a great event for every day

1 THURS

Tapas Wine Dinner. If you’re looking for something that will bring out your inner sommelier then look no further. Tonight Renae Mickler of Grape Expectations is hosting a tapas wine dinner at Cosmo’s in Five Points. Combining South American wines from importer Stephen Humphreys with dishes ranging from penne pesto to grilled peach pizza Cosmo’s is sure to be offering up many tasty treats tonight. For only $38 one can enjoy this fantastic opportunity to taste some food and wine pairings that are as interesting as they are delectable. Make sure to arrive by 6 p.m. and please call Cosmo’s at 205-930-9971 with any questions you may have.

2 FRI

Craft Bazaar. After work get your weekend kicked off down in Avondale with the 6th Annual Holiday Craft Bazaar in Avondale which starts at 5pm. Tons of artisans and crafters will be on hand at shops and area restaurants in Avondale such as Bottletree, Avondale Brewery, Silvertron Café and more. There will be oodles of unique handmade crafts available to ensure your success on finding a Christmas present for that somebody that is hard to shop for. So come see Avondale and make sure to stop by the new Avondale Brewery while down here craft huntin’, that place is cool!

3 SAT

Fun Run. This is a great event for all of you whom I see with the 13.1 or 26.2 stickers on the back of your hybrid SUV’s to come out complete the 5K and do something meaningful at the same time. Arc of Jefferson County is hosting its annual 5K and 1-mile fun run at Oak Mountain State Park this morning. As usual all proceeds will benefit both kids and adults with intellectual disabilities. Pre-registration fees are $20 for the 5k and $15 for the 1-mile fun run. Upon entry the participants will receive an official race t-shirt as well as a gift bag. Registration begins at 7 am and the run starts at 8 am. Please call 205-705-1809 with any questions.

4 SUN

Cirque Dreams Holidaze. Thanksgiving is over and it is now December which means Christmas is upon us! The critically acclaimed Broadway hit Cirque Dreams Holidaze comes to the BJCC Concert Hall this weekend to kick off the Christmas celebration this year. This show will have you thinking of a white Christmas as acrobats and performers clad in all sorts of Christmas attire scale the 24 foot tree and sing and dance in this winter wonderland. This is a great show for all ages to see so make sure to come out tonight to the BJCC to get the holiday season kicked off correctly. Please call the BJCC for tickets and times.

5 MON

Christmas at BRL. Okay so now that you have already seen Cirque Dreams Holidaze this weekend it’s time to decorate and light the tree! Stop by the North Birmingham Regional Library to enjoy Christmas music and refreshments as all of the Christmas trees are decorated and lit for this holiday season. Stop by early so you don’t miss out on all of the good stuff to get into the Christmas cheer. All ages are welcomed.

6 TUES

Tree Lighting. I know that sometimes Monday’s can be tough and if you missed out yesterday on lighting the trees at the library then have no fears because the annual City of Birmingham Christmas Tree Lighting, Lighting Up The ‘Ham, is tonight! Great holiday music will be performed on the main state as the 4th Avenue Christmas Parade rolls by. There will be arts and crafts for the kids as well as an opportunity to chat it up with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Also, several great prizes are to be had including several Birmingham holiday hams which will be given away. The Christmas excitement goes from 5-7pm at Linn Park tonight. Want more info? Call 205-2542391.

7 WED

Remember Pearl Harbor. Straying away from the Christmas motif which this “8 days” has developed brings us to this day which is as historically important as it is personally important to me. Seventy years ago today my Grandfather was aboard a Destroyer, the USS Bagley, at Pearl Harbor when Japan launched their infamous sneak attack. Before he passed over a decade ago my grandfather explained how he walked on deck eating an apple, heard a plane and looked up just in time to see a Japanese torpedo plane passing so close that he would never forget the pilot’s face. After this he said, “All Hell broke loose”. So with all of this in mind and in memory of that day, the Library is screening a movie which won the Oscar for Best Picture, From Here to Eternity, which is a great movie about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Also, the screening will feature background information about the film’s production, actors and more. The screening is free and starts at noon at the Library’s Central branch location.

8 THURS

Where’s the beef? Okay, it has been two weeks since Thanksgiving and all of the turkey, stuffing and sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top is all gone. Which means now that the annual ‘week of leftovers’ is over it is safe to return to the restaurants! I love my turkey and dressing but come on, where’s the beef? I need a steak, preferably a filet, and I need it now. So I am going after work to get a filet at either Sweet Bones Alabama in the Summit or Michael’s. I understand we have a litany of fantastic steak houses in this town so if you disagree with my choices please feel free to call an audible. Happy hour here I come!