Cullman is ready to celebrate its agricultural heritage as the 87th annual Alabama Strawberry Festival returns to Depot Park and the Festhalle Farmers Market on April 24–25. Officially recognized by Gov. Kay Ivey in 2023 as the Alabama Strawberry Festival, the event is considered the state’s longest running strawberry celebration and honors a tradition that […]

I gripped my father’s old Bushnell binoculars on an early spring morning in 2011 as I scanned the trees. All around me, I could hear the sounds of cardinals and Carolina wrens singing, as chickadees fluttered on a nearby branch. Suddenly, I spotted a bird flitting frenetically at the top of an oak adorned in […]

What started in the 1950s as a small country grocery store in Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee, has grown into a beloved Southern institution—and now, Cullman has its very own Puckett’s. When Andy and Jan Marshall opened the Cullman location in the fall of 2022, it was the brand’s first venture outside Tennessee, a bold move that’s […]

As a student of language, I love learning the “untranslatable” words when I travel. These are words that don’t have direct correlation with a word in English, and to me, they are the most special–because they reveal an aspect of the culture that almost feels like a secret.  And as I grew restless in my […]

As spring peeks just around the corner, the calendar for Alabamians is anything but quiet. This week’s event lineup proves there’s no shortage of ways to gather, celebrate, and explore across the state. From literary celebrations, to live theatre performances, and tea time with your girlfriends, there is sure to be something for everyone to […]

Alabama is known for its forests, rivers, wetlands, and rich biodiversity—but much of the state was once covered by native grasslands and prairies. Before widespread agricultural development and fire suppression, these grasslands stretched across central and northern Alabama, especially in the Black Belt region. Today, more than 90 percent of Alabama’s native grasslands have been […]

At Tucana Tiki Bar, owner and bar director Nicky Vann Tisdale has created a space designed for pure escapism. As soon as you walk past the tiki torches, you quickly find yourself on a lush, tropical island: palm leaves abound, floral patterns on every wall, and all of a sudden you’re holding a beverage in […]

Samford University has been working on some major renovation and expansion projects to help the school make an even bigger impact in the 21st century.  One of the priorities of Samford University with any renovation is to embrace the past while providing for the future. That means keeping that classic look that has made the […]

Public art can have that special “house into a home” effect on a place, and Alabama towns are no different. Like personal decor, a community’s art often reflects their personality and priorities. Walk into a home that’s covered floor to ceiling in burnt orange and ocean blue — and you’ll instantly know at least one […]

On a quiet Alabama morning, before emails and meetings begin to pull at the day, Tom Adams finds clarity in the field. Quail hunting has been part of Tom’s life for as long as he can remember. It’s a tradition rooted in time spent with his father. Early mornings, steady footsteps through tall grass, and […]

Before the chants, before the speeches, before history was written into law, the Civil Rights Movement was sung. Music moved through churches, jail cells, and city streets, carrying grief, faith, anger, and hope when words alone fell short. These songs did more than accompany marches; they helped people endure them. They were an offering of […]

Winter in Alabama has a way of keeping us guessing. Just when the afternoons start to feel like spring, another cold snap rolls through and reminds us March hasn’t quite made up its mind. On those brisk mornings and unexpectedly chilly evenings, there’s still nothing better than wrapping your hands around a warm cup of […]

One of the most underrated aspects of Alabama is the state’s remarkable capacity for ecotourism. Ranking fourth in the nation for biodiversity — and first among states east of the Mississippi River — Alabama encompasses an extraordinary range of ecosystems. Forests, woodlands, prairies, glades, rivers, and even marine habitats shape the landscape. From caving and […]

You might already know Vecchia Pizzeria & Mercato, a staple in Hoover since opening in 2014 — the kind of place that smells like warm dough and simmering sauce as you open the door. Inside, the energy is lived-in and unpolished in the best way: flour-dusted counters, and the steady hum of conversation between friends […]

Alabama is a state full of surprises, offering something for everyone — from colorful Mardi Gras parades along the Gulf Coast to quiet stretches of protected land for hiking, fishing, and horseback riding. Each week, communities across the state come together to celebrate heritage, art, and the outdoors: world-class dance and theatre performances, local quilt […]

Dr. Maggie Crosland, the Birmingham Museum of Art’s Curator of European Art, guides me through the museum’s newest exhibit with a sense of curiosity and warmth; it’s clear that she is immensely proud of the collection before me. The exhibit? The much anticipated Monet to Matisse: French Moderns, which traces the evolution of French art […]

When the Super Bowl kicks off this weekend, Alabama won’t just have fans watching — it will have its footprint on the field. From college programs across the state to the NFL’s biggest stage, Alabama’s football roots will be represented on Super Bowl Sunday. This year’s Super Bowl features several players with direct ties to […]

This February, The Pizitz Food Hall is giving Birmingham plenty of reasons to step away from the desk and rediscover lunch downtown. With crave-worthy featured menu items from its diverse lineup of vendors, free community programming at Forge, film screenings, and seasonal experiences, The Pizitz is positioning lunch as more than a meal; it’s a […]

This past summer, I experienced a treat I didn’t expect would happen again in my lifetime. A covey of bobwhite quail made their summer home in the acreage around our home in Baldwin County. I cherished each “Bob-White” mating call I heard and caught glimpses of them entering several areas with thick vegetation. That thick […]

Cold weather pairs with warm food—it’s a natural law, right up there with gravity and inertia. Short days and chilly nights call for places that offer more than a meal: they offer refuge. In no particular order, here are seven cozy, unfussy, local restaurants from around the state that ready to welcome you inside and […]

There are places in North Alabama that do not just sit in the past–they carry it with them. You walk through the door and the pace changes. The light feels different. The floor creaks under your feet in a way that reminds you history is not an abstract idea. It is something you can still […]