This year, Land Aid – an event benefiting the efforts of the Freshwater Land Trust – turns 4. Their Junior Board is hosting this year’s event at Avondale Brewing Company.

Music will be courtesy of Jon Vogel, Terry Ohms of Vulture Whale, David & Molly and headlining, Rollin’ in the Hay.

The Alabama-based bluegrass band recently performed at the Hang­out Fes­ti­val and were winners of this year’s Road to Roo contest, meaning they played this year’s Bon­na­roo Music Fes­ti­val. Nice!

Tickets are available in advance via the event’s info page on the Freshwater Land Trust’s website.

Why does a bar’s closing make the calendar listings? Simple – it’s Speakeasy.

They want their supporters to turn out one last time at the old place in Birmingham’s central business district before they turn out the lights and head a few blocks south to Highland Avenue and their new home (as the second location for Black Market Bar & Grill) next month.

Besides, you wouldn’t want to tell owner (& Birmingham firefighter) George Cowgill after six years that you couldn’t make it for even a little bit, would you?

It’s the longest-running music festival in Birmingham, AL – created in part to remember the contributions of Birmingham, AL native and renowned big band leader Erskine Hawkins (his birthday is July 26 – hence it always falling on the fourth Saturday of the month) and others to the city’s musical legacy. The tentative schedule for the 27^th edition of the Function looks like it has a little something for everybody…

As always, the schedule is subject to change due to weather or no shows and there is no cooking permitted nor coolers, tents or alcoholic beverages allowed in Erskine Hawkins Park.

The folks from Extemporaneous Theatre Company are hoping you’ll join them on Railroad Park’s 17^th Street Plaza for “a series of hilarious improv games in the style of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” – that link you just skipped will help you understand what the show is if you’re not familiar with it…

You’ll offer them suggestions, and then they’ll live up to the label given to them by Birmingham Magazine  as  Birmingham’s Best On-the-Spot Theatre by turning them into hilarious comedy right before your eyes. This is the point where troupe member Christopher Davis would probably remind folks that it’s free and open to the public.

This film is being presented by Birmingham SHOUT. The subtitle for Jobriath A.D. is “a rock ‘n’ roll fairy tale.” Its subject was called “The American Bowie,” “The True Fairy of Rock & Roll,” and “Hype of the Year.”

Jobriath was best known during his brief two-year/two album career as the first openly gay rock star. According to the description for the screening available on Facebook, his legacy “delves deeper than the labels hung upon him.”

Sabotaged by a publicity machine run amok, shunned by the gay community and dismissed by critics, Jobriath was excommunicated from the music business, and became an early casualty of AIDS. Now new generations of fans have discovered him through acts like The Pet Shop Boys, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Siouxsie Sioux, and Morrissey, all of whom cite Jobriath as a groundbreaking influence. Interviews, archival material, animation, and covers of his biggest hits will be used by filmmaker Kieran Turner and company to tell the glam rock star’s story.

This month the Birmingham Public Library‘s monthly series leaves its usual perch downtown and heads over to Avondale for the night.

Emcee Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins will deftly guide both novice and veteran poets through an evening of verse with topics that run the gamut from romantic relationships to the local political scene.

Special guest Barry Marks will read from his new book of poetry, Sounding. The book allows Marks to use poetry to work through the grief that followed the tragic death of his oldest daughter, Leah Ellen Marks. The book Marks is the 1999 Alabama Poet of the Year and his first full book of poetry, Possible Crocodiles, was named Alabama’s Book of the Year for 2010 by the Alabama State Poetry Society.

Craft beer will be available for sampling courtesy of the Highland Brewing Company and light refreshments will be served. Attendees must be 18 years or older to be admitted, 21 or older to be served. IDs will be checked.

Just in case you didn’t know, this summer the folks at The Alabama Theatre have been doing something pretty special. They’ve been doing screenings of all 8 Harry Potter films.

Bring your children, or just your inner child, and watch Harry, Ron and Hermione as the battle against Voldemort and the forces of darkness. The movies will start at 7:00 p.m., with doors opening at 6:00 p.m.

This final installment from 2011 has us watching Harry and his friends “for Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord.” It’s probably a pretty cool way to start winding down as we get ready for fall…

The folks at Freshfully have more than enough reasons to celebrate their first birthday! A year ago they were eating peanuts and applying lip gloss; now they’ve got one of the hottest new businesses located in one of Birmingham’s up and coming commercial districts after winning Occupy Avondale earlier this spring.

