Oktoberfest, which originated in Munich in 1810, has become the world’s largest beer party. It even has its own signature beer style. Last year in Munich, attendees quaffed 5.6 million liters of strong locally-made Oktoberfest lager – and those numbers were down due to rainy weather over the 18-day festival, according to the website, Oktoberfest.de. […]

Alabama is a colorful tapestry of cultures, woven in part by people who have moved here from other countries and made the Yellowhammer State a better place. Over the years, Mobile’s ports, Birmingham’s early 20th-century steel mills and mines, farms statewide, today’s University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Huntsville’s military and tech industries have attracted people […]

Clocking in at one square mile in size and a population of 665 in the 2020 census, the tiny town of Leighton, Alabama leaves a BIG footprint. City leadership, led by Mayor Derick Silcox, wanted a way to celebrate all that Leighton has produced. Thus, they created Sledgefest, a music festival named after award-winning R&B, […]

Fall is full of festivals devoted to specific foods or beverages. But some cities and counties plan parties that showcase the breadth of their local restaurants, caterers, food producers, breweries, and distillers. Shelby County and the cities of Hoover and Opelika will dish local specialties in September and October. Birmingham’s first Food+Culture Fest, also in […]

The River Region’s biggest party is back and meatier than ever. The Druids Charity Club is thrilled to host the highly anticipated 6th Annual BBQ & Music Festival, “The Hog Days of Summer.” This charity event will be held on August 26, 2023, at the Union Station Train Shed in Montgomery. This festival aims to […]

Late-summer celebrations of food and drink in Alabama showcase beer, wine, barbecue, seafood, steaks, and sweet potatoes. It’s the start of a busy festival season across the state. Here are gastronomic gatherings set for August and September. Dauphin Street Beer Festival (August 26) Mobile Celebrating its 25th year, this roving party in the LoDa entertainment […]

Mid-June normally is high time for blueberries in the Yellowhammer State, peaking with the annual Alabama Blueberry Festival in Brewton, set this year for Saturday, June 17. The rabbiteye variety—native to south Alabama, south Georgia and the Florida panhandle—is one of three types grown commercially here. Blueberry season is relatively short, starting in late May […]

One of the biggest hot air balloon events in the southeast, the annual Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic, is returning at the end of this month. On Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28, more than 60 colorful balloons will fill the Decatur sky at Point Mallard Park. In addition to hot air balloons, the family-friendly […]

Festival season is in full swing, and Alabama has an exciting few months ahead. From electronic to country music, the Yellowhammer state has something to offer everyone. We have put together a list of four music festivals taking place this spring and summer that cannot be missed.  Sol Fest (New Brockton) May 4-7 Sol Fest […]

Sustained warmth, blooming flowers, and singing birds all are welcome indicators that winter is ending in Alabama. But for me, the appearance of locally-grown strawberries – all juicy, sweet, and crimson red from skin to core – is the tastiest sign of spring. U-Pick farms are already open in south Alabama, while those in central Alabama […]

In early spring, when the weather grows warmer and the rain picks up across southern Louisiana, the farmed and wild crawfish that grow there reach a perfect balance of size and flavor. Whether you call them crayfish, crawdads, crawdaddies, ecrevisse, mudbugs, or crawfish, these small lobster-looking freshwater crustaceans reach their peak around then in Louisiana, which produces up to 95 percent of the nation’s harvest. Crawfish season in bayou country generally runs from November into early summer, but spring time is prime time. By Easter, farmed and wild crawfish are abundant through the Southeast region, including restaurants and markets across Alabama. But while crawfish is a popular protein for those observing Lent, most Alabamians really don’t need much of an excuse to fill a plate, pop out some tail meat to eat, and then repeat. No surprise, then, that April is the month for crawfish-themed festivals across Alabama. Whether or not you opt to suck the crawfish heads is your choice.

Barbecue is so integral to the diet of average Alabamians it might as well be considered its own food group. Several festivals scheduled through May pay tribute to our favorite smoked meats, cooked low and slow. Some of the events double as competitions—for bragging rights as well as cash. Others serve their ’cue with a side of tunes (blues music seems to pair particularly well). All support worthy causes. Here are 6 barbecue festivals that will get you fired up for spring.

Strike up the band and march on down to The Camp in Huntsville for the fourth Mardi Gras in MidCity, a three-week New Orleans-style party that runs through Fat Tuesday on February 21. Organized by Octo Hospitality and Huntsville developer RCP Companies, the pop-up draws inspiration from the Big Easy as it lets the good times roll in the Rocket City. 

Check out some of the finest food trucks from south Alabama and the Gulf Coast and wash it all down with the best brews from Bama and surrounding states, all this weekend at Gulf Shores. The inaugural Coastal Alabama Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival is set for Saturday, November 12, and Sunday, November 13, at the Town Green. More than a dozen food trucks are in the lineup, along with a baker’s dozen breweries. Admission is free, and the festival is open to the general public from noon until 6 p.m. Food and drinks from the trucks must be purchased.

Chef Chris Hastings needs no introduction. A James Beard Award winner who beat Bobby Flay on Food Network in the Iron Chef America competition is a highly recognizable name both in and out of the South. As a well-known chef, he’s also no stranger to the creative world. From the novel approach he takes in his kitchens to the delectable dishes he consistently churns out, it’s easy to see he values the process of innovation when it comes to cuisine. This ability to intertwine the need for originality while also utilizing simple foods that tend to reflect the community from which they are harvested truly makes him a gifted craftsman.

Celebrate those dears who have departed and enjoy a fiesta of Mexican culture at Birmingham’s 20th Dia de los Muertos gathering, set for Wednesday, November 2, at Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. The Day of the Dead observance will include parades, music, dancing, colorful costumes, crafts, personalized altars to ancestors, and a memorial roll call. Food trucks will dish street tacos, tamales, pupusas, and other snacks both savory and sweet.

Get in the spooky spirit in South Alabama with a host of special events and festivals happening all October long. From haunted houses and fall festivals to a boat party and themed food tour, there’s something for everyone. Here are 10 ways to celebrate Halloween in South Alabama this month. Halloween at OWA Foley is […]

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From art galleries to sports stadiums and banks to bottling companies, Dirk Walker’s signature style of abstract realism can easily be identified by his untraditional, brilliant, thick and thin brushstrokes. Without question, his technique also puts a fresh spin on a very traditional genre: sporting and wildlife art.

Grits, smoked sausage, and sweet potatoes set the table for a unique lineup of October public gatherings this fall in central and south Alabama that celebrate food and drink. The Alabama Mushroom Society’s first-ever festival will feed budding interests in the fruiting fungi that’s not only essential to nature’s cycle, but mighty tasty as well. Sample beers and ciders in Tuscaloosa and wine in Opelika. Classic Alabama foods—grits, Conecuh sausage, and sweet potatoes—all get their moments in the sun. (October, after all, historically brings the least amount of rain to Alabama).  Here’s what to look for in October across central and south Alabama. 

There’s a little something for all tastes at October food and drink festivals in Alabama’s coastal counties. Many of the gatherings also symbolize how the port at Mobile was the entry point for immigrants who would find the American Dream here. Festivals set for October celebrate cultural and culinary contributions from Alabamians with roots in Germany, Greece, Mexico, and countries across both Central and South America.