America250AL

Alabama History Day
2026-04-09 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
What is Alabama History Day?

Alabama History Day is a state-level affiliate of National History Day, a year-long program that offers teachers a dynamic learning tool for the classroom — and offers students a creative way to engage with history. The Alabama Humanities Alliance presents History Day annually, with the competition open to all public, private, and home schools, grades 6-12.

Alabama History Day’s 2026 state contest takes place April 9, at American Village in Montevallo. It’s an ideal setting for this year’s History Day theme: Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History — inspired by the 250th anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence!

Participant Registration Ends: Friday, March 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM

REGISTER HERE: https://al.nhd.org/App?f=c06ad0e5-6033-4460-a989-9bad12fea43e

Participant Information Freeze: Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 11:59 PM

Judging Starts: Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 9:00 AM

Contest Starts: Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 8:00 AM

Awards Ceremony Start Time: Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 12:45 PM

Semiquincentennial Schools

We’re partnering with the America250AL initiative for commemorations of America’s 250th anniversary. And if your school is participating in Alabama History Day, you’ll likely also enjoy becoming a Semiquincentennial School in Alabama!

Special Awards

Each year, a variety of Special Awards are offered during the Alabama History Day contest to recognize student achievement in particular topic areas. Many of the awards come with cash prizes from our partners.

Contact Us

Got AHD questions? Want to bring a History Day teacher workshop to your school? Contact Program Coordinator Idrissa N. Snider, Ph.D., at 205.558.3996 or isnider@alabamahumanities.org.

Chronicle of America
2026-04-09 00:00 - 2026-04-11 23:59
Public viewing of venue April 9-10 from 3- 7 PM both days and all day Saturday, April 11. School day events on April 9-10 at 9 AM, 11 AM, and 1 Pm. This is a free event.

Proclamation Signing
2026-04-08 11:30 - 13:00 | Enterprise Civic Center, 2401 Neil Metcalf Rd, Enterprise, 36330, United States
Enterprise Mayor William E. Cooper will formally recognize the City of Enterprise’s designation as an America250AL Semiquincentennial City during a proclamation ceremony at the upcoming Fort Rucker–Wiregrass Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) luncheon on Wednesday, April 8. Members of the community are invited to attend by purchasing a ticket. Tickets, which include a catered lunch, are $25 per person or $200 for a table of eight. Businesses and individuals are encouraged to sponsor seats for active duty servicemembers and veterans, allowing members of the military community to attend as guests of local supporters.Reservations can be made by contacting Tanya Hatley at tanyahatley@gmail.com or 931-980-3963.

We the Readers - The Grapes of Wrath
2026-04-07 13:00 - 14:00 | Downtown Huntsville Library, 915 Monroe St Southwest, Huntsville, 35801, United States
Celebrate the 250th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence this year at the Downtown Huntsville Public Library with a search for The Great American Novel.

This month we are reading The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. First published in 1939, Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize–winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads, driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into haves and have-nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man’s fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman’s stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes the very nature of equality and justice in America. As Don DeLillo has claimed, Steinbeck “shaped a geography of conscience” with this novel where “there is something at stake in every sentence.” Beyond that—for emotional urgency, evocative power, sustained impact, prophetic reach, and continued controversy—The Grapes of Wrath is perhaps the most American of American classics.

Heritage Days
2026-04-07 00:00 - 2026-04-12 23:59
For the fourth annual Heritage Days, Trussville welcomes back the Gee’s Bend Quilters for a welcome event and quilting workshop sponsored by AmFirst; country music singers/songwriters Nashville to Trussville music event at The Gateway – Trussville Entertainment District presented by Trimm Design Build; and the Alabama Plein Air Artists painting the Cahaba Homestead Village with an exhibition to follow at the Trussville Public Library!

Ozark Crawdad & Music Festival
2026-04-04 09:00 - 18:00 | Downtown Ozark, S Union Ave, Ozark, 36360, United States

Mobile River Cruise with John Sledge
2026-04-02 09:00 - 12:00
Join us as park friend John S. Sledge, author of the award-winning book, The Mobile River, narrates a three-hour cruise across the Mobile-Tensaw Delta and down the storied Mobile River leaving a wake of history—some previously untold—behind. An authority on local history and an accomplished story teller, Sledge helps bring people, places and events from this area’s rich past to life. Signed copies of Sledge’s books will be available for purchase following the tour.

