Homewood
Spring Plant Sale
April 12-15
Former Mazer’s Discount Home Center
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ largest annual plant sale fundraiser will be April 12-15 in the former Mazer’s Discount Home Center on Greensprings Avenue in Homewood. More than 100,000 plants will be available for purchase, including the 2012 signature plant, the Rosalita Cleome hybrid ‘Inncleosr.’ A Preview Party and Members-Only Sale is April 12; the first Tunes ’n Blooms hosted by the BBG’s Junior Board is set for April 13. For more information, visitwww.bbgardens.org/springplantsale.
Birmingham
ASFA “Our Town”
March 30-April 1
Dorothy Jemison Day Theatre
Alabama School of Fine Arts’ Theatre Arts department will present Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” as its inaugural performance in the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater on the school campus. The theater, a state-of-the-art facility built for both school and community use, is at 800 19th S. North in Birmingham’s arts district. Friday and Saturday productions are at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday performance is at 2:30 p.m. General admission tickets may be purchased on a first come, first served basis at the door for $8 for adults and $5 for students. For more information call 252-9241 or visitwww.asfa.k12.al.us.
Birmingham
Spring Walking Tour Series
March 31, 9:30 a.m.
Birmingham Historic Retail/Theater District
Vulcan Park and Museum’s 2012 Spring Walking Tour Series will kick off with a tour of the downtown Birmingham historic retail and theater district. These tours offer a fun, invigorating way to experience the history and architectural beauty of Birmingham’s neighborhoods and districts. Space is limited. Tickets are $12 and $10 for Vulcan members. For more information or to register, visit www.visitvulcan.com.
Mountain Brook
2012 Mug Shots
March 30-31, 10 a.m.
A’mano
Irene Thames Gardner Photography and A’mano Gifts have teamed up for the 2012 Mug Shots event March 30-31 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at A’mano in Mountain Brook Village. With a $35 donation to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, those who attend will receive a 10-minute pet session and 5×7 portrait of their furry friend and be entered into the 2012 Mug Shots Contest. Last year’s event was sold out, and more than $3,000 was raised for GBHS. The best 2012 Mug Shots contest will be at A’mano April 9-16. The $1 voting fee goes to GBHS; the top dog will receive a wraparound custom canvas. The top 12 winners will appear in the 2013 Mug Shots calendar. For more information, email Irene Gardner at [email protected] or Lynn Ritchie at [email protected].
Birmingham
Birmingham Genealogical Society
March 24, 1:30 p.m.
Birmingham Library Annex
The Birmingham Genealogical Society will meet on the fourth floor of the Birmingham Library Annex for its March 24 meeting. Miriam Fowler will speak on Counterfitters of Alabama. Social time starts at 1:30 p.m.; the meeting begins at 2 p.m. A secured parking lot is behind the main library.
Homewood
Brian McLaren Event
March 25, morning and evening sessions
Trinity United Methodist Church
Brian McLaren, author, speaker and public theologian, has been called one of America’s 25 most influential evangelicals by Time magazine. A popular speaker and respected author, he has focused his ministry on the church in the postmodern culture. McLaren will speak on “A New Kind of Christianity: 10 Questions that Are Transforming the Faith” at morning worship services and an evening session. The public is invited to all sessions.
North Shelby Co.
Building and Remodeling Expo
March 23-25
Pelham Civic Complex
The Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders’ 2012 expo March 23-25 will open to the public at 10 a.m. Friday and showcase 90 Birmingham companies. The expo will include the latest in design trends for home components like appliances, flooring, windows and doors plus seminars on timely topics. The GBAHB will follow the expo with its annual Parade of Homes April 21-22 and 28-29 with more than 100 homes on tour. For information on both events and directories for area builders and remodelers, visit birminghambuilder.com.
Homewood
Wright Center Presents Series
March 27, 7:30 p.m.; March 30, 7:30 p.m.
Leslie Stephen Wright Fine Arts Center
Samford University will conclude the new Wright Center Presents Series with two international performers: the Peking Acrobats March 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Ballet Hispanico March 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Samford Arts Box Office, by phone at 726-2853 or at www.samford.edu/wrightcenter. The Peking Acrobats, a troupe of China’s most gifted tumblers, contortionists, jugglers, cyclists and gymnasts are complemented by live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments. Tickets are $17-$25. Ballet Hispanico explores, preserves and celebrates Latino cultures through dance. Tickets are $20-$45.
Birmingham
Take a Bite Out of Hunger/Empty Bowls Soup & Bread Lunch
March 29, 5:30 p.m.; March 30, 11 a.m.
St. Vincent’s Bruno Conference Center.
