By GWEN DERU
TODAY…
**NETWORK AFTER WORK, TODAY, 3-5 p.m.
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Get all the latest news!
**COMEDIAN DERAY DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**SIDEWALK FILM FEST …all weekend. Check it out!
FRIDAY…
**SIDEWALK FILM FEST …all weekend. Check it out, 4 p.m.-Filmmaker Q & A Kevin Webb and Kwani Eaton-The Odyssey of Cleve Eaton
**COMEDIAN DERAY DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**MOVIE NIGHT: Check out some old, but good flicks/movies and show on a sheet in the backyard for the young and young at heart. Fun in the outdoors…any day!
SATURDAY…
**SIDEWALK FILM FEST …all weekend. Check it out! Filmmakers
**FAIRY TALE BALL with Childcare Resources.
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4-9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar
**COMEDIAN DERAY DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**FUN, GAMES, YARD AND HOUSE WORK including Uno, Monopoly, Solitaire. Weeding the pretty flowers in the beds, cutting the grass, cleaning the grill or just sitting outside if the weather permits. Things are changing soon.
SUNDAY…
**FAMILY TIME AND GOOD FOOD. Grilling in the backyard, movies in the backyard, and small family parties in the backyard.
**COMEDIAN DERAY DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.
MONDAY…
**INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY, 10 a.m. www.facebook.com/JeffersonCountyDepartmentOfHealth. Join and learn how to save a life.
**PLANNING AND MORE CATCH UP. Pull out that long to-do list and see what can be done during the week or weekend ahead. Making plans for the future and getting back to normal as best as you can.
**KARAOKE NIGHT WITH RICKEY SMILEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
TUESDAY…
**READ A GOOD BOOK…, ‘THE FLYING GIRL OF RANO’ is a good one and ‘WHO STOLE THE RICE’. There are a few on the bookshelves, just lying around …or you can get an e-book.
WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH PRAYER SERVICES – Join Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) and the Alabama Episcopal Church every Wednesday at Noon for Noonday Prayer at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**BIRMINGHAM’S COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
**WEATHER WATCHING FOR THE WEEK AND WEEKEND. Looking for the weekend and thinking of what to do that depends on good weather outdoors. Getting out of the house even if going nowhere…. Take a walk if the weather is good.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
NEXT FRIDAY…
**MOVIE NIGHT: Rent and Watch movies at Sidewalkfest.com. Check out Sidewalk Film Fest coming soon.
**COMEDIAN LAVELL CRAWFORD at the StarDome Comedy Club.
FOR MOVIE LOVERS…
**22ND ANNUAL SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL – Birmingham’s annual film festival historically held in the downtown Theatre District will transition to the outdoor location of The Grand River Drive-In at The Backyard in Leeds due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 event transition will provide this year’s attendees with a safe option to view the more than 150 features and short films set to screen during the Aug. 24-30 festival. The festival will screen films each evening on all four screens with some nights offering second films on each screen. Gates will tentatively open each day at 6:30 p.m. with the start of the first films of the night scheduled for 8 p.m. daily. Here is what you can see this weekend:
*TODAY – At 8 p.m., Night of the Comet, 8 p.m., Coming Clean and Black Lens Shorts; At 10:10 p.m. Everything is Terrible: 10:20 p.m. Money Machine and Centigrade; and 10:40 p.m. Drive-In Massacre.
*FRIDAY – 2 p.m.- Filmmaker Q & A-Coming Clean; 4 p.m.- Filmmaker Q & A Kevin Webb and Kwani Eaton – The Odyssey of Cleve Eaton; 8 p.m.- Harley, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, Yellow Submarine and Narrative Shorts; 9:40 p.m.- Feels Good Man; 9:50 p.m.- Boys State; 10 p.m.- Candyman and 10:30 p.m.- Music Videos. *SATURDAY – 10 a.m.- Filmmaker Q & A MILES HARGROVE AND ERIC MARTIN – MIRACLE FISHING; 1 P.M.- A Conversation with Michael O’Neill; 3 p.m.- Filmmaker Bryian Montgomery, Jr. – Good Guy with a Gun; 4 p.m.- Filmmaker Kenzie Greer – The Pink House and Into the Black; 8 p.m.- Giants Being Lonely, Suzi Q, Dazed and Confused and Ema; 10:15 p.m.- Drive; 10:20 p.m.- 8th Annual Saturday Night Cartoons and 10:30 p.m.- Paris is Burning and Roar.
