GWEN DERU
HELLO WORLD!!! DOORS CONTINUE TO OPEN!!!
…SEE YOU AGAIN, SOON!!
TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THURSDAY NIGHT WORKOUTS with Live Females at the Blu Onyx.
**HEY DREAMER WITH AMACIO FAVOR + SOUNDS IN MY HEAD at The Nick.
**LIVE KARAOKE SHOWCASE hosted by LOGAN THE ENTERTAINER, every Thursday at Ruth’s Place in Irondale, 2404 Derby Way. DJ MOSE STOVALL is on crowd control.
**EVERY THURSDAY HAPPY HOUR, 5:30 – 9 p.m. at the Kappa Komplex, 45 6th Avenue South.
**KARAOKE, 5-9 p.m. at Courtyard Alabaster Bar and Grill.
**THIRD THURSDAY BLUES JAM, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**TASTEMAKER THURSDAY – Every Thursday at Blaze Ultra Lounge, 228 Roebuck Plaza Drive, 8 p.m.- 12 a.m. with DJ Ace Twon (95.7 JAMZ) in the mix hosted by Audio Life and GMC Promo.
**THIRSTY THURSDAY at Hookah 114 17th Street No.
**TEQUILA THURSDAY at the Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**THROW BACK THURSDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge, 3801 Richard Arrington Jr., Blvd.
FRIDAY…
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**DAUGHTERS OF LEGACY features EISHA JACKSON (Millie Jackson), JAMECIA BENNETT (Ann Nesby) and HEATHER HAYES (Isaac Hayes) at Perfect Note.
**STRUMBRUSH, BUGWHORE, THE OLD WORLD UNDERGROUND & VITAL at The Nick.
**FREE HOOKAH FRIDAYS at Blu Onyx, 10 p.m.
**AFRO CARIBBEAN NIGHTS (Every Friday Night) at Ash’s on 2nd, 7 p.m. until with Reggae, Afro Beats, Dancehall and Top 40 Hits.
**FIREBALL FRIDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**FRIDAY NIGHT RAP, Every 1st and 3rd Friday at Crescent Cultural Center, 1121 Tuscaloosa Avenue, W.
SATURDAY…
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4 p.m.- 9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar.
**MS. JOHNNIE AND THE JAMMERS Live After Five, 7-10 p.m. at Bistro on 19th located at 109 19th St. N., Bessemer. EVERY 2nd and 4th SATURDAY!!
**SOLD OUT SATURDAYS at the Blu Onyx Every Saturday.
**CIROC SATURDAYS at Blu Onyx.
**MOJO THUNDER WITH 12 ELEVEN at The Nick.
**LATE NIGHT METAL SHOW WITH DOPE SKUM & DROOD AT MIDNIGHT at The Nick.
**ELECTRIC AVENUE at Iron City.
**JUST KICKIN IT REUNION at Perfect Note.
SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
**WOODLAWN STREET MARKET, 12 p.m. at Woodlawn Street Market.
**FOODIES, BEATZ, VIBEZ, 2-9 p.m. at 604 Bar & Lounge at 604 9th St. No.
**LATE NIGHT METAL SHOW WITH DOPE SKUM & DROOD AT MIDNIGHT at The Nick.
**DRAG NIGHT at The Nick.
**2 SEXY SUNDAY at the Blu Onyx, 8- 12 p.m.
**SUNDAY FUNDAY for the grown Folks Kickback at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
MONDAY…
**EVERY MONDAY is MONSLAYYY – THE CARIBBEAN WAY, 8 p.m. at the Vault with TRINI and BRENT TRINI-FRESH PIERRE. FREE.
**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at The Nick.
TUESDAY…
**INDUSTRY NIGHT TUESDAY at Blu Onyx, 8 p.m.
**EVERY TUESDAY – TRUE STORY BREWING JAZZ SESSIONS, 7- 10 p.m., 5510 Crestwood Blvd.
**TASTY TUESDAYS at Platinum of Birmingham.
**EVERY TUESDAY LIT AND JAZZ with DAVID TALLEY AND FRIENDS, 7 p.m. at Lit on 8th, 518 Rev. Abraham Woods Blvd.
**FAT TUESDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**TUESDAY KARAOKE at The Nick.
WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES every Wednesday, Noon at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**WEDNESDAYS WEEKLY JAZZ JAM, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing Company, 5510 Crestwood Blvd. Food until 9 p.m. Music until 10 p.m. and Drink until 11 p.m.
**OPEN BAR WEDNESDAY, 8 p.m. at Blu Onyx.
**EVERY 4th WEDNESDAY at FACE’S LOUNGE KARAOKE hosted by ARETTA, 6:30 p.m. at 7070 Aaron Aronov Dr. in Fairfield.
**TAYLS WITH CHEYSFLOW at The Nick.
**CHVRCHES at Iron City.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THURSDAY NIGHT WORKOUTS with Live Females at the Blu Onyx.
**EPIC REFLEXES WITH MODERN BODIES at The Nick.
**AUGUST BURNS RED – THROUGH THE THORNS TOUR at Iron City.
NEXT FRIDAY…
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**TRIBUTE TO R&B DUETS featuring Rob and Val at Perfect Note.
