Gardendale Magazine - April 2024

Behind Scenes the

A GARDENDALE INSTITUTION

Peggy Tumlin and her devotion to this city PAGE 17 Streets, parks and rec crews make Magnolia Festival happen PAGE 27

VOICE ON THE RISE

GHS sophomore featured singer at Magnolia Festival

Festival: Local entertainer to headline festival

Festival: Volunteer of the year is ‘institution’

Magnolia Festival: Behind the scenes, city workers make festival possible

8/ 22/ 41/ 44/ 20/ 17/ 27/ 37/

News from our Neighbors: What’s happening in communities nearby

Magnolia Festival: Junior volunteers keep festival on track

A ministry of service for Gardendale First Baptist

Happenings: Local people, places and events

Calendar: Don’t miss these events

Magnolia

Magnolia Festival:

Magnolia

Welcome to the very special Magnolia Festival issue. Magnolia Festival was one of my favorite events long before I came to Gardendale in 2015, and it is something I look forward to every year. This year, when I emailed Kathleen Phillips for story ideas, the first one was immediate: Peggy Tumlin, last year’s adult volunteer of the year and “A Gardendale Institution” according to Kathleen. Truly, outside of Kathleen herself, I’m not sure any other Gardendale resident is as well known or beloved as Peggy. Her commitment to the city (and the festival) is inspiring. We also caught up with a junior volunteer who tells us about her experiences with the festival and what she’s looking forward to this year. We talk to the unsung heroes of the festival–the city’s park and recreation and public works employees who make sure everything is set up, runs smoothly and that there is no trace the next day. If the rides, shopping and food aren’t enough of a draw for the festival, don’t miss the entertainment which will showcase Gardendale local Brier Hight.

We are proud to be sponsors and can’t wait to see you at the Magnolia Festival on April 1920!

Rachel Davis Karr, Content Director

Our Advertisers

Who We Are

Gardendale Magazine is published monthly by JBMC Media, a Birminghambased publishing company. The magazine is available at nearly 90 locations throughout Gardendale, free of charge, and is supported by the advertisers within the pages of this magazine. Subscriptions by mail area also available for $35 per year. Email matthew@jbmcmedia.com for more information.

Gardendale Magazine is 100% local; the stories and photos are all about the city of Gardendale, its residents, its businesses, its schools, and its cultural institutions. It’s our promise to you that we will always keep it this way, so that the content and stories are relevant to everyone who calls Gardendale home.

About the Cover

Peggy Tumlin has made a lasting and undeniable impact on the city of Gardendale with her boundless energy and love for the city and people here.

It’s never easy asking businesses to invest in advertising, so we want to give a VERY special thank you to these businesses. Please, support them!

ACE of the South - Gardendale

Adair Tire Pros

Amore Design & Event Planning

Becky’s Health Foods

Brad Drake Heating & Air

Budget Blinds

Cakes by Elise

Carvy Home Services

Cassidy Glass, Inc.

Cheri W. Cunningham DMD

Children’s of Alabama

City of Gardendale

Closets by Design

Deo Gloria Wood Works

El Patron Mexican Restaurant

Fieldstown Dental Care

Glover Chiropractic

Healthy Kids of Gardendale

Heather Lebischak

Jefferson County Commission

Luma Dentistry - Gardendale

Maggie G. Pond, DMD

Magnolia Dental

Mold & Mildew Solutions

Monita’s Bakery

Parrot Structural Services

Reliable Septic Service

Singletary Plumbing, Inc. & Contractors

Closet

Skinology

Southern Focus Vision Center

Superior Service Electric

Tabernacle Christian School

Staff

Matthew Allen Publisher (205) 617-9609, matthew@jbmcmedia.com

Rachel Davis Karr Content Director (205) 613-7850, rachel@jbmcmedia.com

Michelle Salem Haynes Marketing Consultant (205) 381-1311, michelle@jbmcmedia.com

Anthony and Shweta Bratina Graphic Designers

Emily VanderMey Listo Operations & Project Manager Graphic Designer

Photo by Heather Warden.

In the Spotlight

Local teen to headline the Magnolia Festival stages

Brier Hight is Miss Magnolia Festival. Literally.

