Free Fall Festival at Buck Creek in Alabaster next to City Hall. This is an annual event that…read morestarted in 2009 and is always the Saturday before Halloween/ 3rd Saturday in October. There are tons of vendors a hayride, a haunted trail, inflatables, games, a cupcake walk where all the kid win,food trucks, live music and much more. I spent a whopping $6.00 today. The vendors hand out candy to the kids, several vendors handed out bottled waters and fans/ huggies, frisbee etc... the inflatables were free, a bank handed out balloons. It's great for all ages and pets are welcome. It's partially wooded and shaded. Lots of kids and adults alike wear costumes but they're not required. We will be back next year for sure! Oh and since a large portion of the trail is gravel break out the big stroller or big wheeled wagon. The umbrella stroller we took ended up being carried more than pushed.

My friends and a couple family members attended the farmer's market at the Amphitheater this summer…read more- and I found it to be a delightful location in Helena's Old Towne District. Local police made getting in and out of the amphitheater area easy. We got out of the car and I wandered the grounds, visited the individual farms' tables, walked through the park and children's playground areas and really enjoyed myself in the relaxing shade. The Amphitheater is an outdoor concert hall, festival grounds, movie theater and nature park. From their website (www.cityofhelena.org), it looks like they even have a "movie in the park" night throughout the summer. Although there were not any other mothers there, I met one mother who brings her children to play on the playground equipment and relax in the cool shade whenever she can as she lives nearby. The certified farmer's market meets on Saturday in the summer while school is out. I understood as a part of the farmer's market, there is a charity-of-the-week which allows local charities to meet members of their community and garner well-deserved support. The first week I visited, there was a local animal shelter offering dog baths for a donation, so there were many dogs on leashes visiting the farmer's market that day and enjoying themselves to a cool bath under the trees. The following week, we went back and were greeted by delightful young ladies from a local club, dressed in Antebellum dresses. Anyone would appreciate this location who enjoys farmer's markets, local concerts, small community events, children's playgrounds, movie in the park night, parks, trees, and shade. I'd encourage anyone to visit, bring a lunch, and have an old-fashioned picnic.

The Buck Creek Festival is a FREE, family-friendly community event held on the second weekend of…read moreMay in Helena's Amphitheater Park. On the banks of Buck Creek, just below the dam, the site together with the stage provides a wonderful venue for people of all ages to enjoy crafts, children's activities, food, and music. There is a large playground on site and in addition to the playground was a large children's play area with slides and bounce houses and rides with unlimited access for a mere $5.00. My family and I just enjoyed the 15th annual event last weekend. This year could have been the largest crowd to date. The Helena Amphitheatre venue is unique small venue along buck creek with walking paths and ample tree cover providing shade. Established in 1999, the Helena Amphitheater Park is located at Helena's Old Town district. It is an outdoor concert hall, festival grounds, movie theater and nature park. In the spring, summer and fall it is host to many events. Aside from the music and fun, the Buck Creek Festival has become known for its charity efforts that include the star of the event: the rubber duck race. The race is held at 3 p.m. on Saturday along the banks of Buck Creek. The duck race in previous years has benefited SafeHouse of Shelby County, local schools, band boosters, the library and more. Be aware there are a few rules. Park Rules *No Dogs *No Coolers *No Alcohol *No Golf Carts or Bicycles The weather couldn't have been better, the tree cover and lack of asphalt provide comfort with temperatures in the 80s. Live music from talented artists can be heard throughout the park, children were running around playing, my wife shopped in vendor tents housing varied merchants ranging from artists, boutique owners to local stores and shops in Helena and many more. It reminds me of small intimate city stages the way it was designed to be. I even found a couple that make and sell Biltong and it was awesome! I would very highly recommend this event to anyone who enjoys being outside and live music. It's not often you find an event that is really enjoyable for the entire family.

I've been to both the most recent fall and spring fairs in October and May. I LOVE fairs! I need to…read morepay more attention to the names of the rides, but I made it out of them okay so that's a start. In the fall, I had a wristband so i went on every single ride there was. This last one, I just got tickets so i went on three rides total, and it was still a lot of fun. I highly recommend getting the unlimited ride wristband if you know you will be here for three or more hours. Sometimes you wait in line more than anything. There's just so many rides! Parking is usually free and easy to find here too. I haven't tried the food here yet, but the hard lemonade was good. One thing I didn't like about this last visit, was that Kate and I were waiting for the ferris wheel and the guy told us to wait for the next one even though there were plenty of seats available. We said okay and waited about five more minutes in line while the people in front of us rode the ferris wheel. Well then someone came around telling them to close up. So we waited in line for nothing and wasted our last few tickets because of him. I called the blonde guy out that told us to wait reminding him that HE SPECIFICALLY TOLD US WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE. All of a sudden he has a foreign accent and can't understand what I'm saying. He just keeps telling me that they are closed. SMH. We could have gone on another ride or you could have let us ride one with the other riders rather than stand there and do nothing. This would be five star review no doubt but thanks to him, it's not.