**BUFFALO LEMONPEPPER PROJECT WITH FISHMAN AQUADOME AND LOCAL MAN at The Nick.
NEWS TO USE… The world is still opening for Birmingham…for Alabama…and for the southeast!! (Pay Attention!!) AND, in the meantime, things are changing all over the world….
**NASCAR’S FIRST: CHICAGO STREET RACE WEEKEND – The first ever NASCAR Cup Series street course race is Sunday, July 2, 2023, in the City of Chicago. Prior to that race will be the IMSA Series Race on Saturday, July 1, 2023. (Look for more right here!)
**eNASCAR COLLEGE iRACING SERIES – The four-race schedule kicks off at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Tuesday, September 20 with students eligible to qualify for the season-opener through a 10-day time attack window. More than 13,000 students are eligible to compete in the series through NACE Starleague, which was established in 2021 as a strategic partnership between the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and Playfly Esports. Each time attack is open to all eligible students with the top 40 students who post the fastest qualifying times advancing to the race. 2022 eNASCAR College iRacing Series Schedule *Fall- Homestead-Miami Speedway, Qualifying: September 6 – 15, Race (80 Laps): September 20 at 8 p.m. ET. — THEN, there is the Auto Club Speedway, Qualifying: September 30 – October 13, Race (60 Laps): October 18 at 8 p.m. ET. — THE Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course, Qualifying: October 21 – November 3, Race (35 Laps): November 8 at 8 p.m. ET — The Nashville Superspeedway, Qualifying: November 11 – 25, Race (80 Laps): November 29 at 8 p.m. ET.
**TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY TRACK TOURS ARE BACK…PLUS MORE – Six Talladega Track Tours will be offered daily (7 days a week), beginning at 8:30 am CDT, and will be held rain or shine. Other scheduled times include 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 12:45 pm, 1:45 pm and 2:45 pm. Guests will make a lap around the iconic facility and will get off the bus at three locations – high atop the track’s Birmingham and O.V. Hill South Towers, in the popular Talladega Garage Experience, and at the Start/Finish Line. They will get a birds eye view of the entire track property from the base of the NASCAR Control Tower (Birmingham and O.V. Hill South Towers), then head to the infield to enjoy sights in the Garage Experience. They include Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane in Fr8Auctions Celebration Plaza, BIG BILL’s Open Air Social Club, the NASCAR Cup Series Garages along with Clyde May’s Courtyard, Tito’s Lemonade Lounge and YellaWood Pit Road Club. IN ADDITION…There are bonuses with Talladega Track Tour purchases where guests can receive $10 off a grandstand/tower ticket and/or a Talladega Garage Experience pass to the track’s next upcoming NASCAR weekend (must be purchased onsite same day as tour). That comes the first of October with a tripleheader NASCAR Playoffs weekend featuring the Sparks 300 (NASCAR Xfinity Series) and Chevy Silverado 250 (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) on Saturday, Oct. 1, and the Sunday, Oct. 2 YellaWood 500 for the NASCAR Cup Series. AND…For those who would like to take a tour to see a host of historic cars and memorabilia at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame the same day – and save $3 off adult admission in the process – they just need to show their Talladega Track Tour ticket at the Hall’s main tour entrance.
**ONE NIGHT ONLY – ART ON THE ROCKS at the Birmingham Museum of Art is back for its 16th year on August 5th, 7-11 p.m. ONE NIGHT ONLY! ERIC BELLINGER is the featured performer.
**COMEDIAN TOMMY DAVIDSON & SAXOPHONIST MARCUS MITCHELL at Perfect Note.
**BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS (BBG) – THE BBG has a new website that showcases the natural beauty and diversity of the Gardens 26 garden spaces, new and enhanced educational programs and the impact of membership, giving and volunteer service. It features a mobile friendly design, fresh photos and videos, new gardens map, updated garden descriptions and new content, calendar for programs and events and a visual guide to what’s in bloom seasonally. Go to: bggardens.org. Check it out. Explore virtually and then plan a visit.
IN AUGUST…
**TASTE OF 4TH AVENUE JAZZ FESTIVAL will return to Birmingham’s Historic 4th Avenue Business District on Saturday, August 27 with music, art, food and vendors. It is FREE and open to the Public.
FOR COMMUNITY LOVERS…
**BLOCK PARTY AND COMMUNITY DAY, July 30, Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Ensley, 1508 19th Street Ensley, with school supplies giveaway & refreshments, food trucks. There will be health screenings, mental healthcare, financial sectors, music, and fun activities for the kids. Bring lawn chairs.
