By Erica Wright
The Birmingham Times
Zapp Band, Logan The Entertainer and Charlez & The Purple Experience will highlight the District 1 Music Festival on Friday, August 17.
The festival, hosted by Birmingham City Councilor Lashunda Scales, will also include water slides, a kid zone, exhibits from the Birmingham Zoo and a movie at sunset.
The festival will be at Huffman High School at the rear practice field. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. and it is free and open to the general public.
This marks the 9th year the festival has taken place since Scales first took office in 2008 and the first festival was in 2009.
“I started the event in our District because I wanted to provide a wholesome, family atmosphere type of event that allows residents to enjoy the community where they live with the idea of also neighbors getting to know one another better,” said Scales, who won the Democrat runoff election to the Jefferson County Commission in July.
Scales added, “We’re hoping to make it bigger and better so that residents really come out and enjoy a city sponsored event so that it balances communities as one and not separating them based upon economics,” she said.
Scales said events like these are important because it brings the community together and inexpensive activities are hard to find.
“It is imperative that city leaders engage local businesses and organizations in efforts that provide quality experiences for our children while also offering affordable alternative programs for families,” she said.
The councilor encouraged people to “be the change you want to see in your neighborhood.”
“Don’t wait on any outside entity, you build it, you create it in your own community and that’s what we’re doing,” she said. “We’re creating the type of venue we would like to see in our community long term. We like movies and music . . . and that’s what it’s all about, coming together as one for the community.”
The event is sponsored by the City of Birmingham and coordinated by Magic City Smooth Jazz.
For more information, call 205-254-2294.
