The Yellowhammer State’s cultural and culinary diversity is showcased in food festivals throughout the fall, with some also offering tours of ornate churches built by congregations that started settling here some 130 years ago.
Music and dance also will play major roles in upcoming events honoring immigrants and their offspring from Greece, the Middle East, and Latin American countries—who are now woven into Alabama’s colorful tapestry.
Several of these Alabama fall festivals have been around for more than a half-century. Upcoming events in Birmingham and Mobile are timed for Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs nationally from September 15 through October 15.
St. William Seafood Festival (Guntersville)
August 30-31
In its 54th year, the fundraiser for St. William Catholic Church is known for its gumbo, which is sold frozen by the quart or hot by the pint or quart. The menu also includes Cajun-boiled shrimp, either catfish or grilled chicken dinners, bread from the St. Bernard Abbey in Cullman, and desserts prepared by parishioners.
Location: Foley Center, 915 Gunter Avenue
Times: Drive-through: 4 p.m.—6 p.m. (Friday); 7:30 a.m. until sold out (Saturday); Dine-in is available starting at 10:30 a.m.; Saturday until the food sells out
Price: Free admission
Bernard Blues and BBQ (Cullman)
September 7-8
The 8th festival will be held on the grounds of St. Bernard Abbey and Prep School. Artisans with everything from pottery to fresh-ground cornmeal and grits will ply their wares. Of course, there will be plenty of great musicians playing the blues and cooks smoking their ‘cues, including pulled pork shoulder, ribs, burgers, brats, and chicken. Cash prizes will be awarded in a Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned amateur cookoff on Saturday.
Location: 1600 St. Bernard Drive
Time: 9 a.m.—4 p.m.
Price: Organizers ask attendees to donate $10; admission to the famed Ave Maria Grotto will be discounted to $5 all weekend
Saint George Middle Eastern Food Festival (Birmingham)
September 12-14
The main draw at the 42nd festival is the food—sold via drive-through or at the festival, as well as music and dance. This year’s event features a new hookah lounge. The Melkite Greek Catholic Church was founded in Birmingham in 1902. The current building, one of fewer than four dozen Melkite churches in the United States, was erected in 1957. Church tours are available Thursday and Friday evenings and all day Saturday.
Location: 425 16th Avenue South
Times: 10:30 a.m.—9 p.m. (dine-in or takeout); 11 a.m.—7 p.m. (drive-through)
Price: Free admission
Fiesta (Birmingham)
September 28
Over its 22-year history, Fiesta has grown into the state’s largest celebration of the diverse array of Hispanic cultures living in the Birmingham areas. The fiesta site is divided into “villages” – cultural, food, health and wellness, community, and sponsor setups. Activities include storytelling, wrestling exhibitions. dance, performing arts, visual arts, fun for children, soccer, and cultural education. Local and internationally acclaimed music artists will perform.
Location: Linn Park (off Eighth Avenue North)
Time: 12 p.m.—8 p.m
Price: Advance tickets are $12 plus fee
Birmingham Greek Festival (Birmingham)
October 3-5
Birmingham’s oldest cultural event is hosted by one of Birmingham’s oldest congregations. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church opened in 1906, and a group split off as Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in 1933. They merged in 1953. The current Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church building on 19th Street South was elevated to cathedral status in 1977. Along the way, church members have run some of the city’s most beloved restaurants, so it’s little wonder 30,000 people are expected to buy food plates and handmade desserts at the 51st Birmingham Greek Festival. It’s an open-air party with tents for outside dining and a busy drive-through line. Other attractions include traditional Greek music and dancing, and a marketplace with Mediterranean and Orthodox Christian souvenirs.
Location: 307 19th Street South
Time: 10:30 a.m.—9:30 p.m
Price: Free admission
Mobile Latin Fest (Mobile)
October 12
A fundraiser for the Hispanic American Business Association of the Gulf Coast, and scholarships to local Hispanic students, past fests have featured bands, a samba parade, and folkloric performances. Expect plenty of food from Mexico to Puerto Rico and down through Central and South America.
Location: Mardi Gras Park
Time: 12 p.m.—9 p.m.
Price: Free admission
St Symeon Food and Culture Fair (Birmingham)
October 12
An outdoor marketplace showcases the multi-cultural congregation’s roots with themed booths selling baked goods—Balkan Bakery, Middle Eastern Market, the Slavic Babushka’s Kitchen, Southern Sweets and Savories, and Café Europa. The highlight is the Opa! Cabana tent serving loukoumades (puffed honey doughnuts). Also available are coffee, tea, artwork, jewelry, scarves, and crafts. Self-guided and hosted tours of the church are available, and the choir will perform at 11 a.m. Discussions include an examination of the ongoing project of painting iconographic murals in the church.
Location: 3101 Clairmont Avenue South
Time: 9 a.m.—3 p.m
Price: Free admission
Greek Fest (Mobile)
October 17-20
The first Greek immigrant in Alabama arrived in Mobile in 1888, and the community that grew from there has held some form of Greek Fest since 1962. Plans include a Plaka shopping market, the band Bazouki Express, other performers during lunch and dinner, and folk dancing performances scheduled for all four days. The menu hits all the highlights from Greek and Middle Eastern festivals around the state, including pastries and other sweets, gyro wraps, grilled meat souvlaki, and keftedes (Greek meatballs). But there are a few extras like calamari and braised lamb shank (limited supply).
Location: 50 South Ann Street
Times: 11 a.m.—9 p.m. (Thursday, Friday, Saturday); 11 a.m.—3 p.m. (Sunday)
Price: Free admission