The Gardendale High School sophomore is the current title holder for the Miss Magnolia Festival Teen. She is also performing on the festival’s two stages on Friday and Saturday during the event.

On Friday she will be playing on the main stage with a full band. She will play a few of her original songs, but most of the songs that night will be covers of songs by artists like Chris Stapleton, Alabama, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith and more. She does plan to play her favorite original song, “Once in a While.”

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On Saturday, she will play the Civic Center Stage with a guitar and will play many more of her original songs.

Brier has been singing for as long as she can remember, but at 8 years old she tried out for “A Christmas Carol” at the BJCC and got the role of Tiny Tim.

“I guess that just sparked my love for music, and ever since then, I have been playing at local stages around Birmingham,” Brier said.

She is self-taught on the guitar, piano and ukulele. She started playing with a band at 10. Since then, she has played at Birmingham venues like Iron City, Zydeco and Saturn and is always looking for any chance to get on stage. Last year, she performed at the Gardendale Civic Center’s food truck event.

Brier has always kept diaries and written about her life and feelings, but last fall, she began writing her own songs.

“I feel like my writing is where I vent, it’s my creative outlet and so it’s basically my therapy,” Brier said. “I come home whenever I have something on my heart, and I just write about it, and I feel so much better. I just love sharing my music with others and knowing that people listen to my music and relate to me. I think it’s very beautiful.”

Speaking of beauty, Brier has competed as state level pageants in her role and has been surprised by the camaraderie she has found there.

“I love the girls,” Brier said. “Before I did pageants, I kind of believed the stereotype of the ‘mean girls’ thing. It’s great to be surrounded by like-minded girls that all support each other and want to work hard for what they want in life.”

In addition to school, performing and serving as Miss Magnolia Festival Teen, Brier is also a cheerleader at GHS and plays varsity soccer. She also works at Stephen’s Hot Dog Wagon, mostly to pay her monthly payments on her guitar that she is proud of buying for herself.

After high school, she wants to be a dermatologist and keep playing music.

For the full entertainment schedule, visit the Magnolia Festival website at magnoliafestival.org.

Clint Singletary, Sr.

At Your Service

This volunteer considers community involvement an honor

By June Mathews

Peggy Tumlin is a soft-spoken Southern lady with manners to match, but when it comes to volunteering for the Magnolia Festival, she is, in a word, a powerhouse.

Tumlin can run circles around volunteers half her age, and she teaches newcomers the ropes by pitching in and showing them how to get things done. To her, that mentoring role is key.

“You can be an example to others if they see you out there and see you working hard and being enthusiastic about it,” she said. “Last year, two of the students I worked with came up to me, hugged me and said, ‘Thank you for letting us volunteer with you today. You have really taught us a lot.’ When kids tell you something like that, it’s a gift.”

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PHOTOS BY HEATHER WATSON

Peggy Tumlin, the Magnolia Festival’s Volunteer of the Year, posed with her plaque outside the Gardendale Civic Center, a project she worked on as a city councilmember.

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A dedicated community servant since her youth, Tumlin was first taught the importance of giving back by her Marine Corps father. She later married Charles Tumlin, who was also committed to community endeavors. Along with other local citizens, he gave Saturdays and evenings to help build the Gardendale High School press box, field and stadium. He also served as a Little League baseball coach for many years, and together, they raised their son in the family’s tradition of service.

A longtime volunteer for the Magnolia Festival, Tumlin, like everyone else on the festival team, is gearing up for what promises to be another spectacular event, April 19-20.

“The Magnolia Festival is important to me,” said Tumlin, a former Gardendale city councilor. “I think it’s good for our city, and it grows every year.”

At this year’s event, Tumlin will be helping festival organizer Kathryn Phillips sign in vendors. Then, as in years past, she’ll be volunteering with the Magnolia Festival Car Show.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHLEEN PHILLIPS

Kathleen Phillips said she was “honored” to be able to present longtime support Peggy Tumlin the Volunteer of the Year award for the 2023 Magnolia Festival.

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“I always stay busy. I don’t like to go sit down and that kind of thing. I’m always up moving around,” she said. “I think another thing people look at when you’re volunteering is that you’re energetic.”

