Fun-filled events planned for the weekend
Rocket City Fair
May 17-27
Monday- Thursday: 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday: 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturday: 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (until 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 26th)
Memorial Day, May 27th: 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The Rocket City Fair returns to Joe Davis Stadium for its 10th-Anniversary celebration. Experience more than 25 carnival rides, Lady Houdini, Jason D’Vaude: One-Man Circus Sensation, the Aguiar Family thrill show, an exotic animal petting zoo, and so much more. Enjoy your favorite fair food with options like Funnel Cakes, Corn Dogs, Fresh Squeezed Lemonade, Pizza, Turkey Legs, Candied Apples, Cotton Candy, and more. Tickets are available online or onsite at the ticket booth. Ride tickets and wristbands are sold separately.
Concerts on the Dock: Russell Cook & the Sweet Teeth
Friday, May 17
6-9 p.m.
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
2211 Seminole Drive
No admission charged, parking $5
www.lowemill.net
The Sweet Teeth began as Russell Cook and Scotty Knight getting together to play some songs on a Wednesday, and then the next Wednesday, and then every Wednesday. When a neighbor suggested inviting his friend Jeremy Clark to sit in on drums, it quickly became something very different than two guys with guitars. Performing new songs not yet recorded, and drawing from the extensive catalog of songs written over the course of six albums for Cook’s other project, Little Country Giants, Russell Cook & the Sweet Teeth explore the electric side of traditional music, folk and blues, jazz and honkytonk, rock and roll, and old time. The Sweet Teeth try to push it to see where it’ll go, using songs as the structure, but staying open to improvisation and playing in the moment.
Food Truck All-Stars – Dinner Edition
Friday, May 17
Recurring monthly on the 3rd Friday
5-9 p.m.
Church Street between Big Spring Park East and West
No admission charged. Food and drink for purchase.
www.downtownhuntsville.org
Have dinner in Big Spring Park with live music adding to the atmosphere.
Friday Night Art Walk
Friday, May 17
5-8 p.m.
Downtown Huntsville Square
100 Northside Square
No admission charged
Come walk around all four sides of the historic Downtown Square, check out art and artisan goods from over 60 local vendors, and enjoy live music, an open entertainment district, and world-class people and puppy watching! Grab a drink or stay for dinner at one of several spots throughout the district.
Friday Night Live
Recurring weekly on Friday
5-8 p.m.
Downtown Huntsville
Northside Square
No admission charged
www.downtownhuntsville.org
Come enjoy free music on the sidewalks and kick off your weekend right.
North Alabama Radio Control Association (NARCA) CUB Fly-in
Saturday, May 18
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Epps Field, Harvest
The North Alabama Radio Control “Airplane” Club will have its annual CUB Fly-in on Saturday, May 18, at Epps Field in Harvest. It is located at the corner of Harvest Rd and Carroll Rd just a mile west of Harvest Post Office. Signs will be on the road to guide you. Bring your AMA card if you are not a club member so you can fly.
The Event for the day is CUB Fly. If you have a Cub bring her and fly. If you do not have a Cub, bring a plane and fly and have fun with the NARCA members. Bring the family. There will be food, hamburgers and hot dogs and drinks at the concession. The field will open at 10 a.m. and close about 6 p.m. Contact Cliff Lanham at 256-325-3775 or email clanham@knology.net for more information.
Madison City Farmers Market
Saturday, May 18
8 a.m. – noon
Beside Trinity Baptist Church
1088 Hughes Road, Madison
www.madisoncityfarmersmarket.com
Madison City Farmers Market is Madison’s original local, producer-only farmers market, founded in 2007. Everything sold at the market is grown or crafted by local farmers and craftspeople. Madison City Farmers Market vendors provide a wide selection of the freshest local veggies, fruits, cheese, eggs, meats, milk, herbs, honey, jams, relishes, home-baked goods, plants and flowers.
Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Duo Sonic
Saturday, May 18, 7 p.m.
Tangled String Studios
2211 Seminole Drive RR #7
Admission charged
Known as a “musician’s musician,” Alvin Youngblood Hart’s praises have been sung by everyone from Bob Dylan to guitar gods Eric Clapton & Mick Taylor. Alvin is a formidable and renowned guitarist and singer with a Grammy and a nomination to his credit. Get ready to be immersed in a fantastic rock, rhythm and blues experience in the premiere 130-seat listening venue at Tangled String Studios! Please feel free to bring your beverage of choice.
