Category Archives: birmingham

Got plans this weekend? 10.19-10.21

It’s Friday. That usually means it’s time to finalize weekend plans. And we say, it’s time for a Fiesta … Fiesta 2007 that is. October is Hispanic Heritage Month. Head downtown to Linn Park Saturday to celebrate all things Latino from noon to 8 p.m. Take the kiddies — through music, art, food and cultural activities, they’ll have fun learning about Latin American countries and won’t even realize it’s educational. Cost: Free.

Not all the traffic heading to Tuscaloosa Saturday will be for the early football game. At least a few of those cars will be navigating to the Kentuck Festival of the Arts. Putting the highlight on folk and traditional crafts for 36 years, this art show has gained high status in the art community. Besides stuff to look at, there will be food, music and activities for the kids. Considering who Alabama is playing Saturday, we suggest you don’t wear orange.

Cost: $10 daily, children under 12 free. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

It’s not too late to get tickets for the Original Blue Brothers Band appearing at the Alys Stephens Center tonight. But if it is too late for you, one of the guys is hanging around town all weekend. Saxophone guru “Blue Lou” Marini will give a free jazz workshop at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame 10 a.m. Saturday. First come, first serve so don’t be late. Then Sunday, he’ll appear with members of the Magic City Jazz Orchestra and Night Fight Big Band to bring big-band sound to the Hall at 4 p.m. Cost: $10.

So what’s the local connection you ask? While “Blue Lou” has played with tons of stars over the years, it wasn’t until 2003 that he recorded his own work with the Magic City Jazz Orchestra backing him.

Just a quick mention. If you like … no, love motorcycles, Barber Motorsports Park is the place to be this weekend for the 3rd annual Vintage Festival. Get all the details here.

Don’t forget about Chip…

As we mentioned yesterday, Chip Simpson is already competing in the World Hamburger Eating Contest next weekend representing the Magic City. Joey Chestnut, considered the best eater in the world, is preparing to qualify this weekend in Tuscaloosa, so he was the one interviewed by The Birmingham News for today’s issue.

Check out this video to see the both of them in action. Chestnut and Simpson are both wearing gray shirts, with both of them standing near Eater X (the guy in the bra). Enjoy.

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WorkPlay hosts College Football Saturdays in the theater

WorkPlay College Saturdays

Photo credit: André Natta

SEC fans now have one more option to consider when figuring out where they’re going to watch a game as WorkPlay now hosts College Football Saturdays in the theater. The image above is from last week’s event as Alabama fans enjoy the view from the venue’s 25′ screen with HD projector and digital sound.

The seats in WorkPlay Stadium even include an Astroturf playing field and goalposts. Food will be on sale from OT’s Sports Grill. Doors open at 1 p.m., with the game beginning at 2 p.m. as #1 LSU plays at #17 Kentucky.

Cowboy Mouth will perform later tomorrow evening. Next week promises to be fun as well, with Alabama vs. Tennessee or Florida vs. Kentucky.

Got plans this weekend? 10.12 – 10.14

By Christina Tutor, assistant editor

There are tons of events this weekend to keep you busy. As brought to you every Friday, here are my top picks:

While the arrival for fall means football for most, to me it signals arts and crafts time. And while I hated to miss last weekend’s Bluff Park Art Show, there’s another one this weekend at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center, 1973 Merryvale Road (but it faces Highway 31). The Vestavia Hills Art Association is putting on its 36th Annual Arts and Craft Show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It’s free to look but you’ll have to pony up to take anything home. And don’t worry — If you want to know the score, it will be easy to find.

There are two options for the crowd with kids to hear music in kid-friendly settings. Friday night catch The Newgrass Troubadours at Aldridge Botanical Gardens, 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Cost is $10 nonmembers/$8 members. Kids under 12 free. Then Sunday afternoon head to Vulcan Park for the second installment in the Vulcan AfterTunes Concert series. Gates open at 1 p.m. with Anders Osborne taking the stage at 3.

Additional parking is available across Valley Avenue at Jefferson County Board of Education — shuttle provided. Cost: $8, children 4 and under and Vulcan Park Foundation members free. Both events encourage lawn chairs and blankets.

Sure it’s very similar to the Greek Fest held at the end of September, but can you really have too much baklava? The Middle Eastern Food Festival at Saint George Melkite Catholic Church, 425 16th Ave. South, runs through Saturday. The weather should be nice today so consider eating lunch away from your desk. Click on the link for menu.

So what did I miss? Put it in the comments and let other Terminal readers know.

