2017 Spring Parades and Festivals in Huntsville and North Alabama

If you’re looking for fun, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got all the 2016 Spring parades and festivals in Huntsville & North Alabama in one place. Peruse this list and then make your plans. Fun is in your future.

Ready for more spring related fun? Check out our full 2017 Spring Activities Guide  sponsored by the Heart of the Valley YMCA.

March

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Community Kite Festival

When: March 4 from 11AM-3PM
Where: John Hunt Park (map)
Cost: FREE! Bring your own kite, chairs & blankets welcome
More Info: Website

AshaKiran and the City of Huntsville invite you to the 4th Annual Community Kite Festival. Once again the theme is “Soaring for Social Justice,” and dozens of non-profit organizations will be showcased who who selflessly provide aid to marginalized demographics in our local community. Enjoy a beautiful afternoon filled with kite-flying, scrumptious foods, fellowship and entertainment while learning more about the wide-range of services offered throughout the city of Huntsville.

UCP’s 19th Annual “An Irish Evening”

When: March 10 from 6PM-9PM
Where: The Depot Roundhouse (map)
Cost: $25 each; one free child per adult ticket
More Info: Website | Facebook | 256-859-4900

A charitable way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! This annual event features Irish and international food and beverage samples from local vendors (included with ticket purchase), Celtic entertainment, and casual attire (wearin’ of the green is a must!) at The Depot Roundhouse in downtown Huntsville! UCP’s An Irish Evening will again feature live music by Bourbon & Shamrocks, fun and games with the Irish Society of North Alabama, a performance by the Fitness Arts Center Irish step dancers, visits with Irish Wolfhounds Kya & Phoenix, an extensive silent auction, dance tunes with Metropolitan DJ, and more. All proceeds from this annual fundraiser directly benefit UCP client services for more than 1,000 North Alabama families affected by a disability.

40th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

When: March 11 at 11:30 AM
Where: Downtown Huntsville, parade route here (map)
Cost: FREE to observe & march!
More Info: Website | Facebook

The 40thth annual Huntsville St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Saturday, March 11th at 11:30am in downtown Huntsville! Presented by the Irish Society of North Alabama, this annual tradition is a celebration of Irish culture & heritage in a positive family atmosphere. Check out the Parade Route on the website.

Huntsville Comic & Pop Culture Expo

When: March 18 from 10AM-5PM; March 19 from 12PM – 5PM
Where: VBC North Hall (map)
Cost: Adults $10-$15; Kids $5-10; Kids under 5 FREE
More Info: Facebook | Website

North Alabama’s biggest comic and pop culture expo…now two days and located in a much larger venue! The theme for the second year is “Level Up!” because like Mario eating a mushroom, everything is getting bigger. The main room will be 24,000 square feet plus several smaller rooms for all kinds of fun. The show will include Cosplay Contests, Kids’ Micro-Con, vendors, Artists/Authors Alley, a silent auction, discussion panels, workshops, special guests, food trucks and more! A portion of the proceeds will benefit Kids To Love, a North Alabama charity meeting the needs of local foster children.

April

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Good Day Kid’s Fest

 When: Saturday, April 8th from Noon – 4:00 PM
Where: Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment (map)
Cost: $5 to park, free admission, donations accepted
More Info: View Website | Get Good Day updates on Facebook

This 10th annual festival just for kids is brought to you by Lowe Mill and Rocket City Mom and is THE place to be on a beautiful Spring weekend. There will be music, food, Nerf battles, kid’s activities around the green, face painting, inflatables, and a scavenger hunt through the Mill. Headlining the event this year are The Happy Racers, a band that creates highly alternative music for kids that will make parent’s actually say, “WOW, this does not suck!”

9th Annual “Battle of the Buffalo” Chicken Wing Festival

When: April 8 from 2PM-7PM
Where: Big Spring Park (map)
Cost: $15
More Info: Website | Facebook

Come enjoy the best buffalo wings Huntsville has to offer at Round 9 of Battle of the Buffalo. This buffalo wing festival is hosted by the Theta Pi chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in honor of brother Paul “Fish” Salmon who passed away from leukemia in 2007 . This annual event donates all proceed to the Russel Hill Cancer Foundation at Clearview Cancer Institute and to our new partner, Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology to both fight cancer and provide cancer patients with comfortable care. This event has raised over $120,000 since the first round in 2009 and has quickly grown to be the southeast’s largest wing festival.

