Birmingham

Alabama State Fair

Like most state fairs, what began as a way for Alabama farmers to show off their livestock and produce has evolved over the years into a much larger spectacle. The fair lasts ten days and attracts visitors with exciting carnival rides, yummy food and drink, a petting zoo, live music performances mostly in the country & western genre, and even a full-fledged circus with parading elephants and acrobats on the flying trapeze. The venue is the Birmingham Race Course at the far east end of town.

Mid-September; check website for hours of operation·$10; children 5-12, seniors over 62, and active military $5; ride passes $25

Alabama Theatre

Numerous performances including concerts, comedians and movies take place at this 2,200-seat, exquisitely preserved old vaudeville and movie palace built by Paramount in 1927.

Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival

The end of August sees the Historic 4th Avenue Business District, once the most prominent African-American commercial center in the city, swing to the strains of jazz music courtesy of a bevy of acts both locally-based and nationally-known. Bring the youngsters down to the Kids' Zone, learn to swing dance, or tuck in to a meal from one of Birmingham's best food trucks (they don't call it the "Taste" of 4th Avenue for nothing!)

End of August

The Virginia Samford Theatre

Offers Broadway type productions in an intimate setting throughout the year.

Birmingham Artwalk

Much like the Magic City Art Connection, art is only the beginning of the story at the Birmingham ArtWalk: it's a multifaceted street party that takes over the Loft District in early September with art, live music, food and drink, and street performances. But by comparison with its springtime counterpart, the ArtWalk seems to not take itself so seriously: there's no competition pitting artists against each other, but rather a convivial and notably family-friendly vibe, with lots of activities for young folks.

Birmingham Barons

Birmingham's minor-league team is the heir to one of the oldest baseball traditions in the country, dating back to 1885. Today, the Barons are the Chicago White Sox's Double-A farm team in the Southern League, and are perhaps most famous for having had basketball legend Michael Jordan on its roster during his first retirement from that sport in 1994. All home games are played at downtown, with one exception: the annual Rickwood Classic held in late May or early June, where the Barons return to historic, their home from 1910 through 1987. It is the oldest professional baseball park in the United States.

Birmingham Bowl

One of the NCAA's plethora of postseason bowl games, the Birmingham Bowl pits two of the best college teams from the American Athletic Conference and the Southeastern Conference against each other for postseason glory.

Birmingham Legion FC

Men's soccer team that started play in the second-level USL Championship in 2019. Since 2022, home matches have been played at Protective Stadium at the downtown convention center, best known as the current home of UAB football.

Do Dah Day

If you're a pet lover, Birmingham's longest-running annual shindig is for you. The Do Dah Day festivities begin with a parade down Highland Avenue — a joyous cavalcade of pets, pet owners, whimsical floats, marching bands, synchronized dancers, clowns, mimes, and more — then settle in to where the focus shifts to live music, food, and general revelry. And don't forget to fill out your ballots for this year's Pet King and Pet Queen!

Mid-May

Magic City Art Connection

Not just a juried art festival showcasing the work of nearly 200 artists from Birmingham and across the nation working in a wide variety of media, but also a multifaceted extravaganza that takes over every last full weekend in April with live music, a "Corks & Chefs" event where local culinary talent takes center stage, and an engaging slate of kids' programming.

Magic City Classic

Of special interest to visitors interested in African-American culture is this October college football event featuring the state's two largest historically black universities, Alabama A&M and Alabama State. The game, which consistently draws bigger crowds than both the Birmingham Bowl and regular-season UAB home games, caps off a week of festivities that draws nearly 200,000 attendees, many of them having no connection to either school. Many African-American celebrities and public figures participate, either as attendees or featured guests.

Sidewalk Film Festival

Over three days in late September, seven historic venues in downtown Birmingham — including the restored Alabama Theatre and the Lyric Theatre — screen some of the year's best new releases in independent film.

UAB Blazers

As with most big schools, the highest-profile among UAB's sports teams are basketball and football, with the latter having achieved unexpected success after a two-season hiatus in 2015 and '16. As of the current 2023–24 school year, the Blazers play in NCAA Division I as one of the newest members of the American Athletic Conference (though a few teams in sports that their new conference doesn't play compete elsewhere). The football team moved into the brand-new downtown next to the convention center in October 2021. The central ticket office for all UAB sports is at, also home to the basketball and women's volleyball teams. Another notable venue is, which hosts Blazers men's and women's soccer and also hosted Birmingham Legion FC before that team moved to Protective Stadium.

Ticket office: Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM; hours vary on game days

WorkPlay

Multipurpose complex for music concerts and film events.