Great day at the museum. Today the museum hosted their annual African heritage festival and that's…read morealways a fun time for everyone. A museum is a way to learn about different cultures and heritages. We need a place to acknowledge our differences and embrace those learned differences. This event opens the door to diminish the divide between us all. Great museum with great programs for children. The museum host galas, brunches, book signings and other events. I'll always come back!

We decided to visit the museum to see their 'Monet to Matisse' exhibit. I checked occasionally in…read morethe week leading up to our visit. Their website displays how many tickets are remaining for the day. I wanted to ensure this wasn't selling out for our day, in which case I'd have bought tickets in advance online. However, they still showed over 1000 tickets available the day before, so I opted to just buy them at the museum. We had issues with navigation in Birmingham already, and those continued en route to the museum. For whatever reason, the app directed us over a mile beyond downtown and then had us get off the highway, cross the overpass, and double back (?). We actually switched apps a bit later as we were sure there was an issue. We eventually found the museum, though. It wasn't obvious from the front, but apparently the museum does have its own free parking lot behind the building. We ended up parking in a deck a few blocks away, but thankfully that only ended up costing us $3. The museum is normally free for entry, I believe. Donations are encouraged. However, for special travelling exhibits, there was a charge (about $25 per person). This was handled at a kiosk just outside the exhibit. We toured the exhibit and enjoyed it. Works were arranged in 3 large rooms. It was crowded, but manageable. After seeing that, we opted to check out some of the permanent collection before leaving. On the upper level (where we were) there are several rooms devoted to Asian arts (samurai armor from Japan, jade and buddha statues from China, etc.). Korea and India were also represented. If we'd had more time, we would have explored more on this floor. We descended to the first floor and checked out some of the European galleries as well as the end of the wing that is devoted to American art. They had interesting works on all these areas. If I lived in the area, I'd likely come here to check out the permanent collection. Maybe we'll be back at some point to see more of it. This was well worth stopping by if you like art. (I will limit my photos to the permanent collection.)

FREE LOCAL FUN…read more Local is an evening festival that features local artists, musicians, etc. all in one area. This is located right in the plaza of Alys Stephens Center. There are dozens of tents offering items for sale from homemade flavored popcorn, flavored sweet, t shirts, pillows, jewelry and various items for your home. There were food trucks offering BBQ, wood fire pizza, big spoon creamery, and dreamland cupcakes. There were also free stations for caricatures and face painting for kids. From 5-9 there were live performances from different musicians in the area. Great event for kids and adults. Bring your blanket, lay in the grass and enjoy an evening with local friends and talent

My husband and I had a great time at LOCAL. This was our first year attending. I love that it's a…read morefree event, open to anyone, and showcases some great small business, most of which are local. There was no shortage of food or sweets trucks/carts. There was also a good mix of food and art vendors. It was kind of like a smaller (and less crowded) pepper place market. A large stage housed the musical acts. They had a different one for each hour that seemed to span several different genres. Chairs and tables were set up near the stage, but they filled up fast. There was also a bar next to the stage that offered drinks for purchase. Right off of the stage seating area was the VIP area. This area was reserved for certain members of the center along with their junior board. So, unless you were a lucky yelper (me!), you couldn't just a random person and get tickets. In this area, there was a bar with complimentary wine, beer, and water along with catering from Jim N Nicks. They also offered free goodies like sunglasses and fans. If these tickets are ever available for purchase, I would say they are worth a reasonable price. We really had a great time at this event. The weather was perfect, with a steady breeze, and it wasn't too crowded. The only thing I may change for next year is to bring a blanket to sit on in the grass while watching the musical acts.

I've been to Secret Stages in the past so I knew what to expect. This festival has a lot of great…read moreindie-like musical artists from different genres perform. There are also vendors there offering services, products, and food. I was glad to see they had mainly outdoor stages vs. indoor stages this year. I think that was a good way to address the still serious issue of Covid-19. There weren't as many people here as the last time I attended, but it drew a nice crowd. They had signs up with directive related to staying safe. I enjoyed many of the artists I saw. I was surprised to see kids out here because many of the artist use adult language in their music. I do think they should probably enforce an age limit. Anyways, it was a good experience as usual. I'd attend the festival in the future.

This event shows the best of Birmingham/Avondale's music scene, food and diversity. We loved seeing…read moreabout 20 of the 40 musicians/bands over the two-day event. We got the VIP tickets, which provides a shared-private setting (great protection if it rains) with complimentary drinks and food. The food and drinks make the cost of the special ticket an excellent value. The crowd was so diverse, with all ages, races, cultures, preferences, etc. The music acts we saw were a variety of Indie, Alternative, Rap, Rock and practically any genre you can imagine. Parking was plentiful, streets were blocked off for safety, and there are food trucks offering great options. I would recommend this event, and will be attending next year.

