2021 Birmingham Festivals

The variety of annual events nourishes the Birmingham vibe. Here are some of the festivals and events on the schedule for 2021. As some festivals have cancelled or postponed during these times, please check the individual festival website to check the status:

Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama– April 16-18. Barber Motorsports Park. The only Indy Series event in the Deep South, this motorsports event draws tens of thousands of race fans every year.

Gumbo Gala– April 17. Cahaba Brewing Co. This spicy event has grown into one of the city’s most popular cooking competitions. Proceeds benefit Episcopal Place, which provides affordable, independent living for seniors and disabled adults.

Gardendale Magnolia Festival– April 16-17. Gardendale Civic Center- A kid friendly event with face painting, inflatables, a rock wall and sensory-friendly stations. Enjoy a midway carnival, 150 vendor booths, three stages of live entertainment, a pooch parade, a 5K run/fun run and much more.

Magic City Art Connection– April 23-25. Sloss Furnaces. Birmingham’s largest art festival spotlights 200 juried, fine artists from around the country in all mediums alongside Corks & Chefs: A Taste of Birmingham, Imagination Festival workshops for kids, two performance stages, a cafe’ and more.

Talladega GEICO 500– April 25. Talladega Superspeedway. With Talladega Superspeedway’s tripleheader weekend set for April 24-25, NASCAR‘s Most Competitive venue announced that select ticket options, including premium upgrade and NEW, modified fan experiences, are available. Fans are encouraged to act now as tickets are limited and pricing will increase on race week. Limited tickets available.

The Exceptional Foundation Chili Cook-Off– May 1. Brookwood Village- Macy’s upper parking area. The previous Chili Cook-Off featured 150 cook teams and was attended by over 12,000 people, benefiting The Exceptional Foundation. Enjoy live music, beverages, a kid-zone and all the chili you can eat! Mmm!

Regions Tradition– May 5-9. Greystone Golf and Country Club. Annual PGA Golf Tournament benefitting local charities.

Homestead Hollow Arts & Crafts Festival– May 14-16. Springville. See wood carving, blacksmithing, wood stove cooking, quilting, whiskey making at our original working still, tour our original cabins as they were built by the early settlers. Enjoy great food, music and children’s activities.

Do Dah Day Festival– May 15. Cahaba Brewing Co. Benefitting animal rescue services, this is one of the city’s most wonderful and wacky events. Homemade floats and animals dressed in costume will remain stationary while the spectators “parade” past them.

Barber Historics– May 22-23. Barber Motorsports Park. This event is a Formula Car Festival, meaning you will see many different generations of the Formula cars represented, from Formula Vee’s to Formula Junior to Indy Lights to Formula 1600 and Formula 2000’s and F4’s.

SEC Baseball Championship– May 25-30. Hoover Met. The SEC Baseball Tournament features premier college baseball as the top twelve teams compete for the championship. Don’t miss your chance to see six days of the best college baseball at the Hoover Met Stadium.

Barber Small Bore–  June 4-6. Barber Motorsports Park. The world’s largest small bore event is back at the 880 acre Barber Motorsports Park! Great routes, road racing, drag racing, stunt lot, parade laps, Moto-soccer, Creek Bottom Classic off-road racing, hill climbing, bike shows, swap meet, industry wide displays and support, games, demos, prizes, food, and the world’s largest motorcycle museum.

St. Elias Lebanese Food & Cultural Festival– June 11-12. St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church. Menu items typically range from Lebanese doughnuts to spinach pies to baked kibbeh sandwiches. Food will be available this year for drive-thru or takeout only.

Magic City Brewfest– June 12. Sloss Furnaces. The Magic City Brewfest’s focus is on providing guests a great experience with access to the best beers they can find in Alabama, including hard-to-find beers that are not always widely available in the market.

Juneteenth Celebration– June 19. Kelly Ingram Park. The annual Juneteenth celebration, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, is presented by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. The free event will begin with a parade at 9am and the community celebration in the park will start at 10:30am. Attendees will enjoy food, music, vendors, entertainment and more!