In addition to volunteering with various city activities, Tumlin’s past community service efforts include volunteering at Children’s Hospital on occasion and in the trauma unit at UAB for 11½ years. She also acted as the office fundraiser for the organizations the Allstate agency she worked for supported.

But that was okay with Tumlin because, “I love volunteering. I really do. And when you’ve lived in a place like Gardendale all your life, as I have, you want to help make your good community even better. I don’t understand why more people don’t get involved. I think it may be that they don’t understand what an honor it is.”

VOLUNTEERING AT THE MAGNOLIA FESTIVAL

Recruiting volunteers for the Magnolia Festival, says Volunteer Coordinator Gabby Spruill, is a fairly easy proposition. “I have been blessed each year that I haven’t had to find people,” she said. “They have come to me wanting to volunteer.”

For anyone interested in volunteering, Spruill offers the following:

Festival volunteers, Spruill said, must be in 9th grade or older. Students must volunteer at least three hours before or after the festival to be eligible to apply for the Magnolia Festival Scholarship. Desirable characteristics of volunteers include a willingness to help, flexibility, open mindedness, and a positive attitude.

For more information, contact Spruill at 205-790-4202 or gmaespruill@icloud.com.

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Junior Volunteers keep festival running smoothly

The Magnolia Festival doesn’t end after the crowds go home. Each year, the festival awards 10 scholarships to the teens that dedicate their time to keeping the event running smoothly. To qualify for the scholarship, volunteers must volunteer at least three hours with the festival, but organizer Kathleen Phillips says most end up volunteering more than that. The scholarship hours can begin being accrued in ninth grade and are heavily weighted on community service in general.

Skylar Erwin volunteers often, something she started at a young age through pageants. Last year was her first to serve as an official volunteer at the festival and this year she was one of the first to sign up.

“I have attended the festival since I was a little girl, so it was fun being on the volunteer side last year and giving back,” Erwin said. “[Volunteering] is a way to connect with your community, gain confidence and learn new skills.”

“she is one of those volunteers that helps us even before the weekend of the festival and is always asking what else she can do to help,” Phillips said of Erwin.

Volunteers work a few hours and then they are free to leave or enjoy the festival. Erwin attends both days of the festival because she loves the rides and spending time with her

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MAGNOLIA FESTIVAL

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friends and family.

“I always spend Friday night with my friends, and Saturday during the day with my family,” Erwin explained.

And she has some fond memories–including winning a goldfish at the carnival area and ending up with a pet for the next six years.

Erwin has also been a Gardendale High School cheerleader, member of the student council, GHS Ambassador President, senior class president and part of the Chamber of Commerce Junior Ambassador program and youth leadership program. And the Gardendale senior has big plans after graduation in a few months.

“I will be attending The University of Alabama in the fall majoring in news media with a minor in political science,” Erwin said.

But, she’ll still plan to be in Gardendale at least one Saturday each April.

Ministry of Fun and Service

Each year, Gardendale First Baptist Church allows its parking lot to be used for the Magnolia Festival’s rides and games, the car show and for additional parking, but that’s not all. Every year, Phil Cronin, outreach pastor for GFBC, coordinates his volunteers to drive multi-seat golf carts to shuttle visitors from the festival back to the parking lots where they are parked.These shuttles, called “The Magnolia Express,” have magnolia wreaths on the front of the golf cart.

Cronin said it is rewarding to see the relief on the face of a family exhausted at the end of the day when they realize they won’t have to walk all the way back to the car.

“It is wonderful the way these volunteers serve our visitors at the festival,” Kathleen Phillips, organizer of the festival, said. “It is a large campus now and hard for some to walk from one end to the other and back to their car.”

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MAGNOLIA FESTIVAL

Gardendale First Baptist plays several crucial roles in the festival. The most visible is the free Kids Zone play area.

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In addition to the transportation for the festival, the church offers a large, free Kids Zone, filled with games and activities for kids.

There is a sand art project in the zone where every color represents something from the Bible.

“As the kids do the sand art, they will get a full gospel story,” Cronin said. “They have a cool piece of artwork to take home and get a good message behind it as well.”