*SUNDAY – 1 p.m.-Filmmaker Q & A Robert Brogden and Kelley Zincone – Six Nights; 4 p.m.- Filmmaker Q & A Ben Davis-Observatium; 8 p.m.- Jasper Mall, Transhood, Heroes and Documentary Shorts; 10 p.m.- Halloween; 10:10 p.m.- Donnie Darko and 10:30 p.m.- Narrative Shorts and The Immortal Jellyfish.
FOR FOOD LOVERS…
**ENJOY BIRMINGHAM RESTAURANT WEEK, August 14 – 31!! (Support your restaurants and small businesses.)
**NEW MICHAEL’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD RESTAURANT – Michael’s Steak and Seafood opened recently (during this time) with limited space. Sign up as an email subscriber to be in the know about wine dinners, bourbon tastings, pop-up concerts and much more. Check it out. *LUNCH/CARRY OUT/CURBSIDE PICKUP – 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., M-F (Place order online at www.michaelssteakandseafood.com. Call (205) 871-9525 upon arrival. *SUNDAY BRUNCH – 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Reservations ONLY! *ROOF TOP DINING – Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, 6- 9 p.m. Reservations ONLY! For more: www.michaelssteakandseafood.com.
FOR PRAYER SERVICES…
**INTERFAITH PRAYER SERVICES – Join Greater Birmingham Ministries (GBM) every Wednesday at Noon for Interfaith Prayer Service. People of faith and goodwill are invited to join GBM and the Alabama Episcopal Church for Noonday Prayer at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham. Clergy are invited to wear clericals. Masks and social distancing will be observed. For more, go to, www.gbm.org.
FOR MOTORSPORTS LOVERS…
**ERIK MOSES – FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT AT A NASCAR TRACK – Erik Moses, a veteran sports executive and seasoned venue management leader, has been named the first Black president of Nashville Superspeedway. Erik Moses joined the team at Dover Motorsports to lead the reopening of the Nashville Superspeedway. Moses previously served as the founding president of the DC Defenders for the XFL, the reboot of the short-lived football league. Prior to working in the XFL, Moses’ roles included serving as CEO of the DC Sports & Entertainment Commission, where he worked with local and national sports teams in organizing live events in the nation’s capital and as director of the D.C. Department of Small & Local Business Development. Moses will bring the excitement of Cup Series racing to Middle Tennessee.
**At BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK… Here is some of what you can do during September at Barber’s Motorsports Park: September 5-7 – Sportbike Track Time, September 12-13 – Chin Track Days, September 18-20 – MotorAmerica Championship of Alabama and September 21 – Sportbike Track Times.
FOR ANIMAL LOVERS…
**AT THE BIRMINGHAM ZOO – Coming Soon! Thursday, September 10 at 6:45 p.m., tune into www.youtube.com/BhamZoo for the first-ever VIRTUAL ZooRendezvous Luau! It’s FREE! Listen, learn, laugh, and love your Birmingham Zoo even more… Join our community in supporting our Zoo’s animal family.
FOR CHILDREN…
**VIRTUAL FAIRY TALE BALL FOR CHILDREN…
14th Annual Virtual Fairy Tale Ball on Saturday, 5:30 pm. This year’s virtual event will provide high-energy entertainment and dancing through a live-streamed dance party, magic show, breakout rooms with fairy tale character meet-and-greets, interactive craft activities, virtual dance classes, and more. Priced at $50 per child, families will receive a virtual ticket with admission, including a customized participation packet to make their experience during the virtual event interactive and entertaining. Each packet will include personalized items such as an autographed character photo, pre-packaged candy from our over-the-top candy bar, materials to make your own craft activity during the event along with our fairy tale characters, activity sheets, stickers, and more. For an additional $50, children can receive a special delivery to their homes from a fairy tale character (limitations on location/quantity). To support the mission of Childcare Resources, to get tickets or secure a sponsorship for the event, or to learn more about the Fairy Tale Ball, visit ccr-bhm.org/fairy-tale-ball or call (205) 945-0018 Ext. 306.
