By Gwen DeRu | The Birmingham Times
ENJOY THE OUTDOORS AND THE WEATHER!!!
…Now is the time to take ONE DAY – QUICK VACATIONS!!
TODAY, AUGUST 14…
**READTHE B IRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!
**WEEKDAYS – IRONDALE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER has activities starting at 8 a.m. with a Hot Lunch served for Seniors Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Call 205-951-1418 for details about the FREE program.
**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**REE – NATTY NIGHTS: CHAYSE PORTER & HIS PALACE DOORS with BITTER CALM and TIMBER at Saturn.
**THURSDAY LATE NIGHT with ALABAMA SO & SO MACHINE at The Nick.
**3rd THURSDAY at the Nick with RAMBLIN’ RICKY TATE at The Nick.
**JOSE CARR EVERY THURSDAY, 5-7 p.m. at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, at 1631 4th Avenue North.
**FILMMAKER NETWORKING NIGHTS, 5 p.m. at 1821 2nd Avenue North
**EVERY THURSDAY- THAT’S MY JAM THURSDAYS, 7 p.m. at Platinum of Birmingham with DJ Slugga.
**ALABAMA BLAZIN BINGO, 6 p.m. at Overtime Grill and Bar.
**FILM at Sidewalk Film.
**KARAOKE, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 15…
IT IS FRIDAY…the weekend starts…
**WEEKDAYS – IRONDALE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER has activities starting at 8 a.m. with a Hot Lunch served for Seniors Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Call 205-951-1418 for details about the FREE program.
**WILLIAMSON BROTHERS ALBUM RELEASE at the Nick with BAAK GWAI, DRUNKEN PRAYER at The Nick.
**LATE NIGHT with BITTER ROUTE, COLD PROMISE and EVA LAVANTE at The Nick.
**COMEDIAN DON “D.C.” CURRY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**BIT BRIGADE performs “MEGA MAN X” LIVE at Saturn.
**GOOD PEOPLE & GOOD MUSIC WITH GOOD PEOPLE BREWING at Dave’s, 6 p.m. at Dave’s Pub.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 16…
**The 16th Annual BOILING N’BRAGGING, 6-8:30 p.m. at Crestline Village across from the O’Neal Library.
**MOVIES ON THE MOUNTAIN is TOY STORY, 7 – 10 p.m. at Vulcan Park and Museum. Take your lawn chairs and blankets.
**ECTOVOID – 15th Anniversary Show with MALFORMITY and FORMULUS at Saturn.
**FREE – FUNERAL PARTY GOTH NIGHT at Saturn.
**COMEDIAN DON “D.C.” CURRY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**MUSTACHE – 90’S COUNTRY PARTY at Avondale Brewing Co.
**LEE BAINS at the Nick.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 17…
**RIDE 4 SICKLE CELL 2025, 10:30 a.m. at the American Legion Post 347 in Fairfield. Call 205-780-2355 for more.
**SINGO BINGO EVERY SUNDAY, 1 p.m. at Cahaba Brewing Company.
**JOSE CARR performing at JAZZ IN THE GARDEN SUNDAYS, Every 1st and 3rd Sunday, 5-8 p.m. at Denim on 7th, 2808 7th Avenue Suite105
**EASE BACK 4th SUNDAYS, 5 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**MOJOHAND, KYLE KIMBRELL AND THE FIRE CAMINO at The Nick.
**2ND SUNDAY FREE SHOW with ZACH AUSTIN at The Nick.
**4th SUNDAY FREE SHOW with TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH at The Nick.
**WIFFLE HOME RUN DERBY at Avondale Brewing Co.
MONDAY, AUGUST 18…
**WEEKDAYS – IRONDALE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER has activities starting at 8 a.m. with a Hot Lunch served for Seniors Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Call 205-951-1418 for details about the FREE program.
**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at The Nick.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 19…
**WEEKDAYS – IRONDALE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER has activities starting at 8 a.m. with a Hot Lunch served for Seniors Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Call 205-951-1418 for details about the FREE program.
**PODCASTING 101 at CREED63, EVERY TUESDAY at 5:45 p.m. Learn how to launch and create your own podcast at 1601 5th Avenue North, Birmingham 35203.
**JOSE CARR EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT at True Story Brewing.
**FREE – NATTY NIGHTS: POST OFFICE WINTER & DEEREST FRIENDS at Saturn.
**SUPERSTAR KARAOKE LATE NIGHT TUESDAYS at The Nick.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20…
**WEEKDAYS – IRONDALE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER has activities starting at 8 a.m. with a Hot Lunch served for Seniors Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Call 205-951-1418 for details about the FREE program.