This year, there will be a new Whack-AMole game and a kid-friendly version of ax throwing, in addition to the shooting and other games that have been staples over the years. The custom-built putt-putt golf course, created by a church member, will also be returning after being away for a few years. It features four holes with 8 foot putt-putt greens and set up like a miniature golf course. Each player will also be given a score sheet for

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the course as we keepsake.

“We want it to be a good area where families can come,” Cronin explained. “After they’ve spent money on the carnival or bought things from the vendors, parents can let the kids run out their energy.”

The area is contained so parents don’t have to worry about the kids running off and everything is manned by volunteers to ensure that the kids are safe and having fun.

Although many of the games, like the putt-putt and shooting games, were created by church members specifically for the festival, many of the higher tech games and inflatables are provided by Greg Hacker at FunSource, Cronin said.

All in all, Cronin said about 60-70 volunteers are required for the day, but church members are eager to help out at the festival.

“Everybody loves it,” Cronin said. “It’s a fun day.”

Behind the scenes

Hardworking city employees make festival possible

Each year, thousands of people visit the Gardendale Magnolia Festival during the two-day event. They laugh, eat and play, then they head home. By the next day, all traces of the crowds have been removed. That magic is the work of a dedicated team behind the scenes who ensure everything is set up beforehand, remain vigilant during the festival and then clean up afterward.

The festival committee and volunteers organize everything, but the city’s Park and Recreation and Public Works Departments do much of the site preparation and cleanup.

In preparation for the festival, the crews make sure the vendor spaces are marked, hang banners, check and clean the landscaping around the civic center, create a gravel ramp for wheelchair access on the parking lot, assist with carnival, tent, chairs and other item setup and the list continues. They also ensure the porta-potties and garbage bins are set up and ready to go to keep the festival grounds as clean as possible.

Parks and Recreation Director Dale Hyche said he is always proud of how hard his employees and the Public Works employees work before, during and after the festival to ensure everything runs smoothly.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MAGNOLIA FESTIVAL

The Magnolia Festival would not be able to happen as smoothly without the city park and recreation and public works departments.

/ Magnolia Festival /

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“Anything we can do to help prevent excess cleanup and make sure everyone has a good time at the festival,” Hyche said.

Mayor Stan Hogeland has often commended the employees for erasing all traces of the festival afterward. By the end of the night, there will be little or no sign that they had been there.

“Whenever these guys are asked if they can do something, no matter how busy they are at the moment, they always answer with a ‘Yes, ma’am, we’ll make it happen,’” Kathleen Phillips said. “The Gardendale Magnolia Festival absolutely wouldn’t be what it is today without them.”

Baja

Becky’s Health Foods

Buffalo Wild Wings

Cheri W. Cunningham, DMD

Chick-filA

Fieldstown Dental Care

Gardendale City Hall

Gardendale Civic Center

Gardendale Pet Clinic

Gardendale Pickers

Gardendale Public Library

Gardendale Senior Center

Gllam Boutique

Glover Chiropractic

Hamburger Heaven

J&J Drugs

Jim n Nick’s

Luma Dentistry

Maggie G. Pond, DMD

Monita’s Bakery

Mordecai Sporting Goods

Roo’s Place Garden Center

Shrimp Basket

Southern Focus Vision Center

Southern Market

TherapySouth

Total Skin & Dermatology

Village Dermatology

Village Pharmacy

Bragg Junior National Young Leaders

Bragg Middle School 8th-grader Eliza Woods was chosen to participate in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. this summer.

GHS Vocal Association All-State

Gardendale High School student Gracie Hulsey was selected to participate in the Alabama Vocal Association All-State Festival.

SRES Attendance Winner

Landyn May is the Snow Rogers Elementary School attendance winner for February.

Bragg FCCLA

Bragg Middle School FCCLA members competed at the state level. Lauren Patterson, who competed in Entrepreneurship, and Hadlee Mason, who in competed in repurpose and redesign in the FCCLA State Competition, won gold medals and qualified for Nationals.

Bragg Students of the Month

Bragg Middle School announced its February Students of the Month. These students were chosen by their teachers (one student from each team) for their hard work, a great display of character, and their willingness to go above and beyond. Students of the Month are treated to lunch, courtesy of Buffalo Wild Wings in Gardendale.

