The Buck Creek Festival is a FREE, family-friendly community event held on the second weekend of…read moreMay in Helena's Amphitheater Park. On the banks of Buck Creek, just below the dam, the site together with the stage provides a wonderful venue for people of all ages to enjoy crafts, children's activities, food, and music. There is a large playground on site and in addition to the playground was a large children's play area with slides and bounce houses and rides with unlimited access for a mere $5.00. My family and I just enjoyed the 15th annual event last weekend. This year could have been the largest crowd to date. The Helena Amphitheatre venue is unique small venue along buck creek with walking paths and ample tree cover providing shade. Established in 1999, the Helena Amphitheater Park is located at Helena's Old Town district. It is an outdoor concert hall, festival grounds, movie theater and nature park. In the spring, summer and fall it is host to many events. Aside from the music and fun, the Buck Creek Festival has become known for its charity efforts that include the star of the event: the rubber duck race. The race is held at 3 p.m. on Saturday along the banks of Buck Creek. The duck race in previous years has benefited SafeHouse of Shelby County, local schools, band boosters, the library and more. Be aware there are a few rules. Park Rules *No Dogs *No Coolers *No Alcohol *No Golf Carts or Bicycles The weather couldn't have been better, the tree cover and lack of asphalt provide comfort with temperatures in the 80s. Live music from talented artists can be heard throughout the park, children were running around playing, my wife shopped in vendor tents housing varied merchants ranging from artists, boutique owners to local stores and shops in Helena and many more. It reminds me of small intimate city stages the way it was designed to be. I even found a couple that make and sell Biltong and it was awesome! I would very highly recommend this event to anyone who enjoys being outside and live music. It's not often you find an event that is really enjoyable for the entire family.

Free Fall Festival at Buck Creek in Alabaster next to City Hall. This is an annual event that…read morestarted in 2009 and is always the Saturday before Halloween/ 3rd Saturday in October. There are tons of vendors a hayride, a haunted trail, inflatables, games, a cupcake walk where all the kid win,food trucks, live music and much more. I spent a whopping $6.00 today. The vendors hand out candy to the kids, several vendors handed out bottled waters and fans/ huggies, frisbee etc... the inflatables were free, a bank handed out balloons. It's great for all ages and pets are welcome. It's partially wooded and shaded. Lots of kids and adults alike wear costumes but they're not required. We will be back next year for sure! Oh and since a large portion of the trail is gravel break out the big stroller or big wheeled wagon. The umbrella stroller we took ended up being carried more than pushed.

I've been to both the most recent fall and spring fairs in October and May. I LOVE fairs! I need to…read morepay more attention to the names of the rides, but I made it out of them okay so that's a start. In the fall, I had a wristband so i went on every single ride there was. This last one, I just got tickets so i went on three rides total, and it was still a lot of fun. I highly recommend getting the unlimited ride wristband if you know you will be here for three or more hours. Sometimes you wait in line more than anything. There's just so many rides! Parking is usually free and easy to find here too. I haven't tried the food here yet, but the hard lemonade was good. One thing I didn't like about this last visit, was that Kate and I were waiting for the ferris wheel and the guy told us to wait for the next one even though there were plenty of seats available. We said okay and waited about five more minutes in line while the people in front of us rode the ferris wheel. Well then someone came around telling them to close up. So we waited in line for nothing and wasted our last few tickets because of him. I called the blonde guy out that told us to wait reminding him that HE SPECIFICALLY TOLD US WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE. All of a sudden he has a foreign accent and can't understand what I'm saying. He just keeps telling me that they are closed. SMH. We could have gone on another ride or you could have let us ride one with the other riders rather than stand there and do nothing. This would be five star review no doubt but thanks to him, it's not.

