Bummed about all that might not be happening this summer with COVID-19? Here’s our list of what fun you CAN partake in even with social distance in Vestavia Hills and beyond.
IN VESTAVIA HILLS
Get Veggies from the Vestavia Hills Farmer’s Market
Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Scout Square, Highway 31
You can still shop local businesses and farmers’ selections at this weekly market with special safety measures in place due to COVID-19. The market has one entrance and one exit, and visitors are asked to follow directional signs, wear a mask and maintain 6 feet of distance from others. Learn more on their Facebook page.
Sign Up for Online Summer Reading
Starting May 22
No pandemic can stop you from summer reading! In fact, you might have more time for it than usual. Register for summer reading and log your books with the Vestavia Hills Library, and you can join in on their online programs for kids. You can start using their curbside pickup service beginning June 1 too.
Get a Sweet Treat
Start with a frozen one from Doodles Italian Ice or Bendy’s Cookies & Cream in Cahaba Heights, or Bruster’s Real Ice Cream or Roll Up on Highway 31. There’s always bakeries too: Klingler’s on 31, Lette Macarons and Crestline Bagel in Cahaba Heights, Café Iz in Rocky Ridge, and Big Sky Bread Company in Liberty Park.
Take a Hike
There are lots of woods to explore close to home! Try one of the trails behind the Library in the Forest that connects to Vestavia Hills Elementary Central or at McCallum Park on Rosemary Lane, where you can also explore Little Shades Creek. You can also find a short walking and biking trail adjacent to Lifetime Fitness and next to Altadena Valley Presbyterian Church behind a parking lot.
Shop Local + Eat Local
Highway 31, Rocky Ridge, Cahaba Heights and Liberty Park shops are mostly reopened and ready for shoppers! Browse them with a mask on with social distance in person, or many are still offering online and/or curbside options as well. Likewise, most restaurants have reopened patios and dining rooms with limited capacity, and are still offering to-go and curbside offerings too—perfect for al fresco dining in your backyard or a park picnic.
AND BEYOND
Drive in for Pop-Up Movies at The Summit
May 30+June 7
The Summit
Sidewalk Film Center is setting up (temporary) shop The Summit. Gates fo these drive-in movies open at 7 p.m., and the lot closes at 7:45 p.m. The movie begins at sunset, around 7:40 p.m. Pretty in Pink is on tap for May 30, and The Peanut Butter Falcon for June 7. Admission is $20 per car.
Take in a Concert from the Car
June 4, 11, 18, & 25
Hoover Met Complex
Who says you can’t rock on and social distance at the same time? The Black Jacket Symphony is returning to the stage to perform classic rock albums with the audio blasting directly into your car stereo. It’s like a drive-in movie but with music! Visit blackjacketsymphony.com for more information.
Watch Cardboard Puppet Theatre
Birmingham Children’s Theatre can’t host live shows for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t putting on shows. Each Wednesday at 9 a.m. they are releasing at Cardboard Puppet Theatre production on their website. Titles like Anita’s Vacation, Harris the Helper and Turtle Takes Her Time helps young audiences process these new and uncertain times, and they are all written, performed, filmed and edited by the BCT team. Watch them here.
Go Berry Picking
We all went strawberry picking to save our sanity in the spring. Now it’s blueberry season, or it will be by sometime between mid-June and early July. Find a list of farms that offer u-pick options here and be sure to pack a hat and bug spray. Trust us, it will be worth all the sweat for cobblers, muffins and smoothies in your future.
Visit the Virtual Zoo
The Birmingham Zoo is planning to open gradually this summer, but to tide you on animal visits over until then you can take a peek behind the scenes in its Virtual Zoo video offerings. Check them out here.
Run the Virtual I’m With Mike 5K
June 20
Last year summer you could run this 5K starting at Little Donkey in Homewood at a set time, but this summer you can start any time you want from the comfort of your own treadmill or favorite trail on Father’s Day weekend. Not only will you help save lives by supporting the Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research, but you also get a t-shirt! Learn more or register here.
Are there any local events and activities we should add to this list? Email them to our editor at mm@vestaviahillsmagazine.com.