Students of the Month

• 6th Maroon - Andrew Bean

• 6th Gray - Madison Nord

• 7th Maroon - Madalyn Ravizee

• 7th Gray - Leah Lamon

• 8th Maroon - Markee Garrett

• 8th Gray - Liam Peek

Bragg at the City Council

Principal Brad Robertson and members of the Bragg Middle staff attended a recent city council meeting to let the mayor, city council and the citizens of Gardendale know how much they appreciated the following projects listed below at their school.

Bragg Middle School was awarded $218,000. It was used in the following ways:

• Stage Curtain in Gym Replacement$22,714.00

• BMS Football Helmets, Pads, Equipment - $49,833.75

• BMS Tennis Tournament Assistance$3,328.10

• Bragg Baseball Equipment - $12,675.00

• BMS Outdoor Benches - $13,551.56

• BMS Math Team Competitions - $500

• BMS Bleacher Replacement - $111,470

• Limestone for Parking - $980

• 8th Grade Rockets for Science Classes - $2,039.40

Bragg Golf

Bragg’s golf team finished fourth place out of 12 schools at the Pizitz Invitational at Bent Brook Golf Club recently. Steven Cooper tied for fourth lowest score overall yesterday

Gardendale Elementary Character Education Students

GES announced its Character Education Students for February.

Rocket Radio

Gardendale Elementary School’s W-RKT Rocket Radio broadcast team had the privilege of touring Fox 6 News station recently.

SRES Students of the Month

Snow Rogers Elementary School announced its February Students of the Month.

Bragg Young Voices

The following Bragg Middle School students auditioned and were selected to participate in the Young Voices Festival: Faith Dunaway, Trillian Johnson, Parker McDuffie and Jaiden Coats. They will perform at the University of Alabama in April.

Bragg Black History Month Art Winners

Bragg Students competed in the school’s Black History Month Art Contest. The winner was Aviana Nguyen and the honorable mentions were Matilda DeGraaf and Emma Thrash.

GES Science Olympiad

GES’s Science Olympiad team placed in several events at Auburn University. Event awards went to the following:

• Categories - 1st place

• Write It Do It - 2nd place

• Weather or Not - 4th place

• Pentathlon - 4th place

• It’s Elemental - 4th place

• A it for Anatomy - 2nd place

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE DIP

A 10 minute, 4 ingredient strawberry cheesecake dip made with Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake rolls, cream cheese, Cool Whip and fresh strawberries. An easy shortcut strawberry dip for Valentines Day, Mothers Day or anytime you need an easy spring or summer dessert recipe.

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Total Time: 12 minutes / 24 servings / Calories: 110kcal

EQUIPMENT

Hand mixer

INGREDIENTS

1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened

5 Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake rolls from a 13-ounce box, divided (Six rolls come in a box. Enjoy the 6th one as a snack!)

1 (8-ounce) container frozen Cool Whip, thawed (or 2 cups sweetened whipped cream)

1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries (Optional, but so good with them!)

One whole strawberry for garnish (Optional)

Optional Garnish: Strawberry syrup or glaze*

Beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer until creamy.

Unwrap and crumble 4 1/2 of the strawberry shortcake rolls. SAVE the remaining half of a roll for the garnish.

With the mixer on low speed, mix in the crumbled cake rolls. If you want a smooth, thinner dip, go ahead and beat it on medium. If you like a few pieces of cake to show, take it slow.

With a flexible spatula, gently fold in the Cool Whip. If you prefer a thinner dip, you can just use the mixer to blend it in. See NOTE below.

Stir in the chopped fresh strawberries, spoon into a serving bowl and top with one strawberry sliced almost in half. Slice the remaining half of a shortcake roll into 3 slices. Place next to the strawberry on top of the dip.

You are ready to serve! To serve later, cover and chill in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

An optional garnish is to drizzle strawberry syrup or strawberry glaze on top of the dip.

NOTES

Watch out for Pepto pink colored dip. Be aware, the more you stir or mix the dip, the more the strawberry-flavored filling will turn the dip the familiar pink color.

Optional garnish drizzle: Strawberry glaze such as Marzetti can be found in the produce section by strawberries. Use a zip-top bag with the tip snipped with scissors to pipe the glaze into a drizzle on the dip.