First time going to this fair in Alabama! We live in Centreville AL and it's an hour drive! Overall…read morehad a good time! Everything is overpriced and food isn't the best! Most rides have a weight limit of 170 to 200 pounds max! Most adults weigh more than that! My 15 year old son had to ride the rides alone! The only ride we went on together was the Ferris whee! The operator a young blond guy was a jerk! My son and I got on car #13! It was very shaky and moved very easily! The operator yelled at me to stop rocking the car and said I would be removed if I continue! I wasn't rocking it at all and neither was my son! The ride started and the car was swaying back and forth! I told my son to stay as still as possible! Went around a few times then stopped at the very top when people were getting off the ride! While up there the wind started gusting and the car started swayin back and forth. Couldn't wait to get off that ride! Finally was able to get off and removed the safety bar without the assistance of the operator! He just shook his head at me! He was on a power trip or something! My son said that was the worst ride and the scariest in his opinion!

My mom and I recently visited the winery since learning of their closing next month. This made me…read morereally sad , so I definitely wanted to support them. I was excited to see the crowded parking lot when we arrived. Still ample parking was available. It's been 2 years since my last review so I had forgotten the setup. Basically you find a table (inside or outside) and they come take your order. We opted to sit inside. Our server, Madison was sooooo good! I really enjoyed interacting with her and she made this experience fantastic! She was very efficient and had a great personality. All of the staff were amazing & hardworking! I ordered a wine flight. I did good picking out 4 delicious wines. My fav was the Grenache Rose! So refreshing, crisp and just down right very satisfying! For food we kept it light. We split the Brie cranberry and almond app and I just had to try that hot honey peach cheesecake. We enjoyed both selections so much! Unfortunately, August 10th is their last day of operation. I definitely recommend supporting this local business if you can. I plan to go back to purchase some wines and also to attend events they have planned.

Corbin Farms is a Harvest Host location that is a must stay if you're traveling through Northern…read moreAlabama (just south of Birmingham off I65). We are thrilled with our experience here. Great wine- good people and beautiful property. Thank you Corbin Farms for taking us in for the night. Much appreciated. When we were heading out this morning around 7:30am the wine maker arrived and gave us a bottle of the desert wine. Can't wait to try it. We will definitely return when in the area.

My friends and a couple family members attended the farmer's market at the Amphitheater this summer…read more- and I found it to be a delightful location in Helena's Old Towne District. Local police made getting in and out of the amphitheater area easy. We got out of the car and I wandered the grounds, visited the individual farms' tables, walked through the park and children's playground areas and really enjoyed myself in the relaxing shade. The Amphitheater is an outdoor concert hall, festival grounds, movie theater and nature park. From their website (www.cityofhelena.org), it looks like they even have a "movie in the park" night throughout the summer. Although there were not any other mothers there, I met one mother who brings her children to play on the playground equipment and relax in the cool shade whenever she can as she lives nearby. The certified farmer's market meets on Saturday in the summer while school is out. I understood as a part of the farmer's market, there is a charity-of-the-week which allows local charities to meet members of their community and garner well-deserved support. The first week I visited, there was a local animal shelter offering dog baths for a donation, so there were many dogs on leashes visiting the farmer's market that day and enjoying themselves to a cool bath under the trees. The following week, we went back and were greeted by delightful young ladies from a local club, dressed in Antebellum dresses. Anyone would appreciate this location who enjoys farmer's markets, local concerts, small community events, children's playgrounds, movie in the park night, parks, trees, and shade. I'd encourage anyone to visit, bring a lunch, and have an old-fashioned picnic.

My friends and I came here for the Summer Shindig last weekend. We had the best time! Admission was…read more$12 and with that we were each able to pick out 5 sunflowers and got complimentary watermelon. There was also hayride, fireworks, cute farm animals, live music, and lots of vendors that day. I can't wait to come back here for more events!

We visited this farm on a school field trip! It's a cute family run establishment. They have a…read moregreat setup with a hayride, pumpkin patch, cotton picking fields, animals, hay bale maze, playground and pic nic eating areas. The employees were so friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy their jobs! I loved the cotton picking session, it was a bit lengthy on the history discussion and the kids (kindergarteners) lost interest about 10 minutes into the 20 minute speel. Overall, we had a fantastic time! BTW, I hear they do a fun setup for Christmas ;)

The Father's Day weekend train ride for dads and father figures was an amazing experience. First of…read moreall, if you have reserved any train ride, please leave extra early. The I-65 traffic is intense. Our 1:00pm departure was delayed by ten minutes to allow extra time for guests to board. There are plenty of train cars to choose from - open air or air conditioned. We opted for the open air to get the full experience. It was about an hour and half ride RT. We got a great view of the neighboring golf course and a local vineyard. The gift shop carries awesome train themed gifts as well as local Alabama themed gifts. The train depot house a small exhibit about the history of rail. There is a neat video on the Louisville & Nashville lines that used to run through Birmingham. A must see in the area.