You really want to head on over since they’ll be having a few friends over to help celebrate:

To mark the occasion, we’ll have farmers, food tastings, music, and great deals. Meet your local farmers and taste meat, seafood, veggies, bakery treats, cheese, and lots of other yummy stuff.

We’d list all of the yummy stuff here, but then you wouldn’t really have a reason to check out the list on their website then, now would you? Plus, if you go over there, then you’ll know how they’re starting the festivities on Friday evening…

This is one of six chances to enjoy all that the Birmingham Zoo has to offer for only $5 thanks to the folks at Wells Fargo. It’s looking like a pretty packed schedule too.

Chefs from the Culinary Institute of Virginia College will showcase the techniques of blowing sugar and carving ice into the shapes of animals. Following the demonstrations, the elephants will enjoy the ice sculpture as it melts. Guests can also take part in a GetRhythm!^® African Drum Circle in the children’s zoo, and kids can create their own animal masks, join a parade and have their faces painted.

Have you ever seen an orangutan solve a food puzzle? Or a lion swat at a piñata?  Guests can see animals in action while learning how the Zoo uses enrichment programs to encourage the animals to exhibit natural behaviors they display in the wild. Enjoy the demonstrations, keeper talks and much more throughout the event.

They’ll also offer you a chance to take advantage of $1 hotdogs at the Safari Café and Kudzoo Café during operating hours!

BarCampBirmingham returns for its sixth year, taking place for the second year in a row on UAB’s campus – specifically the fourth floor of the Lister Hill Library. For those who haven’t attended before, the event’s “a user generated conference created around an open, participatory workshop-event, with content provided by participants.”

In lay terms, it means it’s a conference for the people, by the people. Anyone who attends is asked to participate in some way. That can mean helping to organize the event in advance, presenting a session (these are chosen by the attendees on the morning of the camp), or just participating in or attending a session given by others.

It’s free, fun, and a great way to meet folks from the local technology community and beyond – especially since it’s not necessarily limited to tech topics. Past topics pitched on the day of included meditation techniques and learning how to juggle.

You can still register to attend via Eventbrite right up until the morning of, though you probably want to do it sooner to allow them to have a head count. Don’t get too freaked out about parking either – they’ve got a map for that…

The IMDb listing for the 1927 silent film describes its plot as follows:

Two young men, one rich, one middle class, who are in love with the same woman, become fighter pilots in World War I.

Wings pulled it off well enough to be recognized at the first film to ever win the Academy Award for both Best Picture (as well as one for Best Engineering Effects) back in 1929. Incidentally, it had the distinction of being the only silent film so honored until The Artist joined it this year.

Clara Bow stars in the film, and you get a chance to hear the Alabama Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer accompany the piece while enjoying what’s still one of the best venues in the city. What more do you need?

Maybe you’ll want to see why the Motion Picture Association of America decided to finally rate the classic film – 85 years later mind you – as PG-13 for “war violence,” as reported in Variety back in April. No, we’re not kidding…

This is one of six chances to enjoy all that the Birmingham Zoo has to offer for only $5 thanks to the folks at Wells Fargo. It’s looking like a pretty packed schedule too.

Have you ever seen an orangutan solve a food puzzle? Or a lion swat at a piñata?  Guests can see animals in action while learning how the Zoo uses enrichment programs to encourage the animals to exhibit natural behaviors they display in the wild. Enjoy the demonstrations, keeper talks and much more throughout the event.

They’ll also offer you a chance to take advantage of $1 hotdogs at the Safari Café and Kudzoo Café during operating hours!

The 1965 classic film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer is known for several things, including too many songs to mention, an Academy Award for Best Picture and being the film that displaced Gone With The Wind as the highest grossing film of all time (that is, until a little piece called Star Wars visited theaters).

The Sound of Music was released in 1965, six years after the musical it was based on first premiered on Broadway in New York City. Both interations look at what happens when a woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower. We’d say more, but for a film like this one, sharing a link to the original trailer does all the talking needed.

This edition of “the monthly networking and educational event aimed at film makers and film fans alike” organized by Sidewalk Film Festival is titled “Shooting Local, When You’re Not Local,” and it will feature director Ryan Smith.

He’ll be talking about his experiences filming “After” – a science fiction piece shot locally in Birmingham and screening at this year’s festival. We figured the least we could do is include the trailer in this listing:

Have kids between the ages 2 and 6? The Birmingham Museum of Art wants you to know you can take them in for a fun and interactive story time that might even include playing with some Legos…

The event, sponsored by Lego/Duplo and the Association of Library Services to Children, has been touring across the nation, building creative minds, inpsiring imagination, and fostering early child literacy.