212th Anniversary of the Battle of the Horseshoe
2026-03-28 09:00 - 16:00 | Horseshoe Bend National Military Park, 11288 Horseshoe Bend Rd, Daviston, 36256, United States
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park will host the 212th Anniversary of the Battle of the Horseshoe on Saturday, March 28, 2026. This free family-friendly event emphasizes the importance of The Battle of Horseshoe Bend in U.S. history through interactive living history demonstrations.

To Kill A Mockingbird Play
2026-03-27 00:00 - 2026-05-02 23:59 | Monroe County Heritage Museum, 31 N Alabama Ave, Monroeville, 36460, United States
The stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird is a truly special experience. Performed in the Old Courthouse Museum, it allows attendees an opportunity to transport themselves back to the time of the book’s setting. Keeping the tradition of the era, any white male over the age of 18 can be called for jury duty. If selected, he will be asked to sit with the jury during the courtroom scene.

The first performance of the Spring 2026 production of Dramatic Publishing’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird will be Friday, March 27th, 2026. The play lasts approximately 2 hours and has two acts, one outside and one inside. In the event of inclement weather, Act I will be performed inside, and then Act II will begin.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mockingbirdcompany/

Wilcox Historical Society Tour of Homes with Guest Speaker Charlie Hurt
2026-03-27 00:00 - 2026-03-28 23:59
Join us for a fascinating tour of Furman, Alabama. 10 homes, 2 churches, and more await, including guest speaker Charlie Hurt. As we celebrate the nation’s 250th Anniversary, Mr. Hurt will give a fascinating presentation on our Founding Fathers and America’s early history, Friday, March 27th, at historic Wakefield in Furman.

To get tickets go to:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1977687313994?aff=oddtdtcreator

Historic Furman, Alabama, is the site of the Wilcox Historical Society’s Tour of Homes, Saturday, March 28, 2026. This year’s tour includes ten beautiful homes, two churches, antebellum civic buildings, and more. Come celebrate our nation’s 250th Anniversary in Wilcox County!

America250 Alabama Service and Food Donation to Selma Area Food Bank
2026-03-25 09:00 - 11:30
Join us to help box items for central Alabama families from a 30,000 lb. food donation by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Selma Area Food Bank! Our service is part of our celebration of this nations semiquincentennial. We love our fellow Alabamians, and invite you to show your love alongside us in this effort to feed the hungry in our state.

Red, White and Bulls: America250Alabama Night on Ice
2026-03-21 19:00 - 22:00 | Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena ​, 500 Amphitheater Rd, Pelham, 35124, United States
The night’s focus is military appreciation. Doors open at 6:00pm

The gameday experience will include:A Block Party from 4pm – 6pm on the patio in front of the Pelham Civic Complex featuring kids activities, military and first responders vehicles and concessions.Ceremonial Puck DropColonial Color Guard and National Anthem

Southeastern Livestock Exposition Rodeo
2026-03-20 00:00 - 2026-03-22 23:59
Friday: 7 PMSaturday: 1 PM & 7 PMSunday: 2 PM

Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival
2026-03-20 00:00 - 2026-03-22 23:59 | Downtown Fairhope, 18 N Church St, Fairhope, 36532, United States
March 20-22 10AM-1PM

Recognized as one of the nation’s top arts and crafts festivals, this event transforms Fairhope’s charming downtown into a gallery of fine art and handmade crafts. With artists from across the country, live demonstrations, and a welcoming atmosphere, it’s a must-visit for art enthusiasts seeking inspiration. Fairhope Festival honors craftsmanship and community —cornerstones of America’s cultural heritage as we mark 250 years.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/fairhopeartsandcraftsfestival

"Desirous of establishing permanent peace": Alexander McGillivray, George Washington, and the Treaty of New York
2026-03-15 14:30 - 16:30 | Elmore County Courthouse, 100 E Commerce Street, Wetumpka, 36092, United States
This will be presented on Sunday, March 15 at 2:30 p.m. on the 2nd floor of the historic Elmore County Courthouse, 100 E. Commerce Street, Wetumpka, AL 36092

Battle of Fort Charlotte
2026-03-14 13:00 - 14:00
Colonial Fort Condé, in collaboration with the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, is proud to present “The Battle of Fort Charlotte”! In recognition of the only battle from the American Revolution to occur in Mobile, we invite guests to partake in a unique living history event about the battle between Great Britain and Spain for control of Mobile.