**REAL FUNNY COMEDY WEDNESDAYS at True Story Brewing. Sign up at 7:30 p.m.
**WEDNESDAY OPEN DECK with SUNDROP at The Nick.
**FREE – SUBSTRATE BINGO with JACKIE LO at Saturn.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!!!
**WEEKDAYS – IRONDALE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER has activities starting at 8 a.m. with a Hot Lunch served for Seniors Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Call 205-951-1418 for details about the FREE program.
**BLUES JAM EVERY 3rd THURSDAY, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**FREE – NATTY NIGHTS: CARRELLEE with DOMESTICATRIX & THE REPLICANTS and B. CONNIER at Saturn.
**SHAKIRA CHINCHILLA with THEM IN UNIFORM at The Nick.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22….
**WEEKDAYS – IRONDALE SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER has activities starting at 8 a.m. with a Hot Lunch served for Seniors Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Call 205-951-1418 for details about the FREE program.
**HIPPIES & COWBOYS with OTIS at The Nick.
**MILK AND HONEY at Saturn.
**DOWNRIGHT & THE ERIN MITCHELL BAND at Avondale Brewing Co.
**THE MOLLY RINGWALDS at Iron City.
NEWS TO KNOW AND USE – PEOPLE, PLACES AND THINGS TO WATCH…
**ACTRESS PHYLICIA RASHAD HONORED IN BIRMINGHAM – The 24th Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award Ceremony is held TODAY, 7 p.m. at the Sheraton Birmingham. Actress Phylicia Rashad is the 24th recipient of the award given annually by the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund when members meet for three-days of celebration. This is their 58th year of cooperative development, land retention and advocacy. FRIDAY is the meeting at the Historic Rural Training and Research Center in Epes, Alabama where people from around the world gather for education, panel talks, hands-on workshops, a Memorial Legacy Project presentation, a fish fry, agroforestry tours and demonstrations. SATURDAY, the Annual Meeting starts at 8 a.m. with a Prayer breakfast and ends with a special meeting for members only and State Caucus reports. This year‘s theme is MEMORIALIZING OUR LEGACY that honors the generations who built, protected and advanced the cooperative movement across the rural South. They will honor the past, uplift the present and prepare for the future.
FOR TRAVEL LOVERS… IN THE STATE – DO A LITTLE SOMETHING!!
**AROUND BIRMINGHAM…Considered ‘Heaven On Earth in Alabama’ is RUFFNER MOUNTAIN with 14 hiking and biking trails and scenic views. You can view wildlife, fresh air, exercise and time to chat. It was once an iron ore mining site with1,038 acres of nature. Then there is TRIMTAB BREWING considered one of Alabama’s best breweries. Guests can sit indoors or outdoors, enjoy local art, hear live music and enjoy the delicious food at PARADISE CHOW. Serving Mexican-inspired dishes if EL BARRIO with nachos considered out-of-this-world and dips, salads, tacos with several entrees. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming and perfect for a group to sop in after a day of adventure. Looking for somewhere with great accommodations, then look no further than right in the downtown area at ELYTON HOTEL. It is located in the iconic Empire Building with 16-stories that was constructed in 1909. There are 111 guest rooms and six suites, in-room dining, a fitness center. The bedding is Egyptian cotton, which I know some people just love and will sleep like a baby when laying on it. Staying in downtown Birmingham is the perfect spot for shops and museums, restaurants of all kinds, the McWane Science Center, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute plus Historic 4th Avenue shops and food including the Historic 4th Avenue Shirts and Bridge + Root, an upscale shop.
FOR ART LOVERS…
**A SOUTHERN ARTISTS PRIZE COMPETITION – Artists from Alabama and the southern states are eligible to participate in a prize competition. The deadline is extended until September 7!!! Submit for the ‘1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art’. There is a $10,000 CASH PRIZE from the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston. The winner will receive a cash prize. A work by the winning artist will be exhibited in the museum for a full year. The museum will also invite the winner to Charleston for the official unveiling of their artwork, part of a three-day celebration honoring the artist. Artists must reside, work in or be from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. More details about the submission process at: gibbesmuseum.org/1858-prize. (Applications are accepted exclusively through the museum’s website.)
FOR MOVIE LOVERS…
AT THE SIDEWALK FILM FEST…
…DON’T MISS – AUGUST 18-24 – The 27th ANNUAL SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL!!
**TODAY – WEAPONS, 2 p.m.
**TODAY – GODZILLA (1954), 2:30 p.m.
**TODAY – MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (1964), 5 p.m.
**TODAY – RIO BRAVO.
**TODAY – FREE NETWORKING NIGHTS, 5 p.m.
**TODAY – FREE MONTHLY MOVIE TRIVIA, 7:30 p.m.
**FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY – DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968).
**FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY – GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH (1971).
