Welcome to the single greatest weekend of arts, culture, and music Tuscaloosa has ever had. We have music from a local band rising to stardom returning for a huge show, a band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and another that should be), art showcases from the best two art organizations in the area, and that’s just scratching the surface of this weekend’s slate. The 9th Annual Druid City Arts Festival presented by Cadence Bank has finally arrived! Saturday will be a great day of art, entertainment, food, and fun. Below are just a few of the best events going on, but hop over to visittuscaloosa.xyz/events for a full list that includes the NCAA gymnastics regional and Tuscaloosa Titans’ season tip-off.

 

Druid City Arts Festival

Tuscaloosa Tourism and Sports and Cadence Bank are looking forward to seeing you at the 9th Annual Druid City Arts Festival on Saturday, April 7, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Tuscaloosa’s Government Plaza! DCAF has had rich success in introducing new music and visual artists to Tuscaloosa’s community and has also provided a free day of fun and entertainment for everyone in the past eight years. This year it is going to be bigger and better than ever! Downtown Tuscaloosa will be an entertainment district from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm, so grab a drink and peruse the artwork from artists all over the country. DCAF will feature two-dimensional art, as well as pieces constructed out of clay, fiber, wood, glass, metal, and food. There will also be literature pieces, photography, jewelry, and mixed media. Caleb O’Connor, a local artist, will be on site demonstrating his artwork for everyone to view.
Local Roots, Steel City Pops, La Mexicana, Nothing Bundt Cakes, The Cypress Inn, South Fresh Farms, Jim ‘N Nicks and Chick Fil A are a few of the vendors that will be on site to serve up some delicious food. There will be musical performances all day by many local artists. In addition to the food and music, there will be a kid zone for the children to enjoy. It is going to be a fun community event for the whole family to enjoy. You can check out the list of artists and find out additional information about DCAF by visiting http://www.druidcityartsfestival.com. Be sure to use #DCAF18 and our Snapchat filter when sharing from the event.

 

Art Night at Kentuck

Art Night at Kentuck is a monthly celebration of art and artists from the local community. Join us at the Kentuck Art Center in Downtown Northport this Thursday night from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm in celebrating these artist’s masterpieces. This event is free and open to the public! Come see what Sydney Gruber has been working on in her studio in the Clarke Building! There will be open studios for all of the Kentuck Artists so you can see what we are working on and enjoy the raw creation process.

Teer Gallery:
Kentuck is honored to present a retrospective of work by local living legend Dr. Norman Ellis. A founding member of the Woodworkers Association of West Alabama (WAWA), the 96-year-old still mentors woodworkers in his studio. Ellis’s work consists of whimsical furniture handmade in the Mission style, which features exposed joints and focuses on the natural beauty of the wood used.

Museum Gallery:
It’s the last Art Night to visit The Juneaus’ expansive exhibit of Louisiana art. Pat Juneau and son Andrea create playful metal sculptures that exemplify the culture of Louisiana, while Suzanne and daughter Angelique create one-of-a-kind jewelry using precious and semi-precious stones combined with enameling and precious metals.

Courtyard of Wonders:
Pop-up shops and free cob oven pizza with dough from Mary’s Cakes and Pastries and fresh, locally grown produce from Snow’s Bend Farms. Live music by Jake Sandford and the Jake Sanford Orchestra. Kentuck’s Studio Artists will have open studios for browsing, learning, observing, and purchasing.

Gallery Shop:
Open until 8 pm; members get a 10% discount. Fire Ant and Big Dog members are invited to sample champagne.

 

First Friday

To continue with the theme of arts and culture, Friday night is First Friday Art Night. Downtown Tuscaloosa will transform into an entertainment district on Friday night. First Friday is completely free, and the galleries can’t wait to host you. Grab a drink and take a stroll through our magnificent galleries, such as the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center, Harrison Galleries, The Paul R. Jones Museum, O’Connor Art Studios and Grace Aberdean Habitat Alchemy. Visit firstfridaytuscaloosa.com for offerings and hours as they vary by location. This event generally begins at 5:30 and runs to 8 or 9 depending on location.

 

CBDB at Druid City Music Hall

This will be the funkiest weekend of the whole year, between CBDB and Parliament-Funkadelic, and the hometown heroes CBDB get first crack at funking you up on Friday night. This band is on the road to stardom and have a chance to define Tuscaloosa’s music culture in a way R.E.M. did for Athens, GA. This group has a big sound, great writing, and create the type of atmosphere at a show that you have to experience. Our favorite is Pschabongo and gets played on repeat around the Visit Tuscaloosa offices. They have played at many major festivals with high profile bands and will be blowing the lid off of Druid City Music Hall before embarking on a national tour with stops in DC, New York, and Philiadelphia. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the music begins at 9:00 pm.Visit druidcitymusichall.com to purchase tickets to witness the Tuscaloosa’s premier band, and preorder their upcoming album “Out of Line” on itunes or look for it on Spotify May 5.

 

Funkaloosa

George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic, Morris Day & The Time, and Sheila E will be funking up the Coca-Cola concert series “Funkaloosa.” The Parliament-Funkadelic collective has been around since the late 60’s and has been among America’s greatest funk icons for 50 years and included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Morris Day and Sheila E joining them makes this an all around incredible show that should not be missed under any circumstances. The doors open at 5:30 pm with the funky beats blasting from 7:00 pm until the funk is within you. This is the type of music that has to be experienced live to be truly heard. To purchase tickets visit ticketmaster.com. #WeWantTheFunk

 

Styx, REO Speedwagon, & Don Felder

Styx and Reo Speedwagon have teamed up and they will be rockin’ with special guest Don Felder on Sunday at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. The music begins at 7:00 pm and will have you groovin’ all night long. To purchase tickets visit the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater’s website.

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