father’s Day, receive a FREE child’s admission to the Birmingham Zoo with the purchase of a full-price adult admission ticket on Saturday, June 17 and Sunday, June 18. Throughout the weekend, guests can watch a Schaeffer Eye Center Wildlife Show, watch the Red Diamond Sea Lion Show, experience Predator Zone and much more. Guests are invited to participate on Sunday in the World Giraffe Day activities!

*Please note, the Zoo will close at 3pm on Saturday, June 17 for Zoo, Brews and Full Moon Bar-B-Que

World Giraffe Day – June 18th, Make your way to the Zoo for World Giraffe Day and learn about giraffe conservation! Enjoy a giraffe feeding* at the Kiwanis Giraffe Encounter, keeper chats, games, arts and crafts, activities and more! All proceeds from giraffe feedings this day will be matched by the Birmingham Zoo and donated to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Help celebrate the longest-necked animal on the earth!

Keeper chats and feedings will occur from 9:30am-11:30am and again from 1pm-3pm.

*Additional cost of $3 (plus tax)

Pink Flamingo Day – Join us for Pink Flamingo Day in celebration of the National Pink Flamingo on June 24 from 10am-3pm! Visit the Zoo to see the colorful flock of flamingos and learn all about these unique birds, like what makes them pink and why some of their feathers are not pink. You’ll see how the Zoo makes sure the flamingos don’t fly away and you may see some of the new breeding efforts with the Zoo’s flock! Enjoy a FREE flamingo feeding from 10am-11:30am and from 2-3pm!

Schedule of Activities:

10am-3pm: Family activities including coloring, tattoo station
10am-3pm: Biofacts station with real flamingo feathers
10am-11:30am: FREE Flamingo Feeding and Keeper Chat
2pm-3pm: FREE Flamingo Feeding and Keeper Chat

Member Night at Regions Field – Attention Zoo Members: On Monday, July 10, and Wednesday July 19th, you’re invited to enjoy FREE admission to watch the Birmingham Barons play at Regions Field! Just bring your valid Member I.D. card and cheer on the hometown team during Zoo Member Nights at the Barons. This is another benefit of being a Birmingham Zoo Member!

Looking for a Zoo Camp? Check out what they have to offer this summer for your little Animal Lovers.

It’s back! The 5th Annual Birmingham International Street Fair will take place Saturday, 10am – 4pm, May 13th in Downtown Birmingham on 3rd Ave N and 20th Street N!

This free event celebrates the diversity of Birmingham through food, music, dance and art. Join us for dance lessons, drum circles and a taste of the world. Bring your lawn chairs and an adventurous spirit. No outside food please.

Artists:

Aastha’s Dance, Aziza’s of Birmingham, Blue Lotus Mehndi, Digeridoos with William MacGavin/MacGavin Woodworks, Nathifa Dance Company, Filipino Folk Dancers, Wolfgang Moritz, Arabic & Chinese Calligraphy, Get Rhythm Drum Circle

Food:

Steel City Pops, Blowfish Sushi and Asian Cuisine (serving Sushi and Vietnamese cuisine), Taj India, Repiccis Italian Ice & Gelato, Carmel Dulce De Leche, Individual Food Vendors in Indian Cuisine, Afro-Carribean Cuisine with Chef Jarman & Cafe 1720, Malu-Ocupal – Chocolate, Renae’s Kitchen, Soul Food, Casa Honduras, Ivory Leshores Gourmet Bread Pudding and Cheesecake, The Greek Kouzina

For more information and an entertainment schedule, visit their website

McWane Science Center is packed full of fun year round, but we always love the unveiling of a new exhibit, this years Summer Exhibit is Design Zone, a highly interactive, hands-on exhibition where visitors can explore a variety of creative concepts to learn the processes and tools needed to create a successful design.

In addition to this new exhibit, the energy slide will re-open, always a crowd favorite.. and if spending the night inside the museum sounds like fun, register for the Dream Big Family Sleepover on June 10th.