Secret Stages– August 6-7. Avondale. Secret Stages is a two-day music discovery festival that features over 50 bands performing on the stages of Birmingham on the first weekend of August. All Secret Stages venues are within walking distance of each other and filled with up-and-coming acts drawn from around the nation.

Sidewalk Film Festival– August 23-29. Historical theatre district in downtown Birmingham. This showcase for independent film has gained wide notoriety in film and consumer publications for its tight organization, range of subject matter and good ol’ weekend fun.

Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival– August TBD. Historic 4th Avenue Business District, downtown Birmingham. Enjoy live music, spoken word and vendors at this year’s Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival! Free and open to the public, this event runs from 12 noon-10pm.

Homestead Hollow Arts & Crafts Festival– September 24-26. Springville.  See wood carving, blacksmithing, wood stove cooking, quilting, whiskey making at our original working still, tour our original cabins as they were built by the early settlers. Enjoy great food, music and children’s activities.

Fiesta– September 25. Linn Park. Alabama’s largest celebration of Hispanic culture is a colorful event in downtown Linn Park. Learn about the many Hispanic countries and their cultures through art, music food and dance. From tortas to tacos and jerk chicken to pupusas, this fest puts on the spread. Here, you’ll find Salvadorian, Caribbean, and Brazilian food, from warm plantains, tapiocas, and quesadillas, to tamales, and corn cups. You can almost smell the homemade tortillas cooking. Come hungry!

Annual Whistle Stop Festival– October 2. The Outlet Shops at Grand River, Leeds. Nothing makes us think “Alabama” better than fried green tomatoes. And if what you love about fried green tomatoes includes Fannie Flagg’s novel, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, well, then you might want to check out this local favorite held annually in the charming little downtown of Irondale just east of Birmingham.

Slicefest– October 2. Lakeview. Eat Local, Drink Local, Be Local. SliceFest 2021 celebrates its 9th anniversary  as Birmingham’s largest food & music block party hosted by Slice Pizza & Brewhouse. If you love music, great food and brews, giving back and Birmingham then you don’t want to miss this festival.

Bluff Park Art Show– October 2. Bluff Park Community Center. Some of the finest artists in the country show at this annual event in the Bluff Park neighborhood of Birmingham.

Greek Food Festival– October 14-16. Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral. The Greek Festival, Birmingham’s oldest and most anticipated cultural events will be held in a drive-thru, walk-up/take-out, to-go format with an abundance of delicious authentic Greek cuisine. 

The Alabama Butterbean Festival– October 1-2. Pinson. This down-home gathering tempts you with butterbeans prepared in all sorts of ways, and then offers you one heck of a good time. In fact, if butterbeans aren’t your jam, you might want to come anyway for 12-hours of live music, carnival rides, food, petting zoos, pony rides, and who knows what else!

17th Annual Barber Vintage Festival– October 8-10. Barber Motorsports Park. It’s a motorcycle enthusiast’s dream! Enjoy three days of non-stop action and fun at Birmingham’s premier motorsports park!

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)– November 2. Pepper Place. In the Mexican tradition, the festival commemorates the deaths of loved ones through music and dance.

Christmas Village Festival– November 3-7. Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Exhibition Halls. Mothers and daughters, sisters, and friends begin their holiday shopping by meeting in Birmingham the first weekend in November to enjoy an amazing variety of gift ideas- all under one roof.

Moss Rock Festival– November 6-7. Moss Rock Preserve. This eco-creative festival in the Birmingham suburb of Hoover explores Nature, SmartLIVING, Art + Design and features 100 juried artists & makers, a smart living market & sweetery, hikes and outdoor activities, the Beer Garden craft tasting event, music, food, kids studios, and other special design features like tiny homes.

National Veterans Day Parade – November 11. Downtown Birmingham. Birmingham has the oldest and one of the largest Veterans Day celebrations in the country.

Homestead Hollow Arts & Crafts Festival– November 12-14. Springville. See wood carving, blacksmithing, wood stove cooking, quilting, whiskey making at our original working still, tour our original cabins as they were built by the early settlers. Enjoy great food, music and children’s activities.