My absolute Favorite local art festival in and around Birmingham. Where else can you puruse booths…read moreof both local and regional artists in one location. Not to mention strolling along while enjoying a beverage of choice. Love how the event has included food trucks in recent years to accommodate the 'Foodies'. Bonus: with the additional Beer Garden add on one can also come and go between both events during the evening of choice.

I frequent the area fall festivals every year, and this was very disappointing. (1) you pay $12 to…read moreenter & then you have to purchase anything you want from the vendors. I've never paid to enter a festival, and I always make purchases. (2) They had several vendors with quality merchandise, but the overwhelming majority was art (wall art, jewelry, carvings). So the variety was lacking - only saw 2 selling edibles & don't remember any clothing. I go to Pepper Place regularly & it's a better mix/balance... farm fresh veggies, pastries, art, jewelry, a number of food trucks, etc. & it's FREE to enter. Mt. Laurel even has a better balance/variety of vendors & it's FREE. Will stick w/the free ones

This annual jazz event is no nice. It's an opportunity to visit the local shops next to Green Acres…read moreand the like. The attendance was ok but could have been better all acts were definitely good that I saw. If you have never been plan to go next year.

I went to the Festa Italiliana today which was a lot of fun. It's a nice venue but a little rocky…read moreso people that have mobility and balance issues really have to be careful. One thing this event could have done to make it better would have been to provide a map of activities and vendors. Just would have like to also see more Italian wine. All in all, it was very pleasant. Had great food, drink and nice people.

Lowering my review after this year's festival. There was bad weather both days, and Sloss only…read morecared about their liability. On Saturday, everyone was forced out of the location by their staff, and onto train tracks which had trains on them, leaving several people to almost get hit. The staff were also telling people the whole day was closed, which was not the case. They just wanted people to leave. We missed out on about 3hrs of shows on Saturday due to all of this. On Sunday, bad weather struck again. We were not forced off the property this time, Sloss having learned its lesson. However, we were all gathered underneath the overpass and were there 4-5 hrs. When someone plugged in a phone and played music to help pass the time and improve the mood, it was removed after 3 songs, upsetting everyone. Eventually the festival resumed, but only 3 acts remained to play that night. Overall, a pretty disappointing experience, and Sloss has yet to really comment or offer any kind of refund for literally missing over half the shows promised. I know they have no control over weather, but some kind of response and restitution would be appreciated. I hope next year is better, or Sloss may not recover.

This event is super fantastic!!!!! Though lots of promotion around town, lots of my friends knew…read morenothing about it. Nonetheless, the second year was well attended. We had passes for the kickin chicken wing fest. Can you say...FUN! Between the two of us, we had 10 tickets to try wings and vote on the best. We managed to use 9 of the 10 tickets before we got full. Just to name a few favorites: Billy's, Basil, Otey's, Carrigan's(minus the nuts). To fill you in, local restaurants brought kitchens/warmers/fryers and provided wings for patrons with tickets. How awesome! Beer/wine were also available for purchase. If you didn't have cash....an ATM was right around the corner. If you pulled out the big bucks, you could've enjoyed the wine/beer tasting under another tent for 2 hours. We enjoyed the SEC football under the nicely decorated tent. Nearby there was a fun filled kids zone for the kiddos. To add to the fun, Buffalo Wild Wings sponsored a hot wing eating contest.....need I say more? Now for the music!!!!! Oh My Goodness, the music. What a blast. Two alternating stages was such a perfect idea. Thankfully, we had front row standing seats for some amazingly talented folks: Kansas Bible Company, Paul McDonald, Drew Holcomb and the neighbors. If you found yourself getting hungry, several food trucks lined up for your tasting pleasure. All in all, beer/wine for purchase as well One of the best parts of Cask and Drum is that it's literally an all day event. We came early, left for a few hours, then returned for more. We're looking forward to it next year Happy-happy festival days in Birmingham!

