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EVENTS

historic Sloss Furnaces to at- tend this fundraiser supporting Free The Hops, Alabamians for specialty beer. Food, music, and of course lots and lots of beer make this event likely to sell out, so get your tickets early. So much beer, so little time. Frieda H.

Merecedes Marathon 205-870-7771 mercedesmarathon.com For over a decade, the Mercedes Marathon and Half Marathon have beckoned competitive runners from all across the country. The course has been used for both Men s and Women s Olympic trials, and the innovative multi-loop system has inspired similar courses in both New York and Boston. But it s really all about the kids the Mercedes Marathon weekend events have helped raise more than $3 million for The Bell Center and Kid One Transport, a pair of charities that specialize in helping children in need. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, no ques- tion. It s really great to see the city get behind such an awesome event. Sam H.

Moss Rock Festival 100 Municipal Drive 205-444-7500 mossrockfestival.com Celebrating nature, open spaces and eco-ideas through art and design, the Moss Rock Festival in November at the nature preserve presents over 5,000 juried works of art, design competitions, special installations, food, wine, a wed- ding cake expo and live music. An interactive kid s workshop, WonderKids Studio, encourages children to use the observation of nature as a launching point for creative projects. It comes at the perfect time of year to get holiday gifts from local artists. Olivia P.

Preserve Jazz Festival 20 32nd St N 205-390-3800 New Orleans isn't the only place to hear great jazz. At the Preserve Jazz Festival, folks from all over the South gather at Sloss Furnaces here in the "other home" of jazz for a full day of music and grooving. And you can bring your own food and beverages if you're in the mood for a picnic. "Birmingham has a wonderful history of great jazz. And if you don't believe me, come hear it for yourself." Robert B.

Regions Tradition Shoal Creek 100 New Williamsburg Dr regionstradition.com The Regions Tradition Shoal Creek is a Senior PGA Tour event that takes place annually at Birmingham s Shoal Creek golf course. Famously designed by Jack Nicklaus, the course also hosts a charity Pro-Am prior to the tournament play which always attracts a host of celebrities. The Regions Tradition Shoal Creek is one of the best tourna- ments I ve ever seen. The place has so much great history, and the players clearly love it too. Jeff W.

Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil Richard Arrington Jr Blvd at 22nd St & 24th St schaeffercrawfishboil.com What began nearly 20 years ago as a backyard crawfish boil is now one of the city s largest and most popular music festivals. The two-day event, held the first weekend in May, attracts more than 40,000 people to the downtown area to party to the sounds of some of the country s top musical acts and get their

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