Inaugural Limestone Music Festival

When: April 14 from 7PM-9PM
Where: Limestone County Event Center (map)
Cost: $10
More Info: Facebook

The Inaugural Limestone Music Festival is April 14, 2017 from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Limestone County Event Center. Tickets are $10 and go on sale March 1. Tickets may be purchased from any East Limestone Band Student, at Chick Fil-A in Athens or from The Village Pizza on East Limestone Road. The festival features talented singers, songwriters, musicians and bands from North Alabama. Proceeds from this event go to support the East Limestone Band program, and three percent of profits up to $1000 will be donated to, County for A Cure, in support of the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

Spring Fest in Huntsville

When: April 21 -22, 2017
Where: Campus 805, Huntsville (map)
Cost: Advance tickets are $25 for one day or $40 for the weekend; Tickets are $30 per day or $50 for the weekend day of
More Info: Facebook | 256-489-3510 | View Website

Spring Fest brings live music, food and craft beer to the Butler Green between Yellowhammer and Straight to Ale breweries. And this year Spring Fest is expanding. The event will span two evenings, as Muscle Shoals comes to town on Friday night followed by a Saturday focus on the sounds and flavors of Nashville. Artists include: Dylan LeBlanc & The Pollies, John Paul White, The Deslondes, Lilly Hiatt, Great Peacock, Dexateens, and Cory Branan. Best for families with teens.

Bloomin’ Festival

When: April 22-23 from 9AM-5PM
Where: St. Bernard School & Abby (map)
Cost: $5 donation suggested; Children 5 & Under FREE. No pets please!
More Info: Website | Facebook

Bloomin’ Festival is a two day juried arts festival attracting thousands of visitors to the beautiful campus of St. Bernard Abbey and Prep School.  Located adjacent to the school is the world famous Ave Maria Grotto.  The picturesque landscape of stone cut buildings on the grounds of Alabama’s only Abbey provides a backdrop for the out-of-doors show.  More than 140 booths are filled with artists demonstrating and exhibiting their work.  The festival is the largest fundraiser annually for the operation and maintenance of the school.

Heads N Tails Crawfish Boil

When: April 22 from 3PM-9PM
Where: VBC South Hall (map)
Cost: FREE; food available for purchase
More Info: Website | Facebook

The 7th Annual Heads-N-Tails Crawfish Boil is a FREE family friendly event with face painting, inflatables and other activities to entertain the kids! Crawfish and other yummy food will be available for purchase alongside craft beer tastings and your favorite beverages. And what crawfish boil would be complete without Zydeco music? Experience Louisiana vibes with performances by Mambo Gris Gris from 3-6PM and Roux du Bayou from 6-9PM.

Paddle The Canal Festival

When: April 22 & 23
Where: Big Spring Park (map)
Cost: FREE for spectators
More Info: Facebook

Teams and individuals paddle their canoes and kayaks down Big Spring Canal in this unique downtown event! Spectators can enjoy music, food trucks, and a festival atmosphere. MaggieMoo’s, House of Kabob, What’s Popp’N and Pearl: Asian Cuisine will be in attendance, and the Talladega Superspeedway Pace Car will be parked in Paddler’s Park. The paddlers’ “race track” starts at the Rotary Plaza, goes around the first fountain, down the canal, down to Thrasher Memorial Fountain and back.

Panoply Arts Festival

When: April 28 5PM–9PM; April 29 10AM–9PM; April 30 12PM–7PM
Where: Big Spring Park, Huntsville (map)
Cost: Tickets are $10/day and children 12 and under receive FREE admission.
More Info: www.artshuntsville.org | (256) 519-ARTS (2787)

Each spring in the heart of the Rocket City the arts are in full bloom at the Panoply Arts Festival. The Festival celebrates music, dance, theatre, and the visual arts, making Panoply (as defined by Mr. Webster) a “magnificent, impressive array”! Three days of musical and visual arts, children’s activities, and performances – an experience that should be on every family’s Must List! Bring your favorite outdoor seating!