To me, there are three main factors that always make or break an outdoor music festival: weather,…read morevolume, and beer. And although I did enjoy myself, personally Cask & Drum didn't quite master any of the three. Weather: I know, I know, you can't control the weather, but boy, oh boy, at least pick a space with some shade! October can be finicky in terms of temperature, but one should still anticipate that, in Alabama, it's probably gonna be hot. After about only fifteen minutes, we found ourselves cramming up close to the building with dozens of others trying to get out of the sun for a bit. The Gameday Tent was already packed to capacity and, although shaded, almost warmer than standing out in the elements. Other than the lack of shade, the area was nice (right by Pepper Place) with plentiful street parking. Volume: (I repeat) I know, I know, you want the music loud enough for everyone can hear it, but I shouldn't have to stand six hundred feet back just to comprehend the music! If we got much closer, all we got was speaker base. I'll redeem that by saying the lineup at this festival was pretty rockin'! I hadn't been previously familiar with some of the daytime bands, but I loved Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires and can't say I didn't' enjoy the others as well. Beer: I'm picky about my beers. A festival like this is the PERFECT opportunity to showcase some of the local (or regional, at least) craft beers, but the festival seemed dominated by miller lite. Bleh. Personal taste, that's all. I think next year, I'll invest in getting a VIP ticket to get access to the tent with seating, pizza and beer (plus nice bathrooms)- it's the little luxuries that make an event like this special. I also wish there had been a few more craft vendors there. There was a small booth right out by the entrance, which misled me to expect more. It would add a little something more to the event.

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!

This is THE room for music fans. It's a quiet venue, a rock venue, and everything in between…read more Above all, it's intimate. You aren't just a spectator, you're part of the show. Here's why I say all of those glowing things: This room is tall, but small in square feet. There are bookshelves that align the walls. They are covered in books that face backwards, so the pages soak in the sound. It's a noise canceling solution that was just too dang obvious for anyone else to figure out. At times, the ticket prices might be steep, but it's worth it. It means you get to see one of your favorite acts in an intimate venue with people that care. Think about it... you won't have to deal with the drunk dude at the bar talking about who knows what, while your trying to enjoy a show. so good.

It's hard to review perfection is it not. Birmingham is really quite blessed to have such a vibrant…read moremusic scene and to add another music venue seems a bit superfluous but let me tell you this venue is important for the city. Yes we have plenty of places to see rock shows and indie shows but a true listening room where music is front and center and not the whole "hey look at me I'm at this show and you're not" thing we just don't have. I'm rambling because it's hard to convey the excitement I have for this place. It's the type of room that you can go to and the artist doesn't even have to be mic'd up for it to sound amazing. From what I understand a bar area is coming and there are more renovations to be done in the space but really the aesthetics don't matter when it comes to this place. It simply is a place to go and listen to music without distraction. Get there as soon as you can.

Everything was even better than the previous year. It seemed to be more vendors there this year. We…read moredefinitely had some delicious and different gumbo there. I enjoyed the music and the other treats offered. Bellini's was my all time favorite and I hope they won at least placed. The gumbo was amazing and so was the bread pudding. I love the interaction with all the different people. I was with 5 others friends and family this year and it was a joy to watch them experience the different flavors and taste. Some was reallllllly bad as well and it was quite funny to us all that they even served it there. We were over stuffed by the end. It was just that many tastings there. I enjoyed and can't wait until next years event.

Amazing event. Family friendly. Pet friendly. Gumbo friendly!! We usually like to get there early…read moreso that we don't miss out on any good tents. We like to try everyone before we sacrifice our one voting ticket!! There are PLENTY good ones and a few bad ones here and there. But that's what makes it exciting!! Overall a very fun event. Only our second year attending but I will definitely make it a point to keep attending as long as they have it. Never judge a gumbo by the color of it roux! Lol!!

Note: This review comes from a guy that has never read a comic book and is not even sure what…read moreBattlestar Galactica is. This is one of the most fascinating events of the year. For me, it's an eye opening look at a world that I barely knew existed. There are people dressed up as their favorite characters, quasi-celebrities, cool exhibits, and relics from my childhood. The back to the future Delorean, R2D2, and the Ghostbusters car were among my favorites. Whether you're a nerd or not, try not to miss the best people watching event of the year when it comes back around.

This sci-fi/fantasy festival is amazing. There are great local authors, artists, and filmmakers…read moreattending so that gives you an excellent opportunity to support their craft and be "local" minded. There are also actors like Ernie Hudson, Colin Ferguson, and Gil Gerard attending and doing Q&A Panels. You'll seeing storm troopers mingling with Vulcan and Dr. Who hanging with the Ghostbusters. Oh and something about a Bronie. Just ask Will Lochamey he'll tell you all about it.