Kathleen is a food blogger, food stylist, cookbook author, and former Oxmoor House test kitchen director (Southern Living cookbooks). On her food blog, GritsAndGouda.com, she creates Southern shortcut recipes. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.

LOCALLY MADE | LOCALLY SOURCED

cutting boards | Charcuterie trays

bathtub caddies | bed swings

stovetop covers | tables | planters

shelves | bookcases

custom orders accepted

facebook: @deogloriawoodworks

Instagram: @deogloriawoodworks

DEO GLORIA WOOD WORKS

Fultondale Elementary Learns CPR

Fultondale Fire and Rescue and EMS Officer Holliday helped train Fultondale Faculty and Staff in lifesaving CPR procedures during our staff development day.

Fultondale High School student named Academy of Craft Training Employee of the Month

Fultondale High School Student Gelin Banegas was selected as the Academy of Craft Training February Employee of the Month for Interior/Exterior Finishes.

Enon Baptist Church Read With Me Program

Enon Baptist Church’s Read With Me program gifted the book Ralph S. Mouse to all of Bryan Elementary School’s Second Graders.

Bryan Elementary Read Across America Week

Students at Bryan Elementary celebrated Read Across America Week recently with a series of activities and events.

Fultondale Fire visits Fultondale Senior Center

Wilma Rice and the Fultondale Senior Center staff and attendees invited Fultondale Fire and Rescue to breakfast recently.

Fultondale Elementary Runs Mercedes Marathon

Fultondale Elementary Students trained and ran in the Kid’s Mercedes Marathon. These students have been training and running at school during PE and finished their last mile at the Marathon event day.

North Jefferson Chamber of Commerce

North Jefferson Chamber of Commerce hosted its March Luncheon on March 5th at the Fultondale Event Center. The guest speaker was Loren Gibson, Putting Your Purpose Over Your Preference.

Fultondale High School Band Scholarships

Professor Robert Baxter III, Director of Bands at Stillman College, auditioned eight Fultondale High School seniors and offered a total amount of $196,000.00 in band scholarships.

First Baptist Church Mount Olive

First Baptist Church Mt. Olive hosted a Men’s Fish Fry event recently. Attendees heard a challenging message from our guest speaker Mike Mozingo, about men putting their faith in Jesus.

Bryan Elementary Science Olympiad

Congratulations to the Bryan Elementary Science Olympiad team. They placed 3rd at the Jacksonville High School Regional Tournament.

PHOTO BY CHRIS FINLEY

UPCOMING EVENTS

North Jefferson Chamber Luncheon

The North Jefferson Chamber Luncheon will be held on April 9 at 11:30 a.m.at the Fultondale Events Center. Lunch will be Moe’s Southwest Grill. Tickets are $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

Women in Business Luncheon

The North Jefferson Chamber of Commerce will host a Women in Business Luncheon on April 17 at 11:30 a.m. at the Fultondale Event Center. There will be games, a virtual photo booth, fantastic speaker, lots of networking and a craft.

Third Thursdays: Food Trucks Under the Lights

The third Thursday of each month, food trucks will gather at the Kimberly Truck Stop at 9178 Highway 31 in Kimberly, from 5 to 7 p.m. The event will feature different food trucks each month. The next event is April 18.

Citizen’s Handgun Familiarization Course

The Warrior Police Department will host its first annual Citizen’s Handgun Familiarization Course on May 11 from 8 a.m. to noon. This course is designed for people with little to no experience who wish to become more familiar with handgun safety, handling and operation.

To attend the class, attendees must provide their own handgun, ammunition, eye protections and ear protection and must wear closed-toe shoes. You must also be at least 21 and a citizen of Warrior.

If you are interested in attending, email Melissa Brannon at mbrannon@ warriorpolice.org. Spots will be limited.

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Miss Gardendale, Miss North jefferson Area, Miss River City and Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival Crowned

From left to right:

Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival Teen 2023 - Charlee Reid

Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival 2023 - Mikella Anderson

Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival 2024 - Alana Price

Miss Gardendale Magnolia Festival Teen 2024 - Brier Hight

Miss River City 2024 - Maddie McKenney

Miss North Jefferson Area 2024 - Samantha Hennings

Miss North Jefferson Area 2023 - Aleya Gilley

Miss North Jefferson Area Teen 2023 - Christina Norman

Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast

The annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast with Pam Huff as the featured speaker was held in late February at the Gardendale Civic Center.

