page_title: Birmingham, Alabama
section_title: Festivals
hierarchical_section_title: Birmingham, Alabama / Arts and culture / Festivals
caption_attribution_description: African Village in America: This half acre of yard sculpture at 912 Nassau Ave SW, 2 miles from downtown, Birmingham, Alabama, is a of dramatic example of visionary self-taught art and visionary environments. Joe Minter, a carpenter (b. 1935), explains that he had a revelation from God in 1989. He felt led to construct a monument to African American history rendered in found objects and house paint in his side yard. There are representations of African warriors watching their descendants’ struggles in Alabama; tributes to black scientists and military leaders; recreations of the epic civil rights confrontations in Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma; biblical scenes; a memorial to a little girl who was swept into a rain-swollen storm drain in 1999; and hand-lettered messages everywhere. In a piece on cultural self-criticism, Minter painted a series of street signs with names like ‘Self Hate Street,’ ‘Gang Warfare Street,’ and ‘Babies Having Babies Having Babies Self-Genocide Street.’ Visitors should knock on Minter’s front door before entering the side yard if his pickup truck is parked in the driveway; otherwise, they should view the art from the sidewalk.
context_page_description: Birmingham is a city in the north central region of the U.S. state of Alabama. With an estimated 2019 population of 209,403, it is the most populous city in Alabama. Birmingham is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous and fifth largest county. As of 2018, the Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 1,151,801, making it the most populous in Alabama and 49th-most populous in the United States. Birmingham serves as an important regional hub and is associated with the Deep South, Piedmont, and Appalachian regions of the nation.
  Birmingham was founded in 1871, during the post–Civil War Reconstruction era, through the merger of three farm towns, most notably Elyton. The new city was named for Birmingham, England, the United Kingdom's second largest city and then a major industrial city. The Alabama city annexed its smaller neighbors as it developed into a major industrial center based on mining, the iron and steel industry, and rail transport. Most of the original settlers were of English ancestry.
context_section_description: Birmingham is home to numerous cultural festivals showcasing music, films, and regional heritage. The Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival brings filmmakers from all over the world to Birmingham to have their films viewed and judged. This festival usually is scheduled in late August at eight venues around downtown. Screenings are concentrated at the Alabama Theatre. The Sloss Furnaces has an annual Halloween haunted attraction called "Sloss Fright Furnace". During the summer, Sloss Furnaces hosts an annual music and arts festival known as Sloss Music and Arts Festival, or Sloss Fest. Since it began in 2015, the festival has attracted hundreds of national headliners as well as local bands. In its first year, Sloss Fest had approximately 25,000 attendees over its two-day span.
  Another musical festival is the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival, presented at the end of August each year, concurrent with the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. This all-day festival features national and local jazz acts. In 2007, the festival drew an estimated 6,000 people. The Birmingham Folk Festival is an annual event held since 2006. It moved to Avondale Park in 2008. In 2009 the festival featured nine local bands and three touring "headliner bands".
  The Southern Heritage Festival began in the 1960s as a music, arts, and entertainment festival for the African-American community to attract mostly younger demographics. Do Dah Day is an annual pet parade held around the end of May. The Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil, an annual music festival event held in May to benefit local charities, always includes an all-star cast of talent. It typically draws more than 30,000 spectators for the annual two-day event. The annual Greek Festival, a celebration of Greek heritage, culture, and especially cuisine, is a charity fundraiser hosted by the Greek Orthodox Holy Trinity - Holy Cross Cathedral. The Greek Festival draws 20,000 patrons annually. The Lebanese Food Festival is held at St. Elias Maronite Church. Central Alabama Pride puts on LGBT events each year, including a festival and parade. Magic City Brewfest is an annual festival benefiting local grassroots organization, Free the Hops, and focusing on craft beer. Alabama Bound is an annual book and author fair that celebrates Alabama authors and publishers. Hosted by the Birmingham Public Library, it is an occasion where fans may meet their favorite authors, buy their books, and hear them read from and talk about their work. Book signings follow each presentation.
caption: Joe Minter's African Village in America is a half-acre visionary art environment near downtown Birmingham.
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