You may want to take your little one in for a day of fun games, activities, and stories! Besides, maybe they’ll even let you hang out and play with some Lego blocks too…

Visit the Read! Build! Play! website for more information.

This marks the kickoff of the 2012 season of Cocktails in the Garden at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, complete with a new, less expensive admission fee.

Paying $5 if you’re a non-member will get you access onto the grounds and to the musical performance. A tasting menu courtesy of Kathy G & Company will be available for additional purchase as well as a full cash bar. All proceeds from the event will go towards supporting the Gardens’ educational mission.

This first installment will feature the music of T.U.B. – The Un-Knamed Band - a band for those who “wish [they] were at a Phish, Dead, or Panic show.” Tickets are available online via the Gardens’ official website. They’re also still looking for volunteers to work the event – leading them to post this PDF on their website for you to fill out and send back.

It’s become “Birmingham’s Biggest Happy Hour” as well as a successful, free bi-weekly summer concert series in the middle of the city’s central business district. This third installment of Magic City Live After 5 has them providing a little R&B to help us unwind – courtesy of Just a Few Cats.

Like the last installment, a charity will benefit from your attendance; this time it’s Birmingham AIDS Outreach – a local non-profit dedicated to the mission of providing financial, emotional, and homehealth support to those affected by HIV and AIDS. It’s just a couple of days before their own annual fundraiser, Red Hot for the Cause (taking on a casino theme this year).

As usual, the event’s free but you’ll want to bring cash for drinks and for the food that’ll be available on-site. They’ll probably turn to updating the Facebook event they’ve created or their Twitter account to let you know exactly what’ll be there.

The Easter Seals of the Birmingham Area are the beneficiaries of this summer soiree set to happen at Old Car Heaven.

There will be both a live and silent auction in addition to a musical performance by Rollin in the Hay and food by Cocina Superior. There will even be signature “Firefly Cocktails” served! Lance Taylor from WJOX‘s The Roundtable will serve as the event’s MC.

Tickets are currently available via the Ticketbud page created for the event. There’s also a Facebook event listing available if you’d rather keep track of what’s going on that way.

This is one of six chances to enjoy all that the Birmingham Zoo has to offer for only $5 thanks to the folks at Wells Fargo. It’s looking like a pretty packed schedule too.

Have you ever seen an orangutan solve a food puzzle? Or a lion swat at a piñata?  Guests can see animals in action while learning how the Zoo uses enrichment programs to encourage the animals to exhibit natural behaviors they display in the wild. Enjoy the demonstrations, keeper talks and much more throughout the event.

They’ll also offer you a chance to take advantage of $1 hotdogs at the Safari Café and Kudzoo Café during operating hours!

This is one of six chances to enjoy all that the Birmingham Zoo has to offer for only $5 thanks to the folks at Wells Fargo. It’s looking like a pretty packed schedule too.

Have you ever seen an orangutan solve a food puzzle? Or a lion swat at a piñata?  Guests can see animals in action while learning how the Zoo uses enrichment programs to encourage the animals to exhibit natural behaviors they display in the wild. Enjoy the demonstrations, keeper talks and much more throughout the event.

They’ll also offer you a chance to take advantage of $1 hotdogs at the Safari Café and Kudzoo Café during operating hours!

High Five Fest is upon us! Well, it’ll be the first time it’s held – an all day celebration of excellent beer, excellent music and excellent food – happening at one of our favorite venues, The Bottletree!

They’re going for about as local as you can get based on what they’re planning, including:

Letting the guys at Good People Brewing Co. take over the taps at the bar;

Having the Barbecutioners running the smoker (meaning everything from Ninja Ribs to homemade tofu and sides);

Serving ONO SHAVED ICE since it’s probably going to be ridiculously hot (you know it’s true).

Then there’s the music –  Husky Raver, Droves, We Are the Sea, The 100 Years Whore, Stoned Cobra, Nowhere Squares, Model Citizen and The Pine Hill Haints. As the organizers said on Facebook, it’s “a little somethin’ for everyone.”

I mean, they’ve even got a commercial for it (via Vimeo).

Birmingham AIDS Outreach wants you to join them in recreating the glamour of a Roaring Twenties speakeasy for this edition of their annual fundraiser.

It’s supposed to be “a decadent evening of hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and jazz.” You’ll also have a chance to bid on one-of-a-kind artwork and other hot items in a silent auction. You’ll also get to spend the evening trying your luck at casino favorites like blackjack, Texas hold ’em, craps, and roulette. Your winnings can be exchanged at the end of the night for chances to win fabulous prizes.