Chamber Banquet

The annual Gardendale Chamber of Commerce banquet was held in early March.

Jersey Mike

Gardendale Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the New Jersey Mike’s location.

Gardendale Fire and Rescue hosts Boy Scouts

Gardendale Fire and Rescue hosted Boy Scout Troop 413, Mount Olive, for a station tour recently. They learned what firefighters do and saw the equipment they use.

Citizens of the Year

Walt and Sandy Thomas were named the 2023 Citizens of the Year at the annual Gardendale Chamber Banquet.

Also, Peggy Tumlin was named 2023 Ambassador of the Year, New Member of the Year is Pillar Chiropractic and Rehab, LLC, and Member of the Year is Smiles Forever, Dr. Ala Barakat and Staff.

Bragg Cheerleader Spirit Night

The Bragg cheerleaders will host a spirit event at Buffalo Wild Wings on April 1, beginning at 11 a.m. Just let the waitress know you are there for the Bragg cheerleaders.

Family Fun Golf Night

Gardendale Library will host a Family Fun Golf Night on April 5, 6-8 p.m. Weave in and out of our shelves with a different green around every corner. Light refreshments will be served.

Book Club

The Tuesday Book Club will meet at the Gardendale Public Library on April 9 at 10 a.m. The book for the month will be Fourteen Days, edited by Margaret Atwood. Call 205.631.6639 to request a copy of the April book selection.

Chamber of Commerce Luncheons

The Gardendale Chamber of Commerce Luncheons will be April 11, May 9, August 8, September 12, October 10, November 14 and December 12. Sponsorships are still available.

City-Wide Spring Cleanup

Gardendale Public Works will host a city-wide cleanup April 8-12. During that week, the department will offer curbside pickup of household items. Old appliances will be picked up, but no hazardous materials or building supplies. All items must be placed at the curb, but assistance is available for those who need assistance with getting the items.All pickups must be requested by April 10 at noon by calling 205.631.3394.

2024 Diecast Show and Hot Wheels Race

Gardendale Baptist Tabernacle will host the Diecast Show and Hot Wheels Race in the gym on April 13 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Admission is free, but the youth group will be selling food.

Magnolia Festival

The Magnolia Festival will be April 19 and 20 on Gardendale’s Main Street.

Strike Out Cancer

This year’s Strike Out Cancer will be a two-day event at Bill Noble Park. This year will be the 10th annual. If you are a survivor or interested in participating in the event, email Njrelayforlife@gmail.com or visit strikeoutcancergardendale.org

Dinko De Mayo

Gardendale Pickleball Club will host Dinko De Mayo May 3-5, 2024

Singles - Friday evening May 3, 2024

Women and Mens Double - Saturday - May 4, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Mixed Doubles - Sunday - May 5:00, noon - 6 p.m.

(Registration opens January 22, 2024)

Round Robin Format

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Bragg Band Spring Concert

The Bragg Band Spring Concert will be May 9 at 5 p.m. at Bragg Middle School.

Farmers Market

The Gardendale Farmers Market will open for the season on May 16, 2024, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. This year it will be at Bill Noble Park each Thursday until September 26.

Musicality Concerts and Family Day

Musicality will host a day of concerts and family on May 18, 2024, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. at the Gardendale Civic Center. It is free and open to the public. There will be performances by students and instructors or Musicality Studio.

Stock Little Free Library

Help us stock our Little Free Library! We are in need of children’s and young adult books in good to perfect condition to stock our Little Free Library (LFL) located by the soccer fields off of Fieldstown Road. Donations can be placed directly in the LFL or you can bring them to the front desk at the library and we will take them to the LFL when we visit weekly.

Historical Museum Hours

The Kermit E. Dooley Gardendale Historical Museum (170 Bell Street) will be open to the public every Thursday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

To have an item added to our calendar, please send information to rachel@jbmcmedia.com.

In the little moments and major milestones of childhood, we are here for our patients and their families – helping, healing, teaching and discovering.