Member Mondays – McWane Science Center opens its doors from 5 to 8 pm to its members for special FREE member-only programming.

Join us this month for Engineering Challenge! How does mathematics shape the creative process in art, music, and engineering? Find out in our latest travelling exhibit, Design Zone. Reserve your family’s spot today for Member Monday by calling (205) 714-8414.

Additionally, a dinner of chicken fingers, mashed potatoes and green beans is available for advanced purchase. Dinner reservations must be made the Friday before each Member Monday event. The cost of dinner is Adults: $8, Children: $5. Payment must be made at time of Reservation and will not be available for purchase the night of the event. Pre-purchased dinners will be available from 5 to 6:30 PM. in the Smart Café.

Teacher Appreciation Wednesdays in June – Thank you to the teachers! We want you to enjoy McWane Science Center with your family this summer – not just on a field trip with your students. Each Wednesday in the month of June (7, 14, 21, 28), teachers get in free (please show teacher ID card/identification) and receive a goody bag, enter a drawing for a chance to win a free classroom science kit and other prizes, and receive a ticket discount ($6 for adults $7/$12 for kids) for your family (up to 5 people).

Splash into Summer –  Saturday, June 17th, Dive right in as we celebrate all things summer at McWane Science Center! This day will feature 2 inflatables, a DJ, beach combing, and tattoos on the Plaza from 10-2. Indoor activities will include ocean animal encounters, the science of sharks, and a sand castle design challenge. Don’t forget to check out our latest IMAX film, Journey to the South Pacific. We will be offering $10 combo tickets on this day.

Father’s Day – June 18th, “Dear Old Dad” gets in free with the purchase of a child’s admission.

Design Dayz: Motion. Saturday, June 24th Capture the momentum of our summer exhibit, Design Zone, then put your skills to the test as you build a Rube Goldberg machine, create a marble run, compete in a derby car race, and more.

Design Dayz: LEGO Day. Saturday, July 8th is LEGO Day at McWane! Explore amazing LEGO displays by the Magic City LEGO User’s Group. Drop into the LEGO Lab to explore robot programming and stop-motion animation. And visit the Jr. Builders Gallery to see the original creations of young LEGO builders. There will be LEGO Challenges and building activities all throughout the Adventure Halls. Plus LEGO Caricatures by Kevin!

Design Dayz: Art. Saturday, July 15th. What does math have to do with art? Discover the connection between computation and creativity through video game design, stop motion animation, and mathematical art. Then put your skills to the test and explore our summer exhibit, Design Zone.

Teens and Tech Maker Lab July 15th, 5pm – 9pm. Explore the power of making! We will meet local Makerspace artist, experience the Design Zone exhibit and explore making 3-D doodlers, circuit kits and more! Come prepared to make, tinker and tweak!

World of Water Day Wednesday, July 26th. Make a splash and come explore beneath the waves. Learn how fish breathe underwater, how hermit crabs find a shell, and what a sting rays favorite food is. All varieties of underwater creatures get their special day in the sun as we celebrate World of Water Day with unique aquatic activities, educational programs and a special IMAX/Adventure Hall $10 ticket.

Designs Dayz: Motion Saturday, July 29th. Capture the momentum of our summer exhibit, Design Zone, and use your skills to build a Rube Goldberg machine, create a marble run, compete in a derby car race, and more!

Sun-Day on Saturday Saturday July 19th, The sun is so bright, you’ll have to wear shades. Join us for a day of solar exploration as we gear up for the solar eclipse on August 21. Learn more about this spectacular phenomenon as well as design your own devices to safely view the eclipse.

For more information on any of these events or to register where needed, visit the McWane Website

For more ideas on Summer Fun happening around the Magic City, make sure to visit our Mother of All Summer Fun Lists!

So much happening this weekend we could probably make this the Friday Fifteen! Here are our top picks for fun in the ‘Ham this weekend!