My husband and I attended the Mardi Gras Bourbon and Beignets event. While it was an enjoyable…read morenight out, it certainly did not exactly meet our expectations. We were under the impression this was a more formal event due to the advertising & description on the website. We felt very overdressed... We were about 15-20 minutes late boarding the train. The power then went out on the train, which really wasn't an issue considering it was cool outside thankfully. It was a very short ride to the winery. When we arrived at Ozan Winery, the tables were preset (picture attached) the food had been sitting there for only God knows how long... It was a small portion of crawfish etouffe, and a small slice of a muffuletta. the etouffe was so cold from sitting there so long it was like it had been refrigerated. that was so disappointing... the sandwich was fine. then there was a bag of chips.. The wine tasting in itself was nice, but it felt very rushed due to the train being late. We barely had finished the tasting by the time she was pouring the next one in our glass... The star of the show. the bourbon & beignets... the bourbon was.. well. bourbon. but the beignets looked and tasted as if they had been taken out of a little debbie package. so disappointing... it was not even comparable to a true beignet. tasted more like a twinkie with grape jelly in it... Overall the experience felt very cheap and thrown together. We expected a more sophisticated experience.

At SEC Baseball tournament for the week. Very well organized. Very friendly and helpful staff…read more Only suggestion is to upgrade quality and selection of food items. Cold hot dogs on falling apart buns with only mustard and ketchup for condiments. Surely in the South we could also have a more varied selection with a couple of signature items.

It's a crying shame that the park does not accept cash for payment. My family turned around and…read moredidn't attend the games. So, maybe in the near future like next year bring back cash for acceptable payments, or your attendance numbers will go downhill.

This was my first time attending a concert at this venue and I loved it! I was a little taken aback…read moreby the parking situation. What in the what? $50 to park in the parking lot of the venue! That's ridiculous. The general parking off of the venue grounds was reasonable $10. There's a longer walk with a bridge connecting the off site parking to the venue. Not too bad if you're accustomed to walking. Large purses, coolers and bags are not authorized. Clear purses and bags are encouraged. This venue does not have a bad seat! There are plenty of options for snacks, drinks and cocktails. Everywhere you look, you see beverage and snack windows open to make purchases. The best sound system ever!! The stage could be seen from all angles along with the big screens made the experience nice for everyone! I can't wait to go back for another concert!!!

I thought this was a great venue. Parking was a little expensive. $50 for premium! $25 for…read morebasically the rest of it. They had a lot of cocktail stands, but not enough food stands or options other than alcohol. The sound obviously carried well. It was easy to find too. I'd definitely come here again. It's great for outdoor concerts in good weather.

Stopped in here for a quick bite with my family this evening and really enjoyed the live music and…read moreRusty realistic type decor. The chicken fajitas were very well marinated and tasty. Cold beers are great. The salsa could use a little help, but other than that we were quite pleased.

This is definitely my go to Mexican restaurant. I've been coming here pretty much since they…read moreopened, and my son was in a highchair. I love to come here because of the raspberry margaritas but when I came tonight, they didn't have any. I'm hoping they didn't get rid of them. I ended up getting a frozen peach margarita which was really delicious and I got the steak quesadillas. Both were equally delicious. Jonathan was our server and he said he'd only been there two days but he seemed like he's been doing it forever. He was very attentive and friendly. Again, I wish they would redo the bathrooms because they look pretty rough. I didn't sit in the bar area because there was live music and it was extremely loud so I ended up sitting in the dining area. They do have a cute little bar where I'm sure they have a lot of regulars that go there. If you haven't ever been there, I highly suggest giving it a chance.