Can’t Miss Alabama gives mom the celebrity treatment

Plan an unbelievable day for Mom at the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Fest.

 

Mother’s Day Smoothie and Flowers Drive May 7

In honor of Mother’s Day, Regency Retirement Village in Birmingham will host a free drive-thru featuring free smoothies and flowers. Smoothie choices include mango, pina colada and a variety of other fruity treats. The staff will be wearing masks and gloves. The drive-thru is a “contactless” event. Be served in your car Friday, May 7, between 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The venue is at 285 West Oxmoor Road. For more information, call 205-942-3355.

Mother’s Day festivities at UAB’s Alys Stephens Center

Celebrate mom or anyone who loves the arts during May with UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center and ArtPlay.

Monthlong festivities include:

The Virtual Arts Pass box for May includes a copy of “Magic City Cravings: The Most Requested Recipes from Birmingham Restaurants Then & Now” or a bottle of Bottega olive oil made exclusively for chef Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar & Grill, Chez Fonfon and Bottega, along with herb seeds from Little Hardware, soap from Left Hand Soap Co., and notecards and supplies for ArtPlay origami workshop. Choose your subscription level here. Tickets for the Keb’ Mo’ virtual live concert are available for $20 per household.

Click here for other virtual activities in May presented free to the community by the Alys Stephens Center, Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts, ArtPlay and Arts in Medicine.

Regions Tradition

The Regions Tradition returns this week through May 9 at the Greystone Golf and Country Club. The annual golf tournament will bring together 81 of the top PGA Tour Champions and World Golf Hall of Fame members to compete for a major championship. Children’s of Alabama will be the primary beneficiary. Retired and active military personnel receive free grounds access with a valid military ID. Attendance will be limited to 60%-70% capacity. COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place. Link here for tickets.

Birmingham Barons

Enjoy a night of baseball through Mother’s Day weekend as the Birmingham Barons return to the field. The Barons will face the Biloxi Shuckers at Regions Field nightly at 7:05 p.m. On select nights, enjoy a family day, fireworks, discounts and more. Link here for COVID-19 restrictions. Visit milb.com/birmingham/tickets for ticket information.

Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival

OWA, South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and the city of Foley are hosting the annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival May 7-9. This year’s event will feature more than 55 pilots, special-shaped balloons, more than 100 artisans and crafters, a high-flying Frisbee dog show and live entertainment. The new location has allowed the festival to increase its footprint and create an opportunity for more hot air balloons, resulting in the largest number of participating pilots in the history of the festival. Make plans for Friday, May 7 at 5:15 a.m. for a sneak peek of the festival, along with an exclusive hot air balloon flight. Reservations are required to ensure an accurate head count. Contact Rachel Spear to secure your space.

Perfect Note Mother’s Day Weekend Celebration

Treat mom to a ’70s and ’80s rhythm-and-blues tribute featuring Logan The Entertainer Saturday, May 8 at 9:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 9 at 5 p.m. (Shows for May 8 at 7 p.m. and May 9 at 2 p.m. are sold out). Seating is limited. A special Mother’s Day menu will be available. Your ticket purchase is your reservation. Purchase tickets online. A $10 minimum food and/or drink purchase is required per person in the main stage dining room. The venue is at 1845 Montgomery Highway S. in Hoover.

Mother’s Day Fest

Bun B. Jeezy, Juvenile, PBE Pluto, Papaduck and Big Dosha will be in concert Saturday, May 8 from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Grounds in Mobile. COVID-19 regulations will be enforced and masks are required. Purchase tickets here or at Northside Check Exchange. For more information call 404-597-6666 or 251-623-0130. The venue is at 1035 Cody Road N.

Mother’s Day Market

Mom deserves something extra special this year. Find her the perfect gift from a local maker at Cahaba Brewing Company’s Mother’s Day Market Saturday, May 8 from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. This market features more than 50 local vendors Mom will love, including Charm on 2nd, Thimbletree Studios and Gerald’s Daughters. Food vendors include Simone’s Kitchen ATL, Corazon and Kayjuns Food Truck. The event also features cocktails and an extensive beer list.

Mother’s Day at the Montgomery Zoo

Celebrate Mother’s Day at the Montgomery Zoo and Mann Wildlife Learning Museum Sunday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Moms will receive free admission to the Petting Zoo, Parakeet Cove, Stingray Bay, Elephant keeper talk at 10:30 a.m. and Lion keeper talk and training at 1 p.m. The venue is at 2301 Coliseum Parkway. For more information, call 334-625-4900 or visit [email protected].

Mother’s Day Concert in Mobile

Mobile Symphony Youth Orchestra will present its annual Mother’s Day Evening Concert Sunday, May 9 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Mobile Botanical Gardens. Enjoy a late afternoon of music surrounded by the beauty of the gardens. The cost is $5 for the general public and free for members of the Mobile Botanical Gardens and Mobile Symphony.