Car Boot Sale
Saturday, May 18
Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment
2211 Seminole Drive
Free admission
www.lowemill.net
Second hand, made by hand or made by the earth, simply put, this outdoor market is sure to offer anything a classic ‘yard sale’ could and then some. Based on the ridiculously popular British model, it’s pne part flea, one part craft and two parts Alabama. Browse a huge selection of antiques, jewelry, vintage and casual clothing, 90’s CDs, cartoon lunch boxes, furniture, tools, and original artwork. As always, we invite farmers and growers as well. If you are seeking a unique or one of a kind item you can’t seem to find anywhere else, chances are you will find it here. Come haggle with local sellers and get the deal you have been hunting for ages.
Heads-N-Tails Crawfish Boil & Craft Beer Garden
Saturday, May 18
3-9 p.m.
Von Braun Center South Hall
700 Monroe Street
No admission charged. Food and drink for purchase.
Enjoy great food, craft beer, music, and entertainment with friends and family! The Craft Beer Garden will feature even more great selections. An array of seafood will be available for purchase along with your favorite beverages. Hear live zydeco music from 6-9 pm.
Planetarium Show
Saturday, May 18
Doors open at 7 pm, program at 7:30 pm
Von Braun Astronomical Society Planetarium
Monte Sano State Park
Admission charged
www.vbas.org
Von Braun Astronomical Society members and guest speakers present a variety of astronomy related programs in the Planetarium. Weather permitting, you’ll enjoy viewing the night sky through our telescopes. Check the website for a program schedule.
Roller Derby Double Header
Saturday, May 18
4-9 p.m.
Insanity Complex
100 Skate Park Drive
Admission charged
Dixie Derby Girls is a Women’s Flat Track Derby Association League member. Prior to each bout, the co-ed Junior Rocket City Rebels skate. Dixie Derby Girls vs Muscogee Roller Girls at 7 p.m.
Backyard Jams Free Sunday Concert Series
Sunday, May 19, 5 p.m.
A.M. Booth’s Lumberyard
601 Meridian Street
(256) 715-7130
No admission charged
www.amboothslumberyard.com
Bring your appetite and your instruments for a free concert in Downtown Huntsville’s Backyard. The grill fires up at 5. It’s a celebration of music, food and fun and it’s all family-friendly. Hear some of the region’s best professionals and along with talented local musicians around The Lumberyard–join in, jam sessions pre and post show are encouraged.
A New Moon Rises: Views from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera
Huntsville Museum of Art
300 Church Street
(256) 535-4350
Admission charged
www.hsvmuseum.org
As the 50th anniversary of man’s first step on the moon nears, get ready to see the moon like never before. A New Moon Rises features amazing, large-scale, high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface taken over the last decade. Captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), the images are stunning: from historic Apollo landing sites to towering mountains rising out of the darkness of the lunar poles. Special admission price on Thursdays after 5 pm.
Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau
Huntsville Museum of Art
300 Church Street
(256) 535-4350
Admission charged
www.hsvmuseum.org
The gorgeous Art Nouveau designs of Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) are featured in this acclaimed exhibition drawn from one of the finest private collections of the artist’s work in the United States. Alphonse Mucha: Master of Art Nouveau features 75 works by the celebrated Czech master, whose expressive and seductive imagery helped shape the aesthetics of French Art Nouveau at the turn of the 20th century. Special admission price on Thursdays after 5 pm.
Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Celebration Moon Landing Reenactments
U.S. Space & Rocket Center Rocket Park
One Tranquility Base
Admission charged
www.rocketcenter.com
Experience a reenactment of the lunar landing daily at 2 p.m.
Apollo: When We Went to the Moon
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
One Tranquility Base
Admission charged
www.rocketcenter.com
To celebrate the Apollo 11 50th Anniversary, this exhibit will highlight what was “the Great Space Race”.
Burritt Backpack Explorers
Burritt on the Mountain
3101 Burritt Drive
Admission charged
www.burrittonthemountain.com
Just in time to celebrate Alabama’s Bicentennial, Burritt on the Mountain debuts its new and original discovery program for children and adults. Children ages 4-12 can choose one of 5 adventure backpacks filled with scavenger hunt clues for exploring nature trails, the historic park and barnyard plus Dr. Burritt’s marvelous mansion. A special keepsake is also included. Adults without children will enjoy Time Travel Trivia through 200 years of Alabama history.
Chinese Lantern Festival: The Wild (new extended hours!)
Daytime hours: 9 a.m. to closing. Evening hours: 5:30 p.m. with last admission taken at 9 p.m.
Huntsville Botanical Garden
4747 Bob Wallace Avenue
(256) 830-4447
Garden admission applies for daytime hours. Special pricing applies for evening hours.
www.hsvbg.org
Boasting more than 800 illuminated lantern displays, this festival will provide a stunning visual exhibition of Chinese art and culture. Enter “The Wild,” a world of life-size (sometimes larger than life) illuminated lanterns of wildlife from around the world (and dinosaurs!). Each of the lanterns is made by masters of the craft in Zigong, China’s center of lantern heritage.
