Welcome to the Top 10 Events in Alabama.
Explore the selection of the top 10 annual events and festivals, fairs and celebrations (listed in calendar priority) in the State of Alabama, including events in Mobile, Birmingham and Talladega.Mardi Gras in Mobile
February
Mobile, Alabama
For two and a half weeks, the streets of Mobile are filled with the sights and sounds of marching bands, brilliant-colored floats and crowds of parade goers. The festivities culminate on Mardi Gras Day with floats manned by masked riders armed with “throws” such as beads, moon pies, doubloons and candy. The entire celebration attracts crowds in excess of one-million people annually. Mobile is recognized as celebrating the first-known American Mardi Gras celebration in 1703, even before New Orleans.
For more information visit: www.mobile.org
Selma-To-Montgomery March
March
Selma, Alabama
Every March, on the first full weekend, marchers follow the 54-mile route on the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail that the voting rights marchers took during the 1960s, commemorating the right to vote and to remember historic “Bloody Sunday” when 600 civil rights marchers were attacked by state and local police. The National Voting Rights Museum & Institute hosts this gathering of over 50,000-plus annual visitors.
For more information visit : www.nvrm.org/Jubilee.html
Anniversary of Battle of Horseshoe Bend
March
Dadeville, Alabama
2040-acre Horseshoe Bend National Military Park preserves the site of the battle of Horseshoe Bend in which General Andrew Jackson and an army of 3,300 men attacked 1,000 Upper Creek warriors on the Tallapoosa River.
An event to celebrate Alabama’s first national park, 50 years on, features a festival complete with culture and history, Creek hunting camps, military camps, dance, cannon fire demonstrations, exhibits, and more.
For more information visit: www.nps.gov/hobe
Battle of Selma Re-enactment
April
Selma, Alabama
In a classic re-enactment of the Battle of Selma at Battlefield Park, soldiers and cavalry of the Blue and Gray clash once again each year. Cannons roar once again as the Confederate troops defend the breastworks against the Yankee invaders.
Further attractions of the weekend event include a camp dance, grand ball at Sturdivant Hall, and a memorial service.
For more information visit: www.battleofselma.com
Aaron’s Dream Weekend at Talladega Superspeedway
April
Talladega, Alabama
Talladega Superspeedway, one of NASCAR’s fastest tracks, offers a weekend of racing events including ARCA RE/MAX Series 250 race and NASCAR Nationwide Series , Aaron’s 312 NASCAR Nationwide Series race and NASCAR Sprint Cup and Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race
For more information visit: www.talladegasuperspeedway.com
“The Miracle Worker” Play
June /July
Tuscumbia, Alabama
Celebrating over 30 years of outdoor performances at the birthplace of Helen Keller, this Broadway-style show recalls the childhood of deaf-blind Helen Keller, “American’s First Lady of Courage,” and her gifted teacher Anne Sullivan.
"The Miracle Worker" is performed on the grounds of Ivy Green each year on weekends from early June through mid July.
For more information visit:
www.helenkellerbirthplace.org/miracleworker/miracleworker.html
WC Handy Music Festival
July
Florence, Alabama
At various locations throughout The Shoals, the WC Handy Music Festival is a week-long celebration honoring the musical heritage of Northwest Alabama and the legacy of the “Father of the Blues” with a parade, concerts, exhibits, theatre, athletic events, music in various venues, and more.
Previous festivals have featured jazz and blues legends including Jimmy Smith, Ramsey Lewis, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Blue Bland, Diane Schuur, Billy Taylor, Dianne Reeves and Charlie Byrd.
For more information visit: www.wchandymusicfestival.org
BayFest
October
Mobile, Alabama
When BayFest brought country, soul, rock-n-roll and various other music acts to Mobile 14 years ago, few people thought Mobile’s music festival would become the attraction it now is, currently drawing more than 200,000 people each year to downtown Mobile for the annual music festival.
People flock to BayFest from around the country – and the world – to see performers like LeAnn Rimes, B.B. King, 3 Doors Down, Keith Urban, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, Travis Tritt, and Ludacris.
For more information visit: www.bayfest.com/
Mockingbird Month
October
Decatur, Alabama
This is a celebration of Harper Lee’s classic novel in its 50th year as visitors are transported to a sleepy Alabama town in the 1930s. The Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts hosts a Big Read project in Decatur that will focus on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. More than 40 activities will take place in Big Read Decatur in October.
For more information visit: neabigread.com/communities/?community_id=2082
Moundville Native American Festival
October
Moundville, Alabama
A celebration of the life ways of Southeastern Indians with some 26 earthen pyramidal mounds serving as a backdrop, this festival in Moundville Archaeological Park features a living history encampment, demonstration arbors, children’s area, arts activities, and more.
One of Alabama’s Top 20 Tourism Events this festival has also been designated a Cultural Olympiad Event.
For more information visit: www.moundville.ua.edu
National Veterans Day Parade
November 11
Birmingham, Alabama
The first Veterans Day celebration in the United States was held in Birmingham, Ala., in 1947. Alabama, the state that has had some 13,000 Alabama National Guard soldiers and airmen called to active duty since the attacks of September 11, 2001, still holds true to that tradition of honoring the men and women who fight for freedom.
This downtown parade features more than 5,000 participants, 15 bands, and 50 floats.
For more information visit: www.nationalveteransday.org
