Earth Day events are planned all along the Gulf Coast this weekend, and they will hold special significance this year on the one year anniversary of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
An Earth Day party will be held Friday from noon till 4 p.m. at The Hangout in Gulf Shores with live music by Gulf Shores High School band Katawompus. There will also be crafts, games and other “family-friendly” activities. The third annual Clean Coast Expo will also be held Friday at the Erie Meyer Civic Center from 1 to 7:30 p.m. A number of “green” companies are to set up. There will also be an electronics recycling event Friday at the Gulf Shores Museum from 3 to 7 p.m.
Foley’s first Earth Day Extravaganza is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Graham Creek Nature Preserve, with a 2-mile fun run at 9 a.m., hourly “eco-tours,” and a recycling station.
Then, the 22nd annual Earth Day celebration in Fairhope is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Fairhope Municipal Pier Park. More than 40 exhibitors are scheduled to set up and there will be live music and plenty of food — and perhaps a little political protest theater.
The Alabama Mountain Games, a four-day event billed as the Southeast’s premiere annual extreme outdoor sports competition and live music festival, will be held this weekend, Thursday, March 17 through Sunday, March 20.
While the event features competitions in white water kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, disc golf, mountain biking, fishing and rock climbing, the focus is on promoting both environmental and recreational conservation across the state through charitable contributions. All proceeds from the event will go to benefit the Brad Hind Land Trust, an organization with a mission to acquire, preserve and protect land in and around North Alabama.
There will also be live music coupled with fun-filled family activities for all to enjoy. The base camp for the event is located at Boogie Bottoms in Cleveland, Alabama, where competitors and spectators will gather to enjoy the competitions, music, food and family activities.
“Come for the day or pack a tent and stay the weekend,” Tracy Smith, event organizer, said in a press release promoting the event. “This is a great option for a ‘staycation’ during spring break.”
Paul Simon, Widepread Panic and 35 other bands have committed to playing The Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama, on May 20-22 this year, according to the press release announcing the event. Tickets go on sale Wednesday, February 2 at 9 a.m. CST. at HangOutMusicFest.com through Front Gate Tickets. They will also be available at The Hangout Restaurant in Gulf Shores.
The Hangout Festival had its inaugural run last May, just one month after the BP oil disaster began in the Gulf of Mexico, changing the focus of the event from just another beach party with music into a charitable event for the restoration of the Gulf.
This year the economic impact of the festival is seen as critical for the revival of the economy along the coast. The Hangout Music Festival is the first and only concert planned for this summer and it will need to be successful for the sake of this economically-battered community.
“In spite of everything that’s happened over the last nine months this is definitely something that will be good for the area,” organizer Jimmy Aicone said.
I caught up with Manuel Cuevas at the Day of the Dead celebration on Birmingham’s Southside Tuesday night and got him to explain the purpose behind the event.
Manuel is the designer who turned Johnny Cash into the “Man in Black” and put Elvis in a jumpsuit, according to biographies on the Web, including a story from National Geographic and Wikipedia and his own Website.
A good time was had by all at the Big Full Moon Old Time Music Show 2010 in Waverly, Alabama, put on by Scott Peek of Standard Deluxe, with Woody Pines and the Tennessee Valley Vagabonds and War Eagle Chili.
(I had to do something to take a break from the “gloom and doom” on the Gulf). Camped out for a couple of nights in Waverly, Alabama. Near perfect fall weather for October in Alabamaland.
The Big Full Moon Old Time Music Show will be held this weekend in Waverly, Alabama, near Auburn, featuring Woody Pines and the Tennessee Valley Vagabonds.
The Music Starts at 7 p.m. by the Standard Deluxe screen printing shop after the Auburn-LSU game. Papa D’s Super Grille will be open with D-lishus eats: Mini muffalettas, fresh french bread, pastrami, salami, tasso, provolone and olive spread served hot or cold. There will also be fried okra salad and black bean vegetarian chili.
A $10 donation for the bands is requested at the gate, although children are allowed in free. Bring a blanket or camp chair to sit on, but leave all glass and pets at home — and don’t forget your designated driver. No haters allowed.
It may be the bloody marys at the Pink Pony Pub, but it appears the weather is cooperating and the crowds are showing up for Shrimp Festival 2010. At a glance, the beaches are clean and the water is blue-green — and oil-free.
During the Bush years, we specialized in covering the politicization of the U.S. justice system as much as any news organization. Our archives are about the most comprehensive for anyone researching the prosecution of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, and the original case against Richard Scrushy, which Glynn Wilson covered for The New York Times.
