ANNUAL EVENTS

Spring

American Village Festival of Tulips

The American Village’s Festival of Tulips allows visitors to stroll through more than 70,000 blooming tulips with replicas of some of America’s most historic places as a backdrop. As the only you-pick tulip field in the region, visitors can take home armfuls of beautiful blooms. The event is typically open through mid-April, depending on bloom time. americanvillage.org

Mt Laurel Spring Festival

The Mt Laurel Spring Festival offers everyone the opportunity to shop Mt Laurel’s largest-ever street fair, savor dishes from the best local food trucks, listen to live music on the Bryson Square Stage and enjoy a day strolling the idyllic streets of one of Birmingham’s best neighborhoods. mtlaurel.com

Palooza in the Park

The city of Pelham invites the public to join in a celebration of the city each May. Festivities include arts and crafts, kids’ activities, live entertainment and various vendors. pelhampalooza.live

Oak Mountain Spring State Fair

The annual Oak Mountain Spring State Fair features attractions, rides, games, live music and food. Open hours, ticket prices and more information is available at Oakmountainstatefair.com. It’s typically held in April or May at Oak Mountain Ampitheatre, which is located at 100 Amphitheater Road in Pelham. oakmountainstatefair.com

Taste of Pelham

Guests can taste their way around Pelham without leaving Pelham Civic Center with a selection of dishes from local restaurants and caterers each year. The event, presented by the Pelham Library Guild, is typically held in April and is raising funds to build a new library. pelhamlibraryguild.com

Fire at the Foothills BBQ & Chili Cookoff

Teams from across the Southeast compete for the title of Grand Champion of this annual barbecue competition in April where judges award points for ribs, butt and chicken to determine the winner. The event is hosted by the Chelsea Kiwanis Club, which disperses proceeds to its charities, and money collected from the chili cook-off goes toward the Chelsea Fire Department’s Kids Fire Safety program. cityofchelsea.com

Montevallo Arts Festival

Artists from Alabama and around the Southeast fill along the wooded banks of Shoal Creek Park for this daylong festival in April, while musical groups perform on the Main Street Montevallo Music Stage. Food and refreshment vendors are always on site for this free family event too. montevalloarts.com

Calera Strawberry Festival

With Alabama strawberry season comes a reason to celebrate with live music, a kids zone, car shoe and a variety of food, arts and crafts and other vendors at Oliver Park. The event is typically held in April. caleraparkandrec.com

Shelby County Senior Picnic

The county hosts senior citizens ages 55 and older from across the area each May at the Shelby County Exhibition Center in Columbiana for a morning and lunch of food, fellowship and live music—plus door prizes and giveaways too. Those interested in attending are asked to register in advance. shelbyal.com

Xterra Triathlons & Trail Runs

Each May competitors come to Oak Mountain State Park for off-road triathlons and trail runs through Xterra. The main event combines a 1.5-kilometer swim, 3-kilometer mountain bike and 9.5-kilometer trail run, with spots for the XTERRA World Championship up for grabs. A shorter distance sprint race is a 750-meter swim, 17.1-kilometer mountain bike ride and a 4.5- kilometer trail run, and an even shorter distance Xticer race mixes a fun 200-meter swim with a 9.5-kilometer mountain bike and 2-kilometer trail run. Runners can also compete in 5-, 10.3- and 20.6-kilometer trail runs. xterraplanet.com/ oakmountain