Your free time is precious, so how to spend it? Here are five ideas for Birmingham, Aug. 23-30, 2019.
Matt Winkelmeyer//Getty Images for LACMA
CONCERTS
Spend an evening with Beck. You'll be in good company on Tuesday at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, as about 10,500 listeners gather for a concert by the eclectic artist. Beck — a musical chameleon known for his bold creativity and skillful shifts among genres — made his Birmingham debut in May 2018 at the BJCC Concert Hall. That stellar performance deserved a followup, and we're happy to see Beck return on a lineup with Cage the Elephant, Spoon and Sunflower Bean. Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are $30.50-$322 via Live Nation/Ticketmaster.
Beck and Cage the Elephant, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m., Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, 1000 Amphitheater Road, Pelham, $30.50-$322 via Live Nation/Ticketmaster.
Courtesy of Sidewalk Film Festival
MOVIES
See movies, movies and more movies. That's what we plan to do this weekend, attending the Sidewalk Film Festival. About 70 feature films are on the lineup this year, along with 26 shorts blocks, 10 blocks of children's and family programming, virtual reality programming and a new focus on podcasting. Screenings are scheduled tonight through Sunday at several downtown venues. View the full lineup on the Sidewalk website, then make your picks. And don't forget the popcorn.
Sidewalk Film Festival, Aug. 23-25, several venues in downtown Birmingham, $95 weekend pass, $270 VIP, $35 day pass, $15 premium ticket for single film,
Courtesy photo
FESTIVALS
Settle in for the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival. Six acts are on the bill at Saturday's festival, and all of them are worth your time and attention. The lineup, 4 p.m.-9 p.m., includes ace guitarist Eric Essix, soulful singer Selina Albright and dynamic flutist/vocalist Ragan Whiteside. Admission is free but donations are welcome at the event, which takes place in Birmingham's Fourth Avenue Historic District.
Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, Aug. 24, 4 p.m.-9 p.m., Fourth Avenue North between 16th and 18th streets, free admission.
Image by Pexels from Pixabay
GARDENING
Cultivate your green thumb. Even if you're hopeless at gardening, your skills can improve on Thursday at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Participants at a 6 p.m. class led by Eugenia Miller will learn how to create a terrarium, using soil, plants and a container. Did we mention that wine will be served? This event, Sip and Plant at the Gardens, offers a horticultural twist to the popular "sip and paint" workshops. Admission is $50, including materials and two glasses of wine.
Sip and Plant at the Gardens, Aug. 29, 6 p.m.-8 p.m., Birmingham Botanical Gardens, 2612 Lane Park Road, $50, 205-414-3950.
Trask Smith
SPORTS
Green and gold? Yes! UAB football returns for a new season under the leadership of coach Bill Clark, and fans are ready to cheer. The Blazers face the Alabama State Hornets on Thursday at Legion Field, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are $20-$30.
UAB Blazers vs. Alabama State Hornets, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., Legion Field, 400 Graymont Ave. West, $20-$30.
Image by Artturi Mäntysaari from Pixabay
More on entertainment in Alabama:
65 must-see concerts coming to Alabama in summer 2019
68 free things to do in Birmingham in summer 2019
Your furry friends will love these 32 dog parks in Alabama
14 movies to see at Alabama Theatre's 2019 summer film series
21 free movies you can take your kids to see in Tuscaloosa this summer
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