On Saturday, March 14th, guests are invited to witness the actual battle told from the point of view of the British and Spanish officers and soldiers in and around Fort Charlotte. The reenactment by our own living history interpreters and other groups from the Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez, Waldeck 3rd Regiment, Ewalds Jaeger Co., Gulf Coast Artillery, and other reenactment groups from the Southeast will take place at 1:00pm at Fort Condé and will last around 45 minutes. Guests will be able to interact with the living history interpreters before and after the reenactment between 9:00am – 5:00pm.

We are thrilled to be joined by Dennis Carlos, an accomplished artist, historian, and living history reenactor with over two decades of experience, who will play the role of Bernardo de Gálvez and show how his actions and Spain’s contributions helped America succeed in becoming an independent nation. The role of Spain in the birth of the United States is a little known and little understood aspect of U.S. independence. Gálvez is best remembered for his victory at Pensacola that aided the American war effort and made him a hero to both Spain and the newly independent United States. He was officially recognized by George Washington and the United States Congress for his aid during the American Revolution.

Admission to Colonial Fort Condé and the reenactment is free! Attendees are encouraged to wear colonial-era clothing to enhance the authenticity of the event and deepen their engagement with the experience. PLEASE NOTE: Gun and cannon fire will occur as part of this event. Attendees with hearing sensitivities are encouraged to bring appropriate hearing protection.

Questions? Contact Kyle Williams, Curator of Living History: k.williams@historymuseumofmobile or 251-544-5480.

We the People (Ongoing through Sept. 7th)
2026-03-14 00:00 - 2026-09-07 23:59 | Burritt on the Mountain, 3101 Burritt Dr., Huntsville, 35801, United States
We the People

Get ready to travel back in time! In honor of America’s 250th birthday, Burritt on the Mountain is turning history into hands-on fun for the whole family.

Step into the Past-Wander through real 19th-century houses that families lived in long ago! Each one has amazing stories waiting for you to discover.

Play, Create, and Explore-Kids, ages 4–12, can jump into exciting activities:• Old-fashioned games that let you play like children in the 1800s• Heritage crafts and skills that let you see what it was like to make things for your family and home before modern conveniences• Panning for gemstones and fool’s gold at the sluice like the prospectors did during the Alabama gold rush of 1829.• Searching for the answers to the We the People scavenger hunt

Learn Your Way-At each stop, find a few fun facts about the families that lived in the houses located in our historic park. Their stories are typical of the 250 years of America’s history. It’s a day packed with discovery — celebrating the people, places, and moments that shaped our nation. Don’t miss this chance to make history come alive!

Orange Beach Festival of Art
2026-03-14 00:00 - 2026-03-15 23:59 | Coastal Arts Center, 26389 Canal Road, Orange Beach, 36561, United States
March 14 10AM-5PM | March 15 10AM-4PM

This coastal festival showcases visual, performing, and culinary arts with over 100 vendors, offering everything from paintings to live performances to gourmet dishes. Set in a scenic waterfront location in Orange Beach, it’s a vibrant celebration of creativity that draws artists and visitors from across the region. 250th-Year Sentence: The festival captures how regional creativity and culture weave together to tell the story of America’s diverse identity.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/OBFestivalofArt

Gálvez and the Gulf
2026-03-13 18:00 - 21:00
You are invited to a special evening at the History Museum of Mobile as part of the America&Spain250 initiative, led by the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute (QSSI), and in collaboration with Alabama250.

The America&Spain250 initiative aims to bring greater visibility to Spain’s role in the history of the United States through public events and educational programming. This event will focus on the history of the Gulf Coast during the American Revolution, including the Capture of Mobile and the leadership of Bernardo de Gálvez. This event marks the first America&Spain250 program ever presented in Alabama.

Program — Friday, March 13 (6:00–7:30 PM)

Auditorium, History Museum of Mobile

Welcome remarks

Presentation of the America&Spain250 initiative by Begoña Santos, President & CEO, QSSI

Reenactment of Bernardo de Gálvez

Lecture by Mike Bunn

Lecture by Prof. Thomas Chávez

Moderated conversation and audience Q&A

Reception — (7:45–9:00 PM)

Richards-DAR House Museum (located 15 mins walking from the Museum)

Address: 256 N Joachim St, Mobile, AL 36603

Celebrate with a Debate
2026-03-12 18:00 - 19:30 | Vestavia Hills Civic Center, 1090 Montgomery Hwy, Vestavia Hills, 35216, United States
Debate is as American as apple pie! Join us for dinner and live debate presented by The Vestavia Hills Rotary Club and Vestavia Hills High School Debate Team. March 12th 6pm at Vestavia Hills Civic Center. Go to http://www.vestaviarotary.org for tickets, $65, and more information.