This was my first time attending the butter bean festival. It's family and dog friendly. There…read morewere different vendors and lots of food options. I parked off the detour from main street. Kinda stumbled upon this parking situation... it was perfect and easily accessible to get into festival. I didn't stay long but long enough to enjoy a bowl of butterbeans & cornbread! I really enjoyed this pregame snack before the Bama game. Very filling & delicious! There is a carnival and live entertainment . This is definitely a fun time for all!

Great place to bring the kids. They have a lot of rides and fun and interesting vendors. Be…read moreprepared to have cash because the ATM fees are outrageous! Friday nights are always packed and Saturdays are more subtle. You do have to purchase tickets to ride the rides. Parking can be a bit hectic.

Nice place. Friendly atmosphere. The owner is very…read morerelatable. Cool art. Very unique pieces with interesting stories. The owner is very knowledgeable about the history of the location of the shop and Birmingham as a whole- all major influences to his art. They offer events such as sip and sculpt so check out their site.

I really enjoyed Studio 2500! The owner Willie is amazing and very talented! I didn't know Studio…read more2500 existed until recently. This is a great art studio that's right here in Birmingham, Alabama. I highly recommend visiting this studio and checking out their event calendar!

I had heard of this place, but I had never been until yesterday. My family took pictures on…read moreyesterday and this is where our photographer had us come for the session. It's a very nice space. I could definitely see someone throwing an event here like a birthday party, reception, etc. We had no issue finding parking. I'm not sure how that would work when there are a lot more people on the premises. It's located in a nice area. I think it would be a great place to host a small to mid-size event.

Full disclosure, I did not realize this place existed until I was invited to a 50th birthday party…read morethis weekend. The venue has a clear modern look, and is ideally located within the Birmingham city limits. Adequate for valet parking, and the people there were super friendly. Not complaints here, other than the size of the venue isn't as large as most event places. In all, we had a great evening, and won't mind booking this place myself for future events.

Always a great time with the family! So many things to do and see for adults and kids! No one is…read moregoing to be bored here

I enjoyed my experience here! It was my first time coming back in 10+ years so I was wondering…read moreabout the upkeep with it being so old, but you can tell they take a lot of pride in their cleanliness there. The carpet seemed in need of redoing with the amount of foot traffic it has seen. We were there for the IMAX screening of the Blue Angels documentary. It's a true IMAX dome theater. It was immaculately clean in the theater and the seats looked brand new. The movie gave me the same feeling I get whenever I have worn the 3D glasses they give you in the AMC theaters, so be forewarned I did get dizzy a few times during the movie. For 2 tickets the price came out to $21.90. I would definitely come again for the right movie, but need a break from the dizziness I got.

BJCC hosts concerts, Broadway shows, festivals, sporting events, symphony, comedy, supercross and…read moreMonster Jam! I visited for the Maxwell/ Jazmine Sullivan concert last year. Tickets were half as much as they were in Atlanta so I drove to Birmingham for a mini-break! Parking can be pre-purchased online starting at $20 but there was a line of cars to enter so arrive early. Even though I had $25 nosebleed seats (shoutout to Live Nation's 1/2 off sale), the screens made it easy to see and the acoustics were great! Both performers were AMAZING! The line moved fairly quickly and I had no issues with security or staff (unlike State Farm). But an end row seat meant I had to frequently stand to to let people in. Patrons were super friendly. We all sang along to Maze's "Before I Let Go" as we exited. Rest in heaven Frankie Beverly.. I didn't order anything or use the restrooms so I can't comment on the amenities or food yet. But it was a pleasant experience. I recommend Legacy Arena BJCC and will return. Pics to come on my next visit!

Wow, the BJCC has been around for a minute! It opened in 1976 and can seat up to 16,250 for…read moreconcerts. The late great John Denver performed the first concert at the BJCC coliseum (known today as the Legacy Arean) on Sept. 28, 1976! Growing up, the BJCC was a big entertainment destination because few and far between were the "great" entertainment acts who visited my hometown of Huntsville, AL. Over the years, I've seen lots of great acts at the BJCC, including Van Halen [pre Van Hagar days] numerous times starting in August 1981, the legendary The Who on November 30, 1982, Kid Rock numerous times, and attended an excellent Alanis Morisette show here! It's nice to have the Uptown Entertainment District nearby and the extensive modernization of the arena in 2020 enhanced the lighting and sound systems, concessions, and amenities for artists. Well done Majic City!