**SUNDAY – RIO BRAVO.
FOR COMMUNITY LOVERS…
**UNITED ABILITY’s JOURNEY OF HOPE, 5 p.m., Saturday at the UAB Alys Stephens Center for an evening of fun for the family. Enjoy the Birmingham debut of OMNIUM CIRCUS, heavy hors d’oeuvres and dessert reception with complimentary valet service. Purchase your ticket and check out the silent auction to support an evening inspired by imagination, purpose and possibility beyond disability. For more, 205-944-3907 or ghyatt@unitedability.org.
**ADDICTION PREVENTION COALITION (Upcoming Events)
DATES include:
*SATURDAY – PADDLES FOR PREVENTION Pickleball Tournament, 2 -9:30 p.m. at Veterans Park – Alabaster Pickleball Courts. For more PB.Pickleball.al@gmail.com.
*September 26 – (SAVE THE DATE!!) MIND MATTERS: A CONVERSATION ON MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE & THE WORKPLACE at Jefferson State Community College. (Look for more.) For more, go to, apcbham.org.
**MOUNTAIN BROOK AUGUST LUNCHEON – The Quarterly Luncheon is August 20 at the Birmingham Country Club, 11 a.m. spotlighting Alabama’s growing tourism industry with an engaging panel discussion moderated by Paul DeMarco. Hear from leading voices who are shaping the future of tourism and driving economic impact across our state. Featured panelists include TAD SNIDER, Executive Director, BJCC; LEE SENTELL – Director, Alabama Tourism Department; TIFFIANY HOLMES – General Manager, Grand Bohemian Hotel and GENE HALLMAN – CEO, Eventive Sports. Enjoy networking, insight into current industry trends and a chance to connect with community and business leaders.
FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND FUN… LAUGHTER, FOOTBALL AND MUSIC…
**AUGUST 29 – WEEK ZERO CLASSIC COMEDY JAM featuring BILL BELLAMY, hosted by NEPHEW TOMMY with Special Guest MS. VEE at the Historic Boutwell Auditorium.
**AUGUST 30 – CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY vs VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY AND FORT VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY vs UNIVERSITY of WEST ALABAMA at Legion Field.
**AUGUST 30 – BBQ FESTIVAL at Legion Field with live music and food.
**AUGUST 31 – LABOR DAY CONCERT – ONE NIGHT ONLY – A TRIBUTE TO LUTHER VANDROSS featuring JAY LAMBERT & THE BYRON THOMAS COLLECTIVE, 7 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
FOR OUR YOUTH…
**ANNUAL TAILGATE KICKOFF PARTY SUPPORTING CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA CRITICAL CARE TRANSPORT – The 16th Annual BOILING N’BRAGGING will be held Saturday, 6-8:30 p.m. at Crestline Village across from the O’Neal Library. Enjoy a low-country boil, live music by “THE NEXT ROUND, drink specials cornhole and kids activities as you support the children’s Critical Care Transport. For more, boilingnbragging.org.
**YOUTH LEADERSHIP BIRMINGHAM – Nominations are being accepted through August 24 for Youth Leadership Birmingham. Nominees will have until September 26 to complete the online application. They will need a reference that will need to be submitted by the deadline. Parents and relatives may nominee a student but should not write the reference. Students must meet criteria: Sophomore or junior who resides or attends high school in Jefferson County. Maintain at least a “B” average, demonstrate leadership qualities and potential for leadership, Possesses the ability to question and work with others, Expresses an interest in furthering their knowledge of the greater Birmingham area and Commits to 100% attendance at all sessions. For more, call 205-252-4496 ext.2 or Katherine@leadershipbirmingham.org.
**SAFE HAVEN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS – This program has hours Monday -Thursday, 3:30 – 8 p.m. and Friday, 3:30 – 6 p.m. for Grades K-8. It will offer reading initiatives, chess club, homework assistance, creative writing, tutoring and more. This program is offered at the following parks: Central Park, Ensley, Fountain Heights, Hawkins, Inglenook, Memorial, M.L. King. For more info, contact 205-254-2391 or www.birminghamal.gov/parks-and-recreation/
**CITY CENTER ART (CCA) is Space One Eleven’s Afterschool program designed to help young artists in grades 2-12 build visual communication skills, foster creative thinking and have fun making art. Dates are in the Fall 2025 Semester (13 weeks) beginning September 2). Enrollment is open. For more or to register visit SpaceOneEleven.org. Call 205-328-0553.
**POOL HOURS EXTENDED SUMMER Open weekends ONLY until Monday, September 1, 2025.
**YOUTH VOLLEYBALL is September 15 – October 27 for 3rd – 8th Grade games on Mondays at 6 p.m. Registration August 4. Game location is Fountain Heights, 1101 15th Avenue North. Contact 205-335-0483 and 205-451-9895.
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send your questions, contact info with your events, your things of interest and more to: gwenderu@yahoo.com AND thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com