Revolutionary Alabamians: People Who Made a Difference
2026-03-11 18:30 - 19:30
What does it truly mean to be revolutionary in Alabama? Join Vulcan Park & Museum for an engaging and inspiring panel discussion celebrating Alabamians who have shaped their communities through courage, creativity, and conviction. Revolutionary Alabamians: People Who Made a Difference explores how meaningful change happens—not only through protest or politics, but through art, education, public service, and community leadership. *Admission is FREE!

Religion and the American Founding Conference *BYU Livestream*
2026-03-11 00:00 - 2026-03-12 23:59
The private, digital-first National Museum of American Religion tells the story of how religion shaped America and how America shaped religion. This includes the establishment of religious freedom in the U.S. constitution’s Article VI and Bill of Rights religion clauses.

We are holding the subject conference at BYU in March, and want to make sure the history teachers in Alabama know about it as our focus is high school history students. It is free and open to the public. Registration required for in-person but not for livestreaming, which is also available.

Tannehill's Living History
2026-03-07 00:00 - 2026-03-08 23:59
This will be and all day event starting at 9:00am. In the morning, visitors will be treated to historical presentations throughout the park. These will include souvenier iron pours from Alabama Art Casting; presentations on the history and inner workings of the Tannehill furnace and gristmill, and an open house of craftsmen teaching how things were made in the 1800’s.Beginning at 2:00, The Alabama Division of Reenactors will reenact a Civil War Skirmish. Their camp and “The Town of Bucksville” will be available to peruse throughout the day.

Pricing: $10 for Adults; $8 for Veterans and Active Military; $5 for Children ages 6-11; free for ages 5 and under.Season Pass holders get in free.

Ballyhoo Festival
2026-03-07 00:00 - 2026-03-08 23:59 | Gulf State Park, 20110 AL-135, Gulf Shores, 36542, United States
March 7 9AM-5PM | March 8 10AM-4PM

Free to the public | Gulf State Pier and Gulf State Pavilion Parking – $10

The Ballyhoo Festival of Fine Art and Culture will celebrate its 12 year in March. Over 110 juried artists will have displays and will be given judge for $6,000 in cash prize This festival celebrates indigenous heritage and early Americana Appalachian music in the form of a Fiddle and Banjo Competition with $4,000 in awards, fostering cultural exchange through performances, workshops, and art displays. Set against the backdrop of Alabama’s stunning Gulf Coast, it highlights Native American traditions alongside folk and bluegrass music, creating a unique blend of history and artistry. Ballyhoo Festival highlights over 100 artists and the diverse roots of American culture, honoring indigenous and early musical traditions foundational to our nation’s identity.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BallyhooGulfShores/

Bridge Crossing Jubilee
2026-03-05 00:00 - 2026-03-08 23:59 | Downtown Selma
Most events are free; there is a charge for specific events

This historical celebration honors the civil rights movement with music, reenactments, and events centered around the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of the 1965 Bloody Sunday march. It’s a powerful tribute to justice and resilience. The Jubilee, anchored by the Edmund Pettus Bridge, honors the resilience and civil rights struggles that have shaped America’s pursuit of justice over 250 years.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/officialselmajubilee

The John S. Steiner Endowed Lecture Series Presents: “Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era”
2026-02-28 11:00 - 12:00
For this year’s UA Museums’ John S. Steiner Endowed Lecture, author and historian Mike Bunn is giving a free public presentation titled “Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era” at The University of Alabama’s Math and Science Education Building (Room 1001) on February 28, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.

Reception and Book Signing to follow in the Alabama Museum of Natural History (Smith Hall, located on The University of Alabama campus).

About the Topic:The British colony of West Florida―which once stretched from the mighty Mississippi to the shallow bends of the Apalachicola and portions of what are now the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana―is the forgotten fourteenth colony of America’s Revolutionary era. The colony’s eventful years as a part of the British Empire form an important and compelling interlude in Gulf Coast history that has for too long been overlooked. For a host of reasons, including the fact that West Florida did not rebel against the British government, the colony has long been dismissed as a loyal but inconsequential fringe outpost, if considered at all.