DeSoto State Park 

Miller’s Bend Paddle Shack in the DeSoto Falls picnic area will be open this weekend for scenic kayak trips up the west fork of Little River north of Fort Payne. Rent sit-on-top kayaks for a peaceful flatwater paddle on Little River overlooking beautiful DeSoto Falls. An adventure can be up to 4 miles round trip. Paddle trips are perfect for individuals or groups. Life vests and paddles will be provided. Shack hours are Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kayaks are available by reservation Monday through Friday by appointment only during the hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call DeSoto State Park’s Lodge for information at 256-845-5380.

Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama

For more than a decade, the Wiregrass Museum of Art has hosted the Helen Keller Art Show of Alabama, an exhibition of work created by Alabama students with visual impairments, blindness or deafness. The exhibition is juried statewide and travels from Birmingham to Mobile. Select pieces are shown internationally. The Helen Keller Art Show emphasizes creativity, color and tactile media in the arts. The winning entry for the grand prize is selected by the Helen Keller Festival Board to receive the Patty Johnson Award and will remain in the permanent collection at Ivy Green in Tuscumbia, the birthplace of Helen Keller. The show will be on view through Saturday, May 22 at 126 Museum Ave. in Dothan.

Birmingham Walking Tours

Vulcan Park and Museum (VPM) announces the expansion of its annual programming with 40 tours scheduled across Birmingham through the end of 2021. Visitors and residents may experience the history and beauty of Birmingham’s neighborhoods and cultural districts in a fun, invigorating way. The Birmingham Walking Tours invite participants to step into the shoes of the architects, visionaries, socialites and entrepreneurs who sparked the magic in the “Magic City.” The first three tours will be Center Street, the Retail/Theatre District and Five Points South, led by Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins, Gary Bostany and Allison Vosicky, respectively. From historical homes to new retail developments, VPM has offered walking tours the past 16 years unlocking and discovering the uniqueness of the city. A brainchild of historian and author Phillip Morris, the tours allow participants to dive into Birmingham’s history and culture to discover hidden architectural treasures. Registration is $25 for VPM members and $40 for nonmembers. Masks and social distancing are required. Tour groups will not exceed 20 participants. Reservations and payment are required in advance. The Birmingham Walking Tours are on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information or to register, go to birminghamwalkingtours.com.

‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’

“All Things Bright and Beautiful” brings together works primarily from the Birmingham Museum of Art’s permanent collection that look at themes of power and agency. This exhibition takes its name from a painting by Amy Sherald, whose portraits depict Black portrait-sitters with pride, dignity and joy, representation historically afforded only to white people. Some artists in the exhibition look toward power in creative endeavors, like music. Others contemplate the hidden potential of everyday objects by transforming them into works of art. Several artists engage the representation of space and architecture – including museum spaces – to discover the dynamics of power. Considered together, these works illustrate the importance of being seen, choosing how to be depicted and telling one’s own history. The exhibit will be available through January 2022 at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

Gravity Island Watersports

OWA’s Gravity Island Watersports in Foley will open the summer with two wet attractions, an Aqua Play and Wake Park, which are the first of their kind in coastal Alabama. The Aqua Play, by Union AquaParks, offers recreational waterplay on two inflatable obstacle courses in the lake at OWA. Guests will slip and slide, trying not to fall off, as they test their versatility and rush across the obstacles. The Wake Park is a two-tower cable system by Sesitec System 2.0 stretching across the lake at OWA, operated by professional wakeboarder T.J. Allen and his wife, Caitlin. Their team will provide hands-on training with the cable system to help guests glide across the lake with certified lifeguards on hand to ensure a fun, safe experience. Allen and his team will coach and give lessons to those looking to improve their wakeboard skills. For those new to watersports, Gravity Island Wake Park offers a “get up guarantee” to enhance the experience for every rider. Once open, reservations will be available online or onsite at the OWA Island Boathouse or Starting Dock behind Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant. Sign up for email updates at gravityislandwatersports.com.

Muscadine Bloodline 

Tickets are on sale at Red Mountain Entertainment for Mobile’s own Muscadine Bloodline. The live performance will be Tuesday, May 27 at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Link to Ticketmaster or The Wharf box office for ticket information.

Rock the South

Rock the South returns to Cullman Aug. 13-14 with performances by Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Nelly, Ashley McBryde, Jordan Davis, Ingrid Andress, Flatland Cavalry, Trey Lewis, Drew Parker, Morgan Wade, Alex Hall, Josh Kiser, Laine Hardy and Dee Jay Silver. Save up to $50 on tickets through Tuesday, May 18. Social Media Tag: #Biggestpartyinthesouth

Foreigner Tour

Tickets are on sale for the Greatest Hits of Foreigner Tour. Foreigner will perform Wednesday, Nov. 17 at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. For more information, click on redmountainentertainment.com. Purchase tickets at ticketmaster.com.