September in Birmingham: A Guide to National Observances

There’s a lot of national observances on any given day. Some well known and loved like International Talk Like a Pirate Day, some less so, like Squirrel Appreciation Day. Some are for a good cause, some are just fun, and others have dedicated followings (like Hobbit Day).

If you are looking for a good excuse, however, to drink beer for charity and chow down on some pancakes in the name of patriotism, here is a guide to how to celebrate some of the September observances in Birmingham.

Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month: Donate to The Alabama/Gulf Coast Leukemia and Lymphoma Society .

Ovarian and Gynecological Cancers Awareness Month: The Laura Crandall Brown Foundation is holding a benefit event at all Birmingham Newk’s Cafe locations on the 7th and a fundraiser race on the 23rd.

Sickle Cell Awareness Month: Consider a sickle cell research Alabama licence plate and make a donation! 

National Yoga Month: take a free class at Railroad Park any Thursday at 6 pm, or one of the family yoga classes offered at Villager Yoga.  Also at Villager is an amazing body-positivity class with Melissa Scott.

National Hispanic Heritage Month: Consider a donation to HICA and like them on Facebook! They are having an open house on the 21st (where they will be serving tamales). Also check out the Hispanic Heritage Festival at the BMA on the 16th, Ballet Hispanico at the Alys Stephens Center on the 22, and Fiesta 2017 in Linn Park on the 30th. 

Better Breakfast Month: Enjoy the a.m. menus at Over Easy, Holler & Dash, Alabama Biscuit Company, or Big Bad Breakfast. Or, my personal favorite way to have breakfast, ordering a bunch of salads from Purple Onion to replicate a traditional Middle Eastern-style breakfast. 

Food Safety Education Month: Take a cooking class at Little Savannah with chef Cliff Holt. 

National Preparedness Month: Find a Red Cross first aid training course near you. The certification is free, good for 2 years, and one of the best decisions you can make if you’re wondering what to do on that odd Wednesday off. Additional courses are held though Trio Safety, with American Heart Association CPR certification courses available. 

 

National Bourbon Heritage Month: Pick up a bottle of Clyde May’s, Alabama’s only bourbon distillery. 

Ally Week (25-29): The Magic City Wellness Center is hosting a workshop for the parents of trans youth ages 13-30, check out some of the amazing programming at the Magic City Acceptance Center, go talk lit at the BAO Book Club, break out your Bama gear and go to bingo, help support Birmingham PFLAG, or help support Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality. 

National Suicide Prevention Week (10-16): Join the End Addiction Recovery Walk on the 23rd, go to the UAB Mental Health Town Hall to discuss mental health on campus and go the “That Don’t Fly” bystander intervention workshop, take a one-mile walk for NAMI, learn how to support NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness),or  check out Avondale Brewing Company’s 3rd Annual “Show in the Dark” benefit and Cahaba Brewery’s Goodwill Wednesday.

Tolkien Week (including Hobbit Day) (17-23): Join the Hobbit Day Race (which benefits Leukemia and Lymphoma research), go to