Fun times. Good special pricing on a Tuesday. Realllllly crowded. Everyone had the same idea we had…read moreapparently. Lol. Long lines to enter and at the rides. Like literally we spent our time holding places in line for our kids and all we came to do is eat lol. The kids had a blast and we have sore feet and back aches. Lol. Fair food is just that. Philly steaks that was really ground beef. Kese enjoyed it but it fell apart instantly. Bacon cheddar ranch fries were amazing and fresh . And super nachos which were amazing as well I love nachos. Funnel cake which would've been great if it was hot. We had fun minus the super long lines. Wish it was a bit bigger though.

Everything was even better than the previous year. It seemed to be more vendors there this year. We…read moredefinitely had some delicious and different gumbo there. I enjoyed the music and the other treats offered. Bellini's was my all time favorite and I hope they won at least placed. The gumbo was amazing and so was the bread pudding. I love the interaction with all the different people. I was with 5 others friends and family this year and it was a joy to watch them experience the different flavors and taste. Some was reallllllly bad as well and it was quite funny to us all that they even served it there. We were over stuffed by the end. It was just that many tastings there. I enjoyed and can't wait until next years event.

Amazing event. Family friendly. Pet friendly. Gumbo friendly!! We usually like to get there early…read moreso that we don't miss out on any good tents. We like to try everyone before we sacrifice our one voting ticket!! There are PLENTY good ones and a few bad ones here and there. But that's what makes it exciting!! Overall a very fun event. Only our second year attending but I will definitely make it a point to keep attending as long as they have it. Never judge a gumbo by the color of it roux! Lol!!

Because my kids are athletes, I'm here quite a bit. I had the pleasure of sitting up in the boxes…read moreand they were nice. There's adequate seating, enough bathrooms, and the concessions are decent. The parking lot lines are not great, but I believe they're working on that soon. I know I'll be back here soon.

At SEC Baseball tournament for the week. Very well organized. Very friendly and helpful staff…read more Only suggestion is to upgrade quality and selection of food items. Cold hot dogs on falling apart buns with only mustard and ketchup for condiments. Surely in the South we could also have a more varied selection with a couple of signature items.

I had a great time at the Magic City Brewfest on Friday night and I'm so glad that they went back…read moreto two nights instead of one. This particular Friday night the crowds were low which made it easier to get around and you could actually stop and talk to the brewers. Also, there was a nice breeze. I highly recommend attending this event. This is the 12th year and it is run by Free The Hops a group of people who are passionate about good craft beer. In fact, a lot of them are homebrewers themselves. They are also the people who helped change the legislation in Alabama to allow breweries and homebrewing to be legal. Before this, there were no craft beers being brewed legally in Alabama! This event used to be held at Sloss Furnace and has moved to Avondale Park. I really like the new location. It seems to have a more laid-back feel, and everything is in one area which makes it easier to find the beers you like. Before you go, make sure you look at the beer list. You can access it on their website https://magiccitybrewfest.com/list/. Some of my favorites beers that were served were Back Forty's Paw Paw's Imperial Peach Wheat, Black Warrior's Sipsey Strawberry Blonde, Goat Island's Blood-Orange Berliner-Weisse, all of Interstellar's ginger beers and Straight to Ale's Big Beautiful Bear.

Once a year Free the Hops puts on the Magic City Brewfest. This was the eleventh year. They had so…read moremany brewers come to Birmingham to share their beers that it would be impossible to sample all of them in 4 hours. If you plan to go to one of these events download the beer list. Research the breweries and select the ones you want to try. You don't want to waste any time on something you do not like. They not only had beer but also ciders and meads. They had several food trucks for eats. This is an event I will not miss. They also do one In Huntsville.