The ninth annual Empty Bowls Soup & Bread Lunch kicks off with the Take a Bite Out of Hunger preview party March 29. The luncheon is March 30. Both events are at St. Vincent’s Bruno Conference Center and benefit Magic City Harvest. The preview party includes wine and beer, food provided by Jim ’N Nicks, music and a raffle. Tickets are $25. The soup and bread lunch, with dine-in or to-go options, will be provided by A Social Affair and Oscar’s at the Museum. Meals are $15 and include a hand-painted or handcrafted bowl to take home. For more information or to purchase tickets to either event, call 591-3663, email [email protected] or visit www.magiccityharvest.org.
Ruffner Mountain
Beer on the Back Porch
March 29, 6 p.m.
Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve
Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve’s Beer on the Back Porch fundraiser is March 29 from 6-10 p.m. The event includes beer, light hors d’oeuvres and music. Back Forty Beer Company will bring its award-winning Liquid Folk Art beer again this year. Mark Harris and Friends return to provide music. Beer glasses with the Ruffner logo will be sold for $10, including beer. All proceeds go to support Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve.
Birmingham
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
March 29-April 1
RMTC Cabaret Theatre
The Red Mountain Theatre Youth Series will present “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” This tale of overachievers’ angst chronicles the experiences of six teens vying for the spelling bee championship of a lifetime. Show times are Thursday-Sunday, 7:30 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 (student rush tickets are available); call 324-2424 or visit www.redmountaintheatre.org. With Birmingham City Schools, the theatre company will host the RMTC Bee, an actual spelling bee for middle school students, April 3. Participants will compete for scholarship prizes. Tickets are $20.
Homewood
Kappa Delta 5K Shamrock Run March 31, 2 p.m.
Exceptional Foundation
Kappa Delta Sorority at the Birmingham-Southern College will host its annual Shamrock run, both a 5K and 1 mile fun-run event, at The Exceptional Foundation in Homewood. The registration fee for the 5K is $20, $10 for the 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk, and free for children 10 and under to participate in the Fun Run/Walk. All proceeds from the event will benefit The Exchange Club Center for the prevention of child abuse in America and The Exceptional Foundation. During the race there is a children’s activity center inside The Exceptional Foundation. The 5K will begin at 2 p.m. with the Fun Run/Walk starting shortly after at 3 p.m. After the races there will be an awards ceremony and a “Shamrockin’ Dinner” complete with door prizes and music. Visit www.active.com (search for “Kappa Delta”) or pick up a community registration sheet at various locations around town including the YMCA, The Trak Shak or register day of race starting at 12:30 p.m.
Birmingham
Tennis Festival
March 31
Birmingham-Southern College Tennis Complex
Learn about tennis at this free festival open to ages 10 and younger at the BSC tennis complex. Participants will practice rallying, volleying, ups and play plenty of games.
Birmingham
Rumpshaker 5K Race
March 31, 8 a.m.
Sloss Furnaces
The 2012 Rumpshaker 5K Race starts at 8 a.m. March 31 at Sloss Furnaces. Proceeds will further the organization’s mission, which includes funding education programs in the community and making donations to the GI/colon labs of Birmingham area hospitals. Since 2009, Rumpshaker, Inc. has raised more than $265,000 for colon cancer awareness and prevention. Register at www.rumpshaker5k.com.
Birmingham
Barber IndyCar Event
March 30-April 1
Barber Motorsports Park
Barber Motorsports Park and ZOOM Motorsports recently announced that the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, presented by Legacy, will be March 30-April 1. Bart Starr, former University of Alabama and Green Bay Packers quarterback, will be the grand marshal of the IZOD IndyCar Series race April 1. Tickets start at $15; kids 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. A new option this year is a Junior Paddock upgrade ticket. Fans can also purchase tent and motorhome camping. Visit www.barbermotorsports.com to buy tickets or for more information.
Homewood
Holy Week Guest Speakers
April 2-4
Trinity United Methodist Church
Trinity UMC will host three guest speakers as part of the 2012 Holy Week noon luncheon series April 2-4 from noon-12:30 followed by lunch in the church’s fellowship hall. Speakers include the Rev. Keith Thompson, pastor, First United Methodist Church, Birmingham, on April 2; the Rev. Charles Gattis, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Huntsville, April 3; and the Rev. Julie Holly, pastor of Discovery United Methodist Church in Hoover, April 4. Trinity’s other Holy Week services include a Maundy Thursday service of Holy Communion at 7 p.m., April 5; a Good Friday Service of Darkness at 7 p.m., April 6 (free valet parking); and a youth-led sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. at Homewood Central Park, or at Wesley Hall in case of rain, on Easter morning, April 8. Three traditional Easter Sunday worship services will be at 8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. For more information, visit www.trinitybirmingham.com.
