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Ho Ho Ho, Cotton State Santas

The Farmer's Market Cafe was site of a jolly gathering as over 70 Santas and Mrs. Clauses visited Montgomery for the bi-monthly meeting of "Cotton States Santas", an Alabama chapter of IBRBS - The International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas. Montgomery's River Region Santa along with a team of local Santa performers welcomed the guests with an excellent meal and program featuring "Santa Slate", a Montgomery-based African-American Santa who shared his story. This was the first time the group chose Montgomery as a meeting place and as CSS President Steve Rusk of Gardendale mentioned "The Capital City is a great location! She opened up and treated us well." The visitors left with gift bags consisting of a Montgomery guide book, a sample of ALAGA hot sauce, and anticipation of another excellent visit next year. Cotton States Santas are a group of over 200 professional Christmas Entertainers who meet regularly for fellowship and education. Meetings are held in different locations across the state. The next meeting will be in May at Guntersville.

America's Band, The Beach Boys @ MPAC May 17

On the evening of December 1 st , 1973 at The University of Delaware’s Lane Hall, a guitarist, a drummer, and their rhythm guitarist set up their gear – including a borrowed PA – on the small bandstand. Though the three-piece band had only rehearsed once or twice, guitarist George Thorogood and drummer Jeff Simon had been bashing out covers of songs they loved – including ‘No Particular Place To Go’, ‘Madison Blues’ and ‘One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer’ – in suburban Wilmington basements since they were teens. For Thorogood, Simon, and long-time Destroyers Bill Blough, Jim Suhler and Buddy Leach, their Bad All Over The World – 50 Years of Rock Tour will be a celebration like no other. “People may love our records, but our live performances leave the ultimate impression,” George explains. “We’re all blue-collar guys; if we don’t kick ass on stage every night, it’s back to working at the car wash.” For the past half a century – and with no signs of slowing down – they’ve kicked ass with their 50 Dates/50 States Tour; delivered landmark performances at Live Aid and on SNL; opened club gigs for Muddy Waters and stadiums for The Rolling Stones; and remain one of the most reliable/formidable live acts in the world, with 2022’s run of nearly 100 shows in 17 countries across 3 continents including Europe and Australia – plus a top-selling U.S. summer tour with Sammy Hagar – being one of their biggest years yet. www.mpaconline.org

Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest Opens August 1

The 2024 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest will begin accepting entries on Tuesday, August 1, 2023. This year’s contest is a joint project between the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) and the Alabama Tourism Department. The deadline to enter is October 31, 2023.

As The Beach Boys mark more than a half century of making music, the group continues to ride the crest of a wave unequalled in America’s musical history. The Beach Boys –who have become synonymous with the California lifestyle around the world. Since the band’s co-founder, lead-singer and chief lyricist Mike Love penned the lyrics to The Beach toppers have become eternal anthems of American youth: “Surfin’ USA,” “Surfer Girl,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around,” “California Girls,” “Help Me Rhonda,” “Barbara Ann,” “Good and “Kokomo.” The Beach Boys have sold over 100 million

The 2024 photo contest will focus on traditional photography techniques and the use of handheld cameras. No cellphone, smartphone, game camera, or drone photography will be chosen as winning photos for nine of the 10 categories. Smartphone and tablet photos will be accepted in the Young Photographers category. The photo contest is open to state residents and visitors alike, but qualifying photos must have been taken in Alabama in the past two years. Any amateur photographer not employed by ADCNR is encouraged to enter. A total of 10 photos per person may be entered in the following categories. You may enter all 10 in one category or among several categories. 2023 Outdoor Alabama Photo Contest Categories

Platinum and Gold record awards. The Rock And Roll Hall of Famers where also honored at the 2001 Grammy Awards with the Lifetime Achievement Award. With more than five decades of touring under their belts, The Beach Boys have performed more concerts than any major rock band in history. Montgomery performance at MPAC, Wednesday, May 17. For tickets visit www.mpaconline.org

• Alabama State Parks

• Birds

• Bugs and Butterflies

• Cold-blooded Critters

• Nature-Based Recreation

• Scenic

• Shoots and Roots

• Sweet Home Alabama

• Wildlife

• Young Photographers (ages 17 and under). For complete 2024 category descriptions and contest rules, visit www.outdooralabama.com/photocontest. ADCNR promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through four divisions: Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. Learn more at www.outdooralabama.com

@ The Capri, The Miracle Club, August 4-7

Set in 1967, The Miracle Club is a heartwarming film that follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates), and Dolly (Agnes O'Casey) of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalizing dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, that place of miracles that draws millions of visitors each year. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it. However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie (Laura Linney) arrives in Ballygar for her mother's funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie, a skeptical traveler, joining in place of her mother. The glamor and sophistication of Chrissie, who has just returned from a nearly 40-year exile in the United States, are not her only distancing traits: Old wounds are reopened along the way, forcing the women to confront their pasts even as they travel in search of a miracle. Their shared traumas can only be healed by the curative power of love and friendship. www.capritheatre.org