A taste of Wild Sweet Orange

Well, for those of you that just read about Wild Sweet Orange on our front page (and even for those of you that didn’t) here’s a video of the band playing at the former Moonlight Music Cafe in Vestavia Hills.

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Blue’s Reviews: Lessel & Corbitt at Bare Hands

Local artist (and art critic) M. Blue Horn has posted a new podcast, reviewing Robin Lessel’s oil paintings of our fine feathered friends and Beverly Corbitt’s colorful glass works recently shown at Bare Hands Gallery on Birmingham’s Southside.

Take a listen, post a comment, and be sure to let Blue know if you hear of an art opening or exhibit she shouldn’t miss.

Taylor Hicks is making appearances

One is where you’d expect him, the other not so much.

Taylor Hicks - 2006

Photo credit: André  Natta

Apparently Mr. Hicks is currently being featured on TMZ (link to post via AOL, thanks to the reader submission) for his upcoming appearance at The Oaks housing development at Lake Guntersville. He’s scheduled to be there with several other celebrities on October 26 for a private dinner with people who have already purchased property in the development.

While the guys over there may be thinking that he’s hit rock bottom, the folks over at HDNet are assuming that his upcoming performance on the cable station this Sunday, October 7, at The Warfield in San Francisco will satisfy those that are looking forward to actually seeing him perform, though this review of the performance by Jim Harrington was not encouraging. But not as interesting as the comments made on that post.

A Taste of 4th Avenue excitement

The 4th Ave Jazz Festival crowd

Photo credit: Chris Denbow/PhotoMojo.info

This is the scene along 4th Avenue North in downtown Birmingham during the annual Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival on Saturday evening. Terminal contributor/photographer Chris “Mojo” Denbow has more images from the event on his blog.

FYI: If you want to help us cover events and submit photos to us, there are two ways to do so. You can either send your photos to info@bhamterminal.com with photo submission in the subject line. If you’re a member of Flickr, you can tag your images bhamterminal and add them to The Terminal Flickr Group. We’ll also be starting to display the Magic City Flickr Group’s Photo of the Week on our front page in the near future. You may want to submit your photos to them too.

Kathryn Tucker Windham to speak at Samford

The beloved author and storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham is scheduled to take part in a program at Samford University’s Library on October 20 according to this post on NewSouth’s blog.

A quick look at the university’s calendar does not mention the event, but it is important to note that it is scheduled to occur during their homecoming weekend, so more information may yet be released if it is to be open to the public.

Click here to view portions of Ms. Windham’s schedule for the next month as reported by NewSouth. Windham is scheduled to read from Alabama, One Big Front Porch, re-published in September by NewSouth Books with support from Alabama Southern Community College.

UPDATED: Sidewalk ’07: Winners list

Updated: 11:22 p.m., 9.30.2007

This is a current complete list of winners from the 2007 Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. We will update the list throughout the course of the day tomorrow with links to those films with a web presence.

We are currently awaiting the start of the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival awards ceremony. We will update this list of winners throughout the awards ceremony this evening at WorkPlay Theatre.

Features Competition

Best Feature Film
Low and Behold

Filmmaker to watch
Jeremy Saulnier – Murder Party

Originality
Last Stop for Paul

Best 1st Feature
August the First

Best Director
Zack Godshall – Low and Behold

Documentaries competition

Best Documentary Film
Darius Goes West

Best Short Documentary
Salim Baba

Shorts Competition
Best Short Film ($1,000 cash prize)
Pop Foul

Best Animated Film ($500 cash prize)
Everything Will Be OK

Best Student Film
1st prize

Caress of the Creature

2nd prize
Heartburn

Kathyrn Tucker Windham Storytelling Award
Death in the Woods

Audience Choice Awards

Feature Film
American Fork

Documentary Film
Darius Goes West

Short Film
Deface

Alabama Film
Overflow

Alabama Awards

Best Alabama Film
I’m Nostalgic

The Ace Awards (Alabama Citations of Excellence)

Excellence of Storytelling
Asclepius Fandango

Excellence in Imagery
Modern Plays: The Music Video

Excellence in Directing
Cup of Joe

Excellence in Originality
Lunch with Lincoln

Excellence in Comedy
Lunch

Excellence in Comedy Writing
The Little Things

Excellence in Acting
Tallie Medel – I’m Nostalgic

Special Jury Awards

Brilliance in Animation
Bare Circumstances

Directing
The Archer House

Brilliance in Imaging
Help is Coming

Best Student Documentary
A Street Divided

Sidewrite Awards
Competition where 10 short screenplays are submitted and judged.

1st prize
Self Addressed – Jim Pihakis

2nd prize
Stuck – Susan C. McCain

Production Award
Julie Pritt – Face Value