Star Party at Christenberry Planetarium Samford University:

Star party on the Samford Quad. We will have telescopes set up for public viewing and planetarium mini presentations running through the evening. Our oculus rift virtual reality experience will also be available to try! The Dreamcakes Cupcake Truck will be on hand. Our planetarium presentation schedule is the following:

7:00 pm Inner Solar System Worlds
8:00 pm Outer Solar System Worlds
9:00 pm Constellations
10:00 pm Alabama Spring Skies: Star Struck

Admission is FREE. Ticket not required.

Dreamcakes available for purchase.

Mad Scientist Day Junior:

The Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are hosting the fourth annual Mad Scientist Day Jr.

Mad Scientist Day Jr. is a free event that will take place on May 6th, 2017. Elementary and middle school age children accompanied by an adult will be able to do more than 30 hands-on experiments that explain science concepts in simple ways. Snacks will also be provided at the event.

All participants must register on the Mad Scientist Day Jr. website at the link provided below. All children must be accompanied by an adult.

There are no tickets for the event and the cost is FREE. The event is open to the public ,the requirement is a preregistration via their website.

The event lasts for 6 hours but has shorter times slots available in which people can sign up in via our registration link

Food Truck Round Up and Art Show:

PreSchool Partners is excited for the 6th Annual Food Truck Round Up & Art Show on Saturday, May 6th from 11am-2p at The Summit (in front of Orvis, Swoozie’s & Arhaus). Local food trucks will be thre to allow guest to sample from their menus while raising funds and awareness for PreSchool Partners. over the last 5 years the events has raised over $300,000 for the program. Foodies and their families will experience live music, local art, amazing food, kid-friendly entertainment and fun for all ages. We will not be using tokens and have lowered the cost of the ticket to a $10 dollar entry fee. Vendors are responsible for selling items to public. Tickets are available in advance online or at the entrance of the event. Kids 10 and under are $5 and kids 2 and under get in free!

The $10 entry fee goes directly to supporting our Children’s and Parent Programs and includes access to all the food vendors, the Kids Zone (face-painting, balloon art & Soccer Shots), the Art Show & FREE Coca-Cola products!

2017 Food Trucks:
Bendy’s Cookies & Cream
Big Spoon Creamery
Cantina on Wheels
Dream Land BBQ
Eugene’s Hot Chicken
Greg’s Hotdogs
Lazy Boy BBQ
Melt Food Truck
Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co.
Nothing Bundt Cakes
Off the Hook
Recippi’s Italian Ice & Gelato
Shindigs
Steel City Pops

2017 Artist’s:
Lauren Duncan
Wild Art Co.
Madeline Boles
Carlee Arnold
Beth Picard
Jenny McRae Garrett
Amy Stone
Lizzy Yates
Allie Ray Photography

Party at the Parks:

On Saturday, May 6, 2017, make plans to join Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries (ABCH) for our third annual Party at the Parks event! This is a FREE event and an afternoon that everyone in the family will enjoy. Come enjoy inflatables, photos with princesses and superheroes, face painting, yard games, snow cones, music, and popcorn!

We are looking forward to celebrating our foster families while also raising awareness about the needs of children in foster care. We hope to see you there!

After the fun at Railroad Park, we’ll also be enjoying the Barons game together. You can purchase game tickets at www.barons.com!

Music in the Park at Mt Laurel

Music In The Park at MT Laurel Park-food and fun starts at 4:30 pm and enjoy a FREE concert by Iron City Magic starting at 5:30 pm.

Free bounce houses will be available for kids starting at 4:30 pm. Plus, enjoy tasting unique flavors with a variety of great food for purchase from some of Birmingham’s favorite food trucks including: Cantina, Lazy Boy BBQ, Greg’s Hot Dogs, Encore Rouge, Hero Donuts and multiple carts from Steel City Pops.

Starting at 5:30 pm you can enjoy your favorite hits from the 80s and 90s with a live show by Iron City Magic. Bring a blanket and chairs with your friends and family and join us for this community event hosted by Double Oak Community Church.

For more information (and incase of weather issues) visit www.doubleoakcc.org/music today!

For more events happening in Birmingham this weekend, make sure to visit our Events Calendar