29th Annual St. Ann’s Seafood Festival and Big Fish Car Show

When: April 29 from 10AM-6PM
Where: Annunciation of The Lord Catholic Church in Decatur (map)
Cost: FREE; food available for purchase; $10 to participate in car show
More Info: Facebook

This year will mark the 29th anniversary of the St. Ann’s Seafood Festival! This long-standing Decatur event will again be held on the grounds of Annunciation of the Lord Catholic Church at 3910 Spring Ave. in Decatur. The culinary offerings will include seafood gumbo, catfish, shrimp pasta salad and hushpuppies. A selection of pastries and ice-cream will also be available. While the seafood is available in ‘to go’ containers, shaded outdoor seating areas will be available for those who want to dine in, taking advantage of the live music from area bands and allowing time to check out the adjacent Big Fish car show. This will be the second year for the Big Fish car show (10AM-4PM) and will serve to make the Seafood Fest more of a destination event for Decatur and the surrounding areas

MAY

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WhistleStop Weekend

When: May 5 from 4PM-11PM and May 6 from 10AM-11PM
Where: Huntsville Historic Depot (map)
Cost: Ages 11+ $25-35; Ages 3-10 $5-$10; Under 3 FREE
More Info: Website

Come have a toe-tappin, barbeque-eatin’ good time and best of all it’s all for a good cause. Activities include professional, amateur, and kids’ BBQ competitions, music, and the AL Corn Horn Championship! All proceeds benefit EarlyWorks Children’s Museum and educational programs for area children. Be sure to visit the Kid’s Zone, with lots of activities for the kids to enjoy!

Cullman Strawberry Festival

When: May 5  from 3PM-9PM and May 6 from 8AM-6PM
Where: Downtown Cullman (map)
Cost: FREE
More Info: Website | Facebook

Cullman StrawberryFest features the best strawberries and produce in North Alabama. Along with our outstanding music venue, classic car show, arts and crafts, and scrumptious food vendors, visitors can plan to spend the whole day shopping in the unique stores in our downtown district, dancing to a variety of music playing at the Festhalle or visiting our historic districts via guided tours provided by the Cullman County Museum.

Bridge Street Town Centre’s 2nd Annual Fido Fest

When: May 6 from 12PM-3PM
Where: Bridge Street Town Centre, near Monaco (map)
Cost: FREE
More Info: Website

The Bridge Street Town Centre’s 2nd Annual Fido Fest is the Ulti-Mutt day out for people and their dogs! Fido Fest 2017 will benefit the Greater Huntsville Humane Society, a 501(c) 3 organization that is a no-kill shelter dedicated to the humane care of all animals. This family-friendly day includes dog adoptions and a silent auction of whimsical dog houses, a signature dog bed from Orvis and a Heavenly Dog Bed from The Westin Huntsville, with all proceeds benefitting the Humane Society. Other activities include a Fido Marketplace (pet clinics, dog grooming service, boarding facility, obedience training), entertainment (music, balloon artist specializing in dog creations), a dog parade on the walking trail around the lake, a dog photo contest, free giveaways and refreshments.

Babypalooza

When: May 6 from 9AM-1PM
Where: VBC (map)
Cost: FREE
More Info: Website

The BlueCross BlueShield of Alabama Babypalooza Baby & Maternity Expo will help you connect to all of the wonderful resources, services, and boutiques in your area to help you with the newest member of your family. From health services to childcare centers you will be able to find everything you need under one roof in one day!

Bluegrass, Classic Car and Tractor Jamboree

When: May 13 from 11AM-6PM (Doors open at 8AM)
Where: Sharon Johnston Park (map)
Cost: $5; FREE for kids 12 and under
More Info: Website | Facebook | 256-379-2868 | [email protected]

Spend a fun day outside with bluegrass music at the stage and pavilions! Enjoy a car, truck, and tractor show as well as food vendors, crafts, jam sessions, cloggers and bluegrass bands. Bring your lawn chairs!

SoulStock

When: May 19 & 20
Where: Point Mallard (map)
Cost: FREE
More Info: Facebook

SoulStock is an annual outdoor Christian music and worship event in Decatur, Alabama. Completely free for the general public to attend, SoulStock is sponsored by churches, businesses, and individuals mostly in the surrounding communities. The event is a time each year for people to come together listen to great music, celebrate God, and hear the message of Jesus. The ultimate goal of Soulstock is to reach out to all individuals with God’s good news though the ministry of music.

Alabama Jubilee Hot Air Balloon Classic

When: May 27 & 28
Where: Point Mallard in Decatur (map)
Cost: FREE
More Info: Website | Facebook

The Alabama Jubilee Hot-Air Balloon Classic is held annually on Memorial Day weekend in Decatur, Alabama. Each year the Jubilee hosts about 60 local and national hot-air balloons at Point Mallard Park. Public admission is free of charge, and the weekend boasts many fun and exciting activities.