A confessed hoarder, Jim Reed divides people into keepers and tossers, landing solidly in the keeper lane. His quirky collection resembles a combination of a college professor’s office, a yard sale and an old bachelor who was never really housebroken. Spend an hour or two at Jim Reed Books and Museum of Fond Memories in downtown Birmingham, and your senses flood with memories and chuckles. It is serious, too. There is a feeling as you browse the shelves, that his shop holds a significant percentage of the world’s knowledge. Books range from new to five hundred years old. Items range from a giant porky pig head to movie posters, election buttons, vintage toys, and Amazing Spiderman comic books. You can find everything from a life-sized Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, hoisting a ruby slippers thought bubble, to a rare 150-year-old diary, perhaps complete with old love letters. 

Hosted in Leighton, Alabama, at the crossroads of Old Highway 20 and County Line Road, Sledgefest celebrates the legacy of Percy Sledge, a legendary soul singer. The event is an all day commemoration of the historic city and culture that permeates throughout. A city of less than 1,000 citizens, Leighton is known for being the hometown of a plethora of notable superstars—NBA players Leon and John Douglas, as well as NFL Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome. In the world of music, Leighton’s call to fame can be heard through the voice of Jimmy Hughes—a prominent vocal talent during the mid-century boom of rhythm & blues—and his cousin Percy Sledge. 

Something about live music makes summer feel complete. If you love that country twang or just a night out with friends, then a country concert may be just what you need. From Huntsville down to Orange Beach, summer concerts are in full swing, and hot summer nights, cold beer, and the sweet sound of your favorite country artists are hard to beat. Below you can find our guide to incredible county concerts happening here in Alabama this summer!

Alabama is exploding with theater groups across the state. Some specialize in musicals, some in Broadway favorites, others in challenging themes. All of them offer entertainment and art to their communities. Here is a list of theater groups performing somewhere near you. 

Better is a nonprofit, funding therapy for women in Alabama and advocating for overall mental health awareness in the South. In 2021, Better surveyed hundreds of Alabama women finding that the #1 obstacle to attending consistent therapy or counseling was finances. Through that, Better was born.

Fourth of July is right around the corner. While you’re making arrangements for a full-blown backyard barbecue—complete with juicy burgers and even juicier watermelon—it’s also a good idea to start plotting out your firework viewing strategy for when night descends. To make planning your perfect holiday weekend even easier, we’ve compiled a list of firework shows and events to attend across the state. From all-day festivals and live music to spectacular displays, here are the best ways to celebrate Independence Day in Alabama this year. 

Meet Julia, editor and content manager for SoulGrown! Julia Sayers Gokhale plans out all the content for the website, so she always has her ear to the ground for the […]

They say dogs are a man’s best friend, but a Birmingham-based nonprofit is proving that they can also be much more than that. Animal-assisted therapy provider Hand in Paw has been serving Central Alabama since 1996 when former Greater Humane Society of Birmingham Executive Director Beth Franklin founded the organization. 

Meet SoulGrown writer, Sara! Sara Watkins is SoulGrown’s expert on North Alabama’s newest and best. Residing in the region, Sara writes from a heart connected to her community. She is always in-the-know of local stories that deserve statewide awareness and brings them to our readers through her witty and clever way with words! Here are 10 fun facts about Sara:

Each June, we celebrate Pride Month to commemorate those involved with the Stonewall Riots, celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and promote equality and acceptance in our country. Throughout the month, organizations, groups, and communities in Alabama are hosting events to celebrate. From trivia nights to drag shows, here are 15 events to attend this month.

If a high note breaks your beer glass, it’s not the alcohol singing—it’s Opera Shots. Far from the stodgy image of the large woman in a Viking helmet, this progressive opera company takes opera to the street, the bar, and the brewery. Opera Birmingham showcases its singers before unsuspecting audiences who get a sip of culture along with their cocktail.