FOR OUTDOORS’ LOVERS…
…AT BOTANICAL GARDENS…AROUND THE GARDENS: STREAMS AND WATERFALLS…
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS!
**GET OUTSIDE ACTIVITY BOXES for ages 5-10. Designed to help children connect with nature. Learn more and purchase.
**LUNCH AND LEARN SERIES – GROWING FRUITS MADE EASY, AUGUST 26, Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
**FALL PLANT SALE 2020, SEPTEMBER 12, Saturday, 8 a.m. – Noon. Get more information at the website – bbgardens.org
**VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES for Bruno Vegetable Garden and Greenhouse Assistant. Email volunteer@bbgardens.org.
FOR THE COMMUNITY…
**INTERNATIONAL OVERDOSE AWARENESS DAY, 10 a.m. Join JEFFERSON COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH for a Lecture and Q&A with DAVID SHEFF and learn how to save a life. GO TO: www.facebook.com/JeffersonCountyDepartmentOfHealth.
**COVID-19 TESTING SITES…Here is an update on the testing sites in Birmingham…
…ONGOING – *LEGION FIELD: MONDAY – FRIDAY 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, CALL 205-92-COVID (205-922-6843) …*UAB Downtown Testing Site: TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, CALL (205) 975-1881 (2117 University Blvd South, Birmingham, AL 35205) …*Cahaba Medical Care, West End Clinic: TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, CALL (205) 679-6325 or visit cahabamedicalcare.com (1308 Tuscaloosa Avenue, Birmingham). www.gofundme.com/f/monumentalbhm.”
FOR TRAVELERS OF ALL KINDS…
**VIRTUAL TRIPS – Travel online – A virtual trip can be a great way to explore destinations you might consider for a future vacation, or it may be a chance to see remarkable sights around the world that you wouldn’t get to experience otherwise.
**BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDEN VIRTUAL TOUR – Explore the Japanese Gardens at www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRC3m1AsMig&feature=youtu.be. For more, go to www.bbgardens.org.
FOR LOVERS OF ART AND MORE …
AT THE PAUL R. JONES MUSEUM…
**WHEN THEY SEE US, WHAT DO THEY SEE?: PERSPECTIVES ON BLACK ART, through September 24, at The Paul R. Jones Museum, 2308 Sixth Street, in Tuscaloosa. RODERICK VINES is artist of Let Me Explain. This exhibition is born out of cognition research that, in part, examines white people’s perceptions and responses to Black art. Curated by BARBARA-SHAE JACKSON, Doctoral Student in Cognitive Psychology. (205) 345-3038 for more.
**SOUTH ARTS EMERGING LEADERS OF COLOR PROGRAM – With the goal of fostering representative leadership, diversity, and equity in the arts, South Arts’ new Emerging Leaders of Color Development Professional Development Program has created a professional development opportunity for arts and culture professionals to establish networks that support their careers. Focused on the southeastern United States, this program aims to engage diverse emerging leaders and build a cohort of cultural torchbearers who are committed to the advancement of arts.Selected individuals will participate in a 3-day, 2-night executive-level professional development and team-building workshop at no cost to themselves. The deadline for application is September 15, 2020. Learn more at www.southarts.org/programs-conferences/emerging-leaders-color.
FOR LOVERS OF MUSEUMS…
**VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM…Vulcan Park and Museum has joined Museums for All, to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. This program supports those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits visiting Vulcan Park and Museum at no charge, for up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. Similar free and reduced admission is available to eligible members of the public at more than 500 museums across the country including McWane Science Center, Imagination Place Children’s Museum, Huntsville Botanical Gardens and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. More than 500 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums, and more. Participating museums are located nationwide, representing 48 states. For more information of participating museums visit museumsforall.org.
**McWANE SCIENCE CENTER CELEBRATES 22ND BIRTHDAY … ITTY BITTY MAGIC CITY REOPENED. Preschoolers are welcome. Bring Masks to explore the McWane Center. For more, mcwane.org/welcomeback.
THINGS TO DO…
…VACATIONS WITH BOOKS AND VIRTUAL TRIPS…. When you need to get away from ‘whatever’, the best way is with a good book. Well, maybe the next thing to being there in person. Many families are eager to get out of the house and hit the road for a summer trip. Make your summer travel plans safe and successful.