But the colony’s history showcases a tumultuous political scene featuring a halting attempt at instituting representative government; a host of bold and colorful characters; a compelling saga of struggle and perseverance in the pursuit of financial stability; and a dramatic series of battles on land and water that brought about the end of its days under the Union Jack. In Fourteenth Colony, historian Mike Bunn offers the first comprehensive history of the colony, introducing readers to the Gulf Coast’s remarkable British period and putting West Florida back in its rightful place on the map of colonial America.

About the Speaker:Mike Bunn is a historian and author who has worked with several cultural heritage organizations in the Southeast including the Mississippi Department of Archives and History, the Historic Chattahoochee Commission, and the Columbus (Georgia) Museum. He currently serves as Director of Historic Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama. He is author or co-author of several books, including Settling the Mississippi Territory: The Origin of Two States, The Tensaw River: Alabama’s Hidden Heritage Corridor, This Southern Metropolis: Life in Antebellum Mobile, Fort Stoddert: American Sentinel on the Mobile River, 1799-1814; Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South During America’s Revolutionary Era (winner of the NSDAR Excellence in American History Award); Old Southwest to Old South; Mississippi 1798-1840; The Assault on Fort Blakeley: “The Thunder and Lightning of Battle”; Early Alabama: An Illustrated Guide to the Formative Years, 1798-1826;Alabama From Territory to Statehood: An Alabama Heritage Bicentennial Collection; Well Worth Stopping to See: Antebellum Columbus, Georgia Through the Eyes of Travelers; Civil War Eufaula; Battle for the Southern Frontier: The Creek War and the War of 1812; and Images of America: The Lower Chattahoochee River. He was recently announced as the recipient J.Y. Sanders Research Scholar Award by The Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies as Southeastern Louisiana University. Mike is editor of Muscogiana, the journal of the Muscogee County (Georgia) Genealogical Society. He is also Chair of the Baldwin County Historic Development Commission, vice president of the Mobile Area Civil War Roundtable, the secretary of the Friends of Old Mobile, and a board member for the Bartram Trail Conference, the Friends of the Alabama Archives, and the Alabama Historical Association. He is a graduate of Leadership Baldwin, and a co-founder of Baldwin Up, a youth career education initiative. Mike is a certified interpretive guide by the National Association for Interpretation. Mike earned his undergraduate degree at Faulkner University and two masters degrees at The University of Alabama. Mike and his wife Tonya live in Daphne, Alabama with their daughter Zoey.

About the Event: UA Museums’ John S. Steiner Lecture Series includes public lectures on a variety of topics in disciplines emphasized by The University of Alabama Museums, such as anthropology, archaeology, biology, geology, paleontology, and history.

Orange Beach Seafood Festival and Car Show
2026-02-28 10:00 - 16:00 | The Wharf in Orange Beach, AL, 23101 Canal Rd, Orange Beach, 36561, United States
The 34th Annual Orange Beach Seafood Festival will be held at the Wharf on Saturday, February 28th. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The car show is the major fundraising event for MAAAC, which directly benefits Orange Beach schools.

Each year, more than 20,000 people attend the overall festival.

The Seafood Festival always features a full day of delicious food, 100 arts and crafts booths, music for the whole family to enjoy, a Kids’ Zone with activities, and a huge car show – featuring antique, classic and hot rod vehicles all along Main Street.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/p/Orange-Beach-Seafood-Fest-61556499624749/

Community Food Bank of Central Alabama Serve Day
2026-02-26 13:00 - 15:00
Birmingham, Alabama’s America250 committee is kicking off their celebration by serving at the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama on February 26th in conjunction with a 40,000 lb. food donation from America250 and JustServe.

Volunteers are invited to come help sort and unload this massive donation on Feb. 26th from 1pm to 3pm.

Wear closed-toe shoes and dress in layers. Please arrive 10-15 minutes before to go over safety rules.

The address is 107 Walter Davis Drive, Birmingham, Alabama, United States, 35209. For more information, contact Bree Garrett at 205-942-8911, or email bgarrett@feedingal.org

Thank you, and we look forward to serving together!

My True Roots to the American Revolution
2026-02-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Wetumpka Civic Center, 410 S Main St,, Wetumpka, 36092, United States
Family historian, U.S. Army Veteran and DAR member True Lewis will share the search for her elusive Revolutionary War ancestor on Thursday, February 26 at 10 a.m. at the Wetumpka Civic Center 410 S. Main St, Wetumpka, AL 36092.

Monroeville Literary Festival
2026-02-26 00:00 - 2026-02-28 23:59 | Old Courthouse Museum, 31 N Alabama Ave, Monroeville, 36460, United States
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/alabamawriterssymposium
