Around Alabama

The Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic takes place at Point Mallard Park in Decatur.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL CORNELISON

MAY

6-7 Frisco City 12th annual Mother’s Day plant sale, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday at the gazebo in Jones Park. Around 2,000 plants will be ready for sale. Fundraiser for Revive Frisco City, dedicated to the improvement of the Monroe County town. Search ReviveFriscoCity on Facebook.

7Fairhope Barnwell Community Crawfish Derby 2022, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Oak Hollow Farm, 14210 S. Greeno Road. All you can eat crawfish, live music, Kentucky Derby watch party, silent auction and more to benefit restoration of the Barnwell Community Center, a historic 1918 wooden schoolhouse. BarnwellCommunity.org

7Cullman Cullman Strawberry Festival, Depot Park. Free event with live music, craft vendors, fun and games, Doggy “Pawgeant,” baking competition, food and locally-grown strawberries. CullmanStrawberryFest.com.

7Abbeville 14th annual Yatta Abba Day Festival, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This community festival features entertainment, vendors selling arts and crafts, food, cool treats, jewelry, kids’ toys, decorative items and more. Yatta Abba is the Creek Indian expression for “Grove of Dogwoods;” Abbe Creek derived its name from the Indian word, and hence the town’s name. Search YattaAbbaDay on Facebook. 12-14 Foley 18th annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival, OWA Parks and Resort. More than 55 balloons will participate at dusk and dawn, weather and wind permitting. Schedule: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, balloon glow and entertainment. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, arts and crafts vendors, children’s activities and live entertainment. GulfCoastBalloonFestival.com

13-14 Troy Thunder on Three Notch, Pioneer Museum of Alabama, 248 U.S. Highway 231 North. Two days of living history, including re-enactments of the last two battles of the Creek War of 1836 that were fought near Hobdy’s Bridge on the Pea River. Battles between militia and Native Americans at 2 p.m. each day. 334-566-3597.

14 Union Springs Chunnenuggee Fair, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. along Prairie Street, centered around the courthouse. Juried arts and crafts show, live entertainment from local and regional singers and bands, made-from-scratch cake sale, children’s games and rides and plenty of food. Chunnenuggeefair.com

14 Henagar May on the Mountain Bluegrass Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Henagar City Park at the Cabin. Free; bring a lawn chair to enjoy a full day of local and professional bluegrass music and free food. 256-657-6282.

20-22 Pell City, 10th annual Logan Martin LakeFest and Boat Show, Lakeside Park. South’s largest in-water boat show; test drive boats on Logan Martin Lake. Live music entertainment, vendors and food. Search loganmartinlakefest on Facebook. 21 Arab Poke Salat Festival in historic downtown, 10 a.m. Local artists and crafts people as well as entertainment, food trucks and more. Visitors can watch demonstrations by artisans, participate in community art projects and visit a variety of quaint shops. Search PokeSalat on Facebook.

28-29 Decatur Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic, Point Mallard Park. Hot air balloons, a balloon glow, live music, motorcycle show, antique cars and tractors, arts and crafts, fireworks and other family fun. Free admission and parking. AlabamaJubilee.net

28-29 Dothan A Night at the Park, Landmark Park. This camping adventure for families features a night walk through the park, hay rides, s’mores, Nerf war, water balloon battleship and tent camping. 4 p.m. Friday through 9 a.m. Saturday. $20 for park members, $25 for non-members. Food included. Families are responsible for their own tents, sleeping bags and camping gear. LandmarkParkDothan.com

JUNE

3-4 Bessemer QuiltFest 2022, presented by the Birmingham Quilters Guild. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Bessemer Civic Center. Judged quilt show, 300+ quilts, vendors, guild boutique and more. Silent auction benefits Lakeshore Foundation. Bhamquilters.com or 985-788-3015.

Call or verify events before you make plans to attend. Due to the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, some events may change or be canceled after press time. To place an event, e-mail events@alabamaliving.coop. or visit www.alabamaliving.coop. You can also mail to Events Calendar, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124; Each submission must include a contact name and phone number. Deadline is two months prior to issue date. We regret that we cannot publish every event due to space limitations.