When summertime rolls around, it’s all about America’s pastime. In Birmingham, most associate baseball season with Regions Field, the downtown home field of minor league team the Birmingham Barons. However, just a few miles down the road is another baseball park with more than a century of history as Birmingham’s baseball hub. Built in 1910, Rickwood Field is a huge part of the city’s history and remains an active part of the community today. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about Birmingham’s Rickwood Field.

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Hangout Music Fest is making its triumphant return this weekend from May 20–22. The annual three-day music festival has been held on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama since 2010. Every year, thousands of music lovers from across the country (and even the world!), flock to Alabama to see their favorite artists perform in a truly one-of-a-kind atmosphere. The entire affair is essentially a giant beach party hosted by top musical performers. I mean, where else can you see Grammy award-winning artists play their top hits while you’ve got your feet in the sand and a clear view of the blue-green ocean? Here are three things not to miss if you’re lucky enough to be headed to Hangout this year. 

Long thought of as a hotbed for only collegiate sports, the state of Alabama in recent years has proven that there’s a lot more to see when it comes to athletics than the Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers. In addition to minor league baseball teams in cities like Huntsville, Birmingham, and Montgomery, the Magic City is making some big moves in the world of sports, in large part thanks to the opening of the new Protective Stadium downtown. With the World Games making its debut in Birmingham later this summer from July 7–17, it’s shaping up to be a hot summer for sports in Alabama. Though the World Games events last just 10 days, Alabama’s many minor league and semi-professional sports team offer a sport for every season. Get to know your home teams below!

Let’s get to know SoulGrown’s new CEO a little better, shall we?

When Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit take the stage in Huntsville on May 13, it will be an extra special homecoming for the band. Their performance, along with those of other Alabama artists Brittany Howard, Drive-by Truckers, Emmylou Harris, John Paul White, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and Mavis Staples is part of the First Waltz, a grand opening weekend-long event for the city’s new state-of-the-art music and event venue Orion Amphitheater. The venue, developed by Mumford and Sons’ band member and owner of entertainment and hospitality group Venue Group Ben Lovett, will usher the beginning of a new era for the city’s growing music scene. 

Lilly Hart’s junior year of high school was supposed to be the busiest time of her life. During the spring of 2020, the high schooler from Lilburn, Georgia was set to travel to several cities as part of her school’s basketball team, play in the golf state championship, and finish the year with a 4.0 GPA. All that changed when March rolled around, and COVID-19 turned everything upside down. Never one to sit still, Hart immediately pivoted and began exploring another passion of hers: music. “I had written before but this time I took it seriously,” she says. “I started to set goals and one of those goals was to release a song on all platforms. It was a hard process to navigate but I ended up reaching that goal when ‘Love is Addiction’ came out in the fall of 2020. After I released one, I kept writing and setting goals.”

Oscar-winning filmmaker, musician, producer and composer, Questlove, took a meaningful approach to the year’s theme of “Gilded Glamour” by “representing for African-Americans in this country.” Questlove explained in an interview with Vogue that “because the Gilded period is a little bit different for our story… I wanted to highlight Black women who have sacrificed for the country. So I’m rockin’ their quilt right now.”

The Agriculture Adventure Trail encourages the public to engage with local agricultural businesses in a fun and educational way. You’ll find all kinds of cool things to do on the Agriculture Adventures Trail: hands-on farms, orchards, farmer’s markets, made-on-the-farm products, farms with animals, U-pick farms, vineyards & wineries, farm-to-table dining, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, living history farms, farm festivals, and so much more!

Here are 4 highlights from the 35 stops along the Agriculture Adventures Trail.

Five porches on Pratt Avenue in Five Points Historic District will host musicians from Huntsville, Nashville and the Shoals. Bring a blanket, chair and cooler to enjoy a unique evening of music.

The Alabama Symphony Orchestra began with a group of volunteer musicians in 1921. Over the last 100 years, a small volunteer ensemble transformed into the state’s only full-time professional orchestra. In addition to the 54 talented musicians—saxophonists, flutists, harpists, trombonists, and more—who bring the Alabama Symphony Orchestra to life, the ensemble is often accompanied by the ASO Chorus.