FOR BOOK LOVERS…
Here are a couple of books to read, after washing your hands, before the news reports, during your down time or just to keep boredom away (with so much going on).
A STORY TO TELL…IN ITSELF…Young Nigerian Creates Platform of African Children’s Stories in Different Languages – Twenty-three-year-old DOMINIC ONYEKACHI learned that African representation in children’s books was very minimal when reading to his 6-year-old niece. After writing her a few stories, illustrated by a friend, he set out to fix the larger problem. Along with two friends- TOLULOPE WOJUOLA and FANAN DALA, he launched a web-based platform, AKIDDIE, to give children access to African storybooks. Akiddie features storybooks based on African history and characters for children in different languages.
There are currently 21 books, for a monthly fee, (5 are FREE) that are available in three languages: Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo. Yoruba language is spoken in West Africa, Hausa language, spoken in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Igbo language, spoken in southeastern Nigeria. Onyekachi who wrote some of the stories on Akiddie said a lot of the themes revolve around gender equality, innovation and financial literacy.
BOOK: THE FLYING GIRL OF RANO – The lead character, Ummi, discovers how to make a glider (a fixed-wing airplane). And as a result of her innovation, she became popular in her village, Rano, an ancient kingdom based on Hausa history. Ummi is later forced to team up with Queen Amina of Zaria, a Hausa warrior from the mid-16th century to fight the new king of Rano who was terrorizing the town. She eventually defeated the king and became the ruler of Rano. The story is about leadership and innovation. Ummi was able to use her gliders to solve a practical problem for her community. (He wrote the story to portray parts of the Hausa culture and to inspire young girls to become self-fulfilling. Many of the stories have their lessons and themes, all of them to share African culture while inspiring children.) OTHER BOOKS: WHO STOLE THE RICE? And GOZI THE GERM,
The books on Akiddie come in two forms — beginner and intermediate. Beginner stories are for children who are just starting out reading (fewer words and written like poems) and intermediate (much more words) is for those who are already comfortable reading. The plan is to keep creating and sharing more stories to reach more children in other parts of Africa. Check out the article about him in Lagos, Nigeria.https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/21/africa/africa-storybook-intl/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Today%20in%20Books&utm_content=Final&utm_term=BookRiot_TodayInBooks_DormantSuppress
(Some taken from Book Riot, African Voices, Aisha Salaudeen, CNN)
FOR COMEDY LOVERS…
AT THE STARDOME COMEDY CLUB…
TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY…
**COMEDIAN DERAY DAVIS…From the Hood to Hollywood – nothing is off limits and no one is safe from DeRay’s hilarious, sidesplitting anecdotes. He continues to sell out venues both domestically and internationally. His highly anticipated 1st ever Netflix special “DeRay Davis: How to Act Black” smashed the cultural landscape on November 14, 2017 and was so popular it shut down the Netflix server TWICE! Davis is continuing to ascend. He can currently be seen on the FX hit, Snowfall.
**MONDAY…KARAOKE NIGHT WITH RICKEY SMILEY… He is known for having made millions laugh for over 27 years. As a celebrated comedian, television host and top-rated nationally-syndicated radio personality, Rickey has earned a reputation for delivering to audiences both on and off stage. With the distinct ability to take everyday observations and turn them into comedic gold, Rickey is one of the few “clean” comics amongst the upper echelon of contemporary comedians.
**SATURDAY…KHARRIS’S DRAG BRUNCH WITH JAIDA ESSENCE HALL…Mark your calendars, balance your checkbooks, grab your masks, and get excited to join StarDome for the Saturday show. To kick the premier off with a BANG, welcome the current reigning America’s Next Drag Superstar and the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12, the Essence of Beauty, Jaida Essence Hall! There will be a wide selection of Brunch and Beverage items for you to enjoy. Q & A with Jaida immediately following the performance.
NEXT FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY…
**COMEDIAN LAVELL CRAWFORD …
COMING SOON…
**AUGUST 29 – FAIRY TALE BALL with Childcare Resources.
**SEPTEMBER 6 – IPUSH FOODIE & MUSIC FEST at Ensley.
**OCTOBER 9-11 – BARBER VINTAGE FESTIVAL at Barber Motorsports Park.
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com and gwenderu@yahoo.com.