FOR OUTDOORS LOVERS…
**SATURDAY DAYHIKE with Southeastern Outings Short Dayhike and Glorious Swim at the bottom of the 102-foot-high DeSoto Falls in DeSoto State Park – Details: Walk through the woods and down a steep hill in DeSoto State Park to the huge pool at the overlook above DeSoto Falls. Swim and play for most of the day in this pool at the bottom of the waterfall which is in the West Fork of Little River. There is a new trail which extends from the road going to the top of DeSoto Falls all the way down to the opposite side of pool at the bottom of the falls from where the previous trail leads. This new trail is easier and much less treacherous than the trail used previously. The new trail is 7/10 of a mile long one way. The first half goes down a fairly steep hill. The second half parallels the West Fork of Little River and is more or less level. The State Park Service rates this new trail as moderate to strenuous. The surface is rocky, but the trail is open, and there is no underbrush and there are no vertical cliffs to negotiate. Bring TWO sturdy hiking poles in order to wade safely across the West Fork of Little River (about 15 feet wide) from the side where the new trail is located over to the opposite side of the river where the sand and gravel beach is. Spend most of the day floating on the water in the huge pool at the bottom of the waterfall and on that beach where we will eat our lunches. You must be able to swim to participate in this outing! Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 8 and up welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children. After the swim and float, walk 7/10 of a mile back to the cars and or go for showers and an optional dinner. Hot showers are available for $2 per person in the air-conditioned bathrooms at the park campground before dinner. Bring shower things and a change of clothes if you wish to clean up and change for dinner. You may change with no charge in the restrooms by the Country Store. Meet 8:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s Restaurant Trussville. Depart from there at 9 a.m., or you may meet the group at 10:30 a.m. in the lobby of the DeSoto Park Lodge where we will stop to use the restrooms before we begin the short drive from there to the start point of the walk. Participants must call or email seoutings@bellsouth.net or call 205-631-4680. Please pay on July 23 either with exact change or a check made out to SEO. First come, first served.
AT RED MOUNTAIN PARK…
**TUESDAY NIGHT TRAILS through September 13, 5:45 p.m. at Red Mountain Park.
AT THE BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS…
**AUGUST 23 – HERB BUTTER, 11 a.m.
**STORYTIME AT THE GARDENS is Fridays for preschool-age children designed to promote a love of reading, creativity and gardening while gaining the benefits of visiting the Gardens and being outdoors.
**SUMMER CAMPS is now through July 29 for age 4 – 6th grade with fun themes such as Monet’s Gardens, Wild and Wonderful and Summer Gardeners: From Bees to Trees.
AT VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM…
**BIRMINGHAM WALKING TOURS – The tours are fun for all ages and cover a variety of topics including local history, architectural styles and influences, preservation efforts and city planning/design and just maybe, a little bit of gossip.
FOR MUSIC LOVERS…
**DAUGHTERS OF LEGACY features MILLIE JACKSON’S daughter KEISHA JACKSON, ANN NESBY’S daughter JAMECIA BENNETT and ISAAC HAYES’S daughter HEATHER HAYES at the Perfect Note. A MUST SEE!!
**FACE’S LOUNGE KARAOKE hosted by ARETTA, EVERY 4th Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. at 7070 Aaron Aronov Dr. in Fairfield.
FOR ART LOVERS…
AT PAUL R. JONES MUSEUM…in Tuscaloosa…
**FLOW with KELLY TAYLOR MITCHELL and TONY M. BINGHAM, now through July 27. Call (205) 345-3038 for more at Paul R. Jones Museum, 2308 6th Street, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
AT BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART…
**ONE NIGHT ONLY – ART ON THE ROCKS is back for its 16th year on August 5th, 7-11 p.m. ONE NIGHT ONLY! ERIC BELLINGER is the featured performer. (Interested in volunteering? Contact artontherocks@artsbma.org.)
FOR FILM LOVERS…
**FREE FRIDAY FLICKS at Veterans Park in Homewood.
AT SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL…
*Films for Teens on SATURDAY – July 23 – TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE, 12:30 p.m. The Teen Book and Film Club is for teens in middle school and high school to read YA books and come to the cinema to view the film and discuss both works. Register.
*Films for Kids and Parents on SATURDAY – July 23 – SHREK, 10 a.m. The Family Book and Film Club is for families with children of all ages. Register.
*Learn: How to Analyze a Film Without Being a Jerk featuring GARETH JONES every Saturday, through August 6. This is a four-session course on thinking deeper about film in a fun way – Learn a few terms, a bit of film history and have insightful and entertaining discussions. You know, the opposite of how most films are discussed online. Register.
*Filmmaker Happy Hour – Every 3rd Thursday with other filmmakers and discuss your newest projects. Free.
AT SIXTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH
…SEE YOU AT THE SIXTH …
**EVERY MONDAY MORNING MEDITATION WITH PASTOR CANTELOW, 7:15 a.m. Contact the church at (205) 321-1136 or (205) 321-1137.
FOR FOOD LOVERS…
**CCDN FOOD HUBWEDNESDAY, Every Wednesday of each month in Fountain Heights Old Sardis Baptist Church, 1240 4th Street North, 10 – noon. For more, go to www.communitycaredn.org.
**ROSS BRIDGE FARMERS MARKET, FRIDAY.
**BIRDSONG FARMERS MARKET, SATURDAYS, 7 a.m. – Noon in downtown Birmingham on 5th Avenue.
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: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.