Mountain Brook
Smart Investing
April 5, 6:30 p.m.
Emmet O’Neal Library
The next installment of the Emmet O’Neal Library’s Smart Investing will address Saving for Retirement. The series kicked off in the fall thanks to a $47,000 grant from the American Library Association and The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The program is centered on personal finance and investing. For more information on Smart Investing or to register, visit www.eolib.org or contact Katie Moellering at 445-1118.
Homewood
The Beginning Experience Ministry Support Group
April 10, 6 p.m.
Our Lady of Sorrows Church
Beginning Experience (BE) Ministry is an interdenominational peer ministry designed to assist in grief recovery and personal growth for the divorced, widowed, and separated of this community. All who are in need of grief support from the loss of a marriage/relationship are welcome to participate. The group meets Tuesdays at 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. For more information visit www.birminghambeginningexperience.org or call 969-8509.
Vestavia Hills
High Country 5K Run/Walk
April 7, 8 a.m.
Shades Crest Baptist Church
The 11th annual High Country 5K Run/Walk includes a free kids’ fun run at 9 a.m. An Elementary School Team Challenge is for area elementary schools; students at each school will form a team and compete for a combination of shortest time and number of finishing runners. Pre-registration is $20 before March 23, $25 March 24-April 6 and $30 on race day. The race includes a T-shirt for runners, a pre-race pasta dinner April 6 and a post-race pancake breakfast during the awards ceremony for runners and their families. Register at Raceit.com; space is limited.
Birmingham
Magic is all around us
April 10, 5:30 p.m.
Sheraton Birmingham
The A.G. Gaston Boys and Girls Club’s 45th anniversary celebration, “Magic is all around us,” will feature Earvin “Magic” Johnson, the legendary NBA champion and businessman. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Visit www.aggbgc.org for tickets and more information.
North Shelby Co.
Mt Laurel Spring Festival
April 14, 10 a.m.
Town of Mt Laurel
The Mt Laurel Spring Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 14. Farmers and craftsmen will be among the 150 vendors. Activities for kids include a children’s park and cartoon characters. Admission is free. For more information, call 408-TOWN.
Wilsonville
Bluegrass and Burgers
April 14, noon
Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch
Spirit of Hope Youth Ranch will host the fifth annual Bluegrass and Burgers April 14 from noon to 3 p.m. Spirit of Hope adopts horses that are in difficult situations and gives at-risk and disadvantaged young people the opportunity to work with and care for the horses. Bluegrass and Burgers is the ranch’s largest event of the year. It includes bluegrass music, horse demonstrations, kids’ activities and burgers on the grill. The event is free; donations are accepted. For directions to the ranch and more information, visit www.sohyr.org or [email protected].
Birmingham
Girls Inc. Cajun Cook-Off
April 14, 11 a.m.
Linn Park
This casual, family-friendly event will feature a Cajun cooking competition and live music from the Swamp Poppas. Those who attend can taste-test gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya, red beans and rice and more. Kids’ activities include face painting, a balloon artist and henna tattoos. Tickets include food samples from participating teams, water and iced tea. Soft drinks, beer and wine will be available for purchase. Ticketholders can also attend a kickoff party April 3 at the Wine Loft. All proceeds will benefit Girls Inc. programs. Tickets are $20 for adults in advance and $25 the day of the event and $5 for ages 10 and younger. Children 3 and under are admitted free. Visit www.bhamcajuncookoff.com for more information.
Birmingham
Carrollights Celebration
April 28, 6 p.m.
Our Lady of the Valley Social Hall
The John Carroll Catholic High School PTO’s eighth annual Carrollights Celebration will feature dinner, dancing to the music of the Birmingham Rhythm Kings and live and silent auctions. The winner of the free tuition raffle will be announced during the evening. Auction items include an apartment for a week in Rome, wine tasting in your home, a vacation rental on Lake Martin, Auburn football tickets, an Alabama football helmet signed by the national championship team plus many specialty gift baskets. Past events have helped fund ELMO classroom projectors, language labs and new desks for students. Funds raised this year are earmarked for science lab refurbishments. Buy event tickets and raffle tickets at www.jcchs.org. For information, contact chairman Laura Meineke at 516-3265 [email protected].
Mountain Brook
Signature Series
April 10, 6:30 p.m.
Private home
The second Signature Series event of 2012 will feature Ron Rash, author of the bestselling novel “Serena,” at the Mountain Brook home of Peggy and Ed Goodwin. Single event tickets are $110. Season tickets, still available for $200, guarantee admission to this year’s remaining two receptions. Signature Series is a fundraiser for the Literacy Council’s programs and services. Visit www.literacy-council.org for more information or to purchase tickets. ϖ
