Culture

Discover the soul of Alabama through exclusive SoulGrown stories about its rich culture

view all stories

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Get your art fill at this two-day festival in Northport

read more

October 11, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Remembering Homewood hot dog legend Sammy Graphos

read more

October 11, 2021

Louisiana-born and Alabama-raised, artist and interior designer William McLure doesn’t remember a time when he wasn’t creating. As one of four boys growing up in the tiny town of Troy, finding outlets for his passion took a bit of resourcefulness. As a kid, he could often be found rearranging furniture, repainting his bedroom walls, and DIYing canopy beds by nailing sheets to the ceiling. For birthdays, it wasn’t bikes or action figures he asked for, but lamps and duvet covers. Though McLure excelled in high school art class and painted throughout his upbringing, he never imagined he would make a living through art. After graduating, college wasn’t in the cards, so he got a job at the Alabama Board of Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors.

4 questions with artist and interior designer William McLure

read more

October 7, 2021

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement changed the course of history in America forever. Many of the places that created the environment for such monumental change are right here in our own backyard. Alabama’s role in the Civil Rights Movement is undeniable. All across the state, our cities and towns became the backdrop for sit-ins, marches, demonstrations, and protests that opened the world’s eyes to the inequality, injustice, and bigotry prevalent throughout our country. Nearly 70 years later, the sacrifices many Americans made to advance the cause for equality are more important than ever. And now more than ever, it’s important to reflect on that history. 

Explore Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail in Selma

read more

October 3, 2021

Legend says that the first tailgating party before a college football game was in 1869, but it wasn’t until after the University of Alabama first hit the gridiron a couple of decades later that its rabid fans perfected the art of the pregame party.

How to plan the perfect Alabama tailgate

read more

September 11, 2021

If a greased pig chase and a frog jumping contest sounds like you’re idea of a good time, then you’ve come to the right place. Each September, the small town of Eva in North Alabama comes together for a week of old-fashioned fun and games at Eva Frontier Days. The family-friendly festival, September 17-25 this year, includes the aforementioned greased pig chase and frog jumping contest, as well as a parade, hayrides, showings of antique tractors, and a rodeo. 

Chase a pig and attend a rodeo at annual Eva Frontier Days festival

read more

September 9, 2021

How many 20-year-old homeowners do you know? How about 20-year-old homeowners who also built their homes? In Birmingham’s Ensley neighborhood, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit private school is working to add to that number by making the dream of homeownership a reality for low-income students.

This Alabama school revolutionizes learning and turns students into homeowners

read more

September 8, 2021

[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” […]

Explore Montgomery’s Civil Rights Trail

read more

September 1, 2021

Regarded as the father of contemporary country music, Hank Williams is without a doubt one of the most legendary music superstars to ever live. Despite his short career, which met […]

3 cool things you can see at the Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery

read more

August 23, 2021

As it turns out, delicious BBQ is a perfect reason for the entire family to get out of the house and celebrate the end of summer. Gather your family and friends on August 28 to enjoy good music, Alabama’s best BBQ and fun activities for all ages!

Heroic Hog Days: A celebration of BBQ and music making a difference in Montgomery

read more

August 20, 2021

After a 2020 hiatus, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival announced its 50th season earlier this month. What started in a high school auditorium in Anniston in 1972 has grown into a leader in the performing arts with a $21.5 million performing arts complex in Montgomery, a designation as the State Theatre of Alabama, and a loyal following. 

The beloved Alabama Shakespeare Festival announces its 50th season

read more

August 20, 2021

Born in Troy, Alabama, Fred Nall Hollis—known professionally as Nall—is the definition of a renaissance man. The artist has been working across multiple mediums—including paintings, mosaics, line engravings, sculpture, glassware, and jewelry—for the past 50 years.

5 things to know about Alabama artist Nall

read more

August 12, 2021

It’s Saturday morning and while most of downtown Birmingham is still waking up, Pepper Place District is a few steps ahead. One hundred white tents line the couple blocks between 2nd and 3rd Avenues South and 28th and 29th Streets. Live folk music provides the soundtrack to a bustling farmers market where thousands of people meet to buy the area’s freshest bounty and a variety of locally made goods. 

Meet the women making waves in Birmingham’s Pepper Place district

read more

August 10, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Take a friend fishing and enter the Black Belt Best Fish Photo Contest

read more

August 1, 2021

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement changed the course of history in America forever. Many of the places that created the environment for such monumental change are right here in our own backyard. Alabama’s role in the Civil Rights Movement is undeniable. All across the state, our cities and towns became the backdrop for sit-ins, marches, demonstrations, and protests that opened the world’s eyes to the inequality, injustice, and bigotry prevalent throughout our country. Nearly 70 years later, the sacrifices many Americans made to advance the cause for equality are more important than ever. And now more than ever, it’s important to reflect on that history. 

Exploring Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail in Birmingham

read more

July 28, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Your all-seasons guide to u-pick fruit in Alabama

read more

July 21, 2021

With more than 1,500 items of space hardware in its permanent collection, as well as several rotating exhibits and dozens of interactive experiences that make you feel like you’re truly out of this world, the Space & Rocket Center is a must-visit for anyone in the area.

5 Things to do at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center

read more

July 19, 2021

After a long year off, the live music industry is back, booming, and singing louder than ever. Beginning in early spring, concert announcements slowly started popping up, which turned into […]

26 concerts to see in Alabama this summer

read more

July 3, 2021

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” […]

Famous chef Andrew Zimmern features Birmingham on TV..again!

read more

June 30, 2021

Is your four-legged best friend the outdoorsy type? Is your pup especially photogenic? Then you should enter them in the Best Black Belt Dog Photo Contest!

Alabama Black Belt Adventures Association is seeking entries for best dog photo contest

read more

June 18, 2021

A Birmingham-based redevelopment firm is taking its next step toward creating a community gathering spot for fitness, fun, and food in the Magic City’s Parkside District. Orchestra Partners is beginning to lease spaces in the first phase of the Urban Supply buildout, which will combine offices, retail, and a pedestrian area near the 19-acre Railroad Park, Regions Field, and Good People brewery.

Read about the plans for Urban Supply, Birmingham’s newest entertainment district

read more

June 17, 2021