As they say via the event’s Facebook invite:

Come as a flapper, or come as you are; dress as Jay Gatsby, or a silent film star …all for a swell time and a good cause!!

You can visit a special page they have set up on their website to purchase tickets, make a donation, or both.

This is one of six chances to enjoy all that the Birmingham Zoo has to offer for only $5 thanks to the folks at Wells Fargo. It’s looking like a pretty packed schedule too.

Have you ever seen an orangutan solve a food puzzle? Or a lion swat at a piñata?  Guests can see animals in action while learning how the Zoo uses enrichment programs to encourage the animals to exhibit natural behaviors they display in the wild. Enjoy the demonstrations, keeper talks and much more throughout the event.

They’ll also offer you a chance to take advantage of $1 hotdogs at the Safari Café and Kudzoo Café during operating hours!

Ugly Baby Improv wants to invite you to get serious about laughing with them (& possibly at them) during their August show at The Bottletree. It’s comedy hijinks from the people who like Upright Citizens Brigade, Kids in the Hall, Second City, Stella, and Police Academy 3: Back in Training. If you need to look some of those up, go ahead. If not, consider this fair warning it could come back to haunt you if you don’t.

For you, it’s a chance to watch Birmingham’s disturbingly good rough improv comedy performers as they play to the home team and win your heart. After all, they’ll have just gotten back from an appearance in Nashville…

If you’ve lived in Birmingham for any length of time, we pretty sure you love Artwalk. If you haven’t (or if you’ve never had a chance to attend),  this has become one of the city center’s signature events. The Preamble art auction serves as one of the annual fundraisers to help keep it going. A $10 donation gives you the opportunity to enjoy a fun evening at Rogue Tavern and the chance to bid on more than 100 items, including art from some of the artists participating this year!

An additional $5 donation means you get to participate in The Ultimate Rochambeaux (Group Rock, Paper Scissors) for the chance to win the 2012 Artwalk Painting by Melissa Jones depicting art in downtown Birmingham. Ten more dollars means you get to enjoy amazing beer from Good People Brewing Company all night long.

We’re a little partial to this event here at The Hub… The Birmingham Business Alliance is hosting the sixth annual YP Expo at UAB’s Alys Stephens Center.

This year the event will showcase more than 35 young professional organizations along with other corporate booths and sponsors.

The YP Expo is a networking event that encourages community interaction with young professionals from the Birmingham area. It is a great way to meet new people, get involved and learn about new opportunities in our region. There will also be breakout sessions for people interested in learning to “market yourself in a tech-savvy world.”

The YP Expo has attracted more than 500 attendees each year. It’s free to attend, but you’ll want to register in advance so they’re expecting you.

This year those planning to attend the Birmingham Zoo’s annual fundraiser will be taking a trip – or more specifically a train ride  to the Trails of Africa.

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails followed by a sit-down dinner served at 8 p.m. Black tie is optional with music courtesy of K-JAMS and food by Kathy G & Company.

Organizers of this year’s event are asking that you make reservations by August 31.

Most folks seem to like to stroll the trails at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Well, this is one more when the majority of folks traveling these trails will be running them instead. There will be awards given to age group (5 year age groups) winners, overall winners, and best costumed runners.

You’ll want to think about whether or not you want to do the run since there will be no refunds (but if you decide not to after registering, just think of it as a donation towards the Gardens’ educational efforts and keeping the #1 free attraction in the state… well, free – since that’s where the proceeds are going anyway).

You can register for the run and learn more information by visiting the event’s page on the Gardens’ website or by going directly to its listing on active.com. Visiting the event page will also give you access to the adult and teen volunteer forms (located at the bottom of the page) if you’d rather do that instead.

This masked romantic art show/fundraiser is back for its fourth year. It features work from both local and international artists with admission proceeds going to support the Rape Response Program of the Crisis Center. The Wine Loft has announced will be donating a portion of the sale of each glass of Incognito White or Incognito Red to the program as well.

New York-based painter Carolyn Weltman will once again be the featured artist for the event. Attendees will be entertained by Ultra Hip Revue belly dancers in addition to music, singing, and fortune tellers.

Additional information is available via the event listing on Facebook created by the event organizers.

The Alabama Gospel Center put the word out about this one – the first stop on this year’s spring break tour by a well-respected, world class choir.

The Howard Gospel Choir’s will be making six more stops on this tour, including performances in Atlanta, GA; Marietta, GA; Grand Rapids, MI; Akron, OH; Detroit, MI; and Chicago, IL.

It’s one night only, so you’ll want to make a point of checking it out.