Who would've thought the semi-clad Vulcan oversees a stronghold of Eastern Orthodoxy?…read more Mediterranean-food lovers and xenophiles alike rejoice each fall, with this event coming right on the heels of Birmingham's Greek Food Festival. Baked chicken, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and zalabieh are just some of the highlights, but don't forget the baklawa or, more deliciously, the date-filled m-a-m-o-u-l...! My favorite plate is the Nile, featuring kibbee, spinach pie, grape leaves, rice, spicy green beans, Arabic salad, and humos. And you can order MORE as sides! Beware...they sell out of zalabieh early every year. A narrated church tour elucidates a liturgy blending the essence of Jerusalem, Damascus, and Antioch, and you can pick up a censer at the market to take the "atmosphere" home with you. Highly recommended, family-friendly event, with food to die, or kill, for. You'll rock on Friday and Saturday night to Amin Sultan's crazy beat, or something's wrong with you! I'm still giving them four stars, even though I miss the stuffed squash! From their website menu, for those not in the know: KIBBEE: Finely ground very lean beef, mixed with cracked wheat, onions, pine nuts, spices, brushed with butter and baked to perfection. ROLLED GRAPE LEAVES: Ground chuck mixed with rice and spices, rolled in grape leaves and cooked in a water & lemon juice mixture until tender. BAKED CHICKEN: Half chickens marinated in lemon juice and butter, seasoned with a blend of spices, oregano, and baked to a moist golden brown. SPINACH PIE: Spinach, onions, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices wrapped in fresh yeast dough in the shape of a triangle and baked. MEAT PIE: Browned ground beef, onions, spices and cream cheese mixed an wrapped in fresh yeast dough in the shape of a triangle and baked. FALAFEL: Ground chick peas, onions, spices, parsley and cumin rolled into a ball and deep fried. GREEN BEANS: Italian beans simmered with crushed tomatoes, butter, spices, onions and garlic. ZALABIEH: Yeast dough made with a blend of anise, mahalab and sugar, deep fried, dipped piping hot into a special syrup and topped with powdered sugar. Simply delicious! Mine Fave Entree (and I always "request"): THE NILE $16.00 ONE HALF POUND BAKED KIBBEE, SPINACH PIE, 3 ROLLED GRAPE LEAVES, RICE, GREEN BEANS, ARABIC SALAD, AND BREAD. (HUMOS ON REQUEST)

I went last night, and it was delicious!! I recommend the meat pie, spinach pie, hummus, and the…read moredoughnut!!! Yummm.....I want to go back again tonight!!

Note: This review comes from a guy that has never read a comic book and is not even sure what…read moreBattlestar Galactica is. This is one of the most fascinating events of the year. For me, it's an eye opening look at a world that I barely knew existed. There are people dressed up as their favorite characters, quasi-celebrities, cool exhibits, and relics from my childhood. The back to the future Delorean, R2D2, and the Ghostbusters car were among my favorites. Whether you're a nerd or not, try not to miss the best people watching event of the year when it comes back around.

This sci-fi/fantasy festival is amazing. There are great local authors, artists, and filmmakers…read moreattending so that gives you an excellent opportunity to support their craft and be "local" minded. There are also actors like Ernie Hudson, Colin Ferguson, and Gil Gerard attending and doing Q&A Panels. You'll seeing storm troopers mingling with Vulcan and Dr. Who hanging with the Ghostbusters. Oh and something about a Bronie. Just ask Will Lochamey he'll tell you all about it.

FREE LOCAL FUN…read more Local is an evening festival that features local artists, musicians, etc. all in one area. This is located right in the plaza of Alys Stephens Center. There are dozens of tents offering items for sale from homemade flavored popcorn, flavored sweet, t shirts, pillows, jewelry and various items for your home. There were food trucks offering BBQ, wood fire pizza, big spoon creamery, and dreamland cupcakes. There were also free stations for caricatures and face painting for kids. From 5-9 there were live performances from different musicians in the area. Great event for kids and adults. Bring your blanket, lay in the grass and enjoy an evening with local friends and talent

My husband and I had a great time at LOCAL. This was our first year attending. I love that it's a…read morefree event, open to anyone, and showcases some great small business, most of which are local. There was no shortage of food or sweets trucks/carts. There was also a good mix of food and art vendors. It was kind of like a smaller (and less crowded) pepper place market. A large stage housed the musical acts. They had a different one for each hour that seemed to span several different genres. Chairs and tables were set up near the stage, but they filled up fast. There was also a bar next to the stage that offered drinks for purchase. Right off of the stage seating area was the VIP area. This area was reserved for certain members of the center along with their junior board. So, unless you were a lucky yelper (me!), you couldn't just a random person and get tickets. In this area, there was a bar with complimentary wine, beer, and water along with catering from Jim N Nicks. They also offered free goodies like sunglasses and fans. If these tickets are ever available for purchase, I would say they are worth a reasonable price. We really had a great time at this event. The weather was perfect, with a steady breeze, and it wasn't too crowded. The only thing I may change for next year is to bring a blanket to sit on in the grass while watching the musical acts.