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Annual photo contest coming up!

Our readers impressed us last year with the quality of their entries in Alabama Living’s annual photo contest, which runs in the August issue. Start thinking now about the 2022 contest, because we want to see more of your awesome photos! First-place winners receive $100, and those photos plus other honorable mentions will be profiled in the magazine.

Photos must be uploaded to our website, alabamaliving.coop (no hard copies accepted) beginning May 1. The categories this year are People, Animals, Alabama Travels and Seasons. Complete rules will be posted on the website. In the meantime, start planning which photos you want to enter!

By Miranda Boutelle

Q:What steps can I take this summer to keep my home cool while saving on my energy bills?

10 ideas for summer energy savings

A:A hot home and high energy bills can take away from summer fun. Here are 10 tips to prepare your home for high summer temperatures.

Service your AC unit

Air conditioning (AC) units work by moving air over fins or coils that contain refrigerant. When the coils or fins get dirty, the unit doesn’t work as well and uses more energy.

Whether you have a portable unit, central AC or a ductless/ mini-split, get your system ready for summer by cleaning the filter, coils and fins. If you are tackling this yourself, always disconnect power to the unit.

Central AC systems have two sets of coils: one inside and one outside. Both should be cleaned annually. If you hire a professional, they can check refrigerant levels during the process.

Seal your window AC unit

If you have a window or portable AC unit that vents through a window, seal the area between the window sashes. Water heater pipe insulation is a great way to seal this spot. It’s available at your local hardware store and is easy to cut for a snug fit.

Thermostat settings

Keeping your thermostat at the highest comfortable temperature will save you money. If you aren’t home during the day, increase your thermostat 8 to 10 degrees. There’s no need to cool an empty house.

Keep your cool

Before heading to the thermostat, turn on a fan in the room you’re in, change into lighter clothing and drink something cool. This may be enough to make you comfortable without spending more to cool your home. Finding the balance between comfort and savings is key.

Lock windows

After opening your windows at night or in the morning to let in fresh air, ensure your windows are closed and locked. This reduces gaps that allow air to flow through and cause drafts. If your locks don’t form a tight fit, add weatherstripping. Most products are easy to install.

Weatherstripping and curtains

Covering and sealing windows may seem like a wintertime efficiency practice, yet these help in the summer, too. Windows are typically the least-insulated surface in a room. Add weatherstripping to form a tight seal and curtains you can close during the hottest times of the day to block out the sun.

Cook al fresco

Keep your home cool or your AC from working overtime by cooking outside. My grill has an extra burner on the side that lets me do stovetop cooking outside, too.

Add insulation

Even in the summer, adding insulation can keep your home more comfortable and save energy used by your air conditioning system. As a general rule, if you can see the joists in the floor of your attic, you need more insulation.

Turn off gas fireplaces

Reducing the amount of heat entering your home can keep it cooler, especially if you don’t have AC. If you have a gas fireplace, your pilot light lets off a small amount of heat into the room. Consider turning it off during summer months.

Add shade outside

Several years ago, we planted a hedge on the south side of our home. I was surprised by how much cooler it made the house in the summertime. Planting trees and shrubs strategically around your home can shade the roof, walls and pavement, reducing heat radiation to your home. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, tree-shaded neighborhoods can be up to 6 degrees cooler in the daytime than treeless areas. Before buying a tree or shrub, check with your city or utility about free tree programs.

Applying a few of these ideas to your home will help keep you comfortable and provide summer energy savings.

Add curtains to your windows that you can pull shut during the hottest times of the day to block out sunlight.

PHOTO COURTESY MARK GILLILAND, PIONEER UTILITY RESOURCES

Miranda Boutelle is the director of operations and customer engagement at Efficiency Services Group in Oregon, a cooperatively owned energy efficiency company. She also writes on energy efficiency topics for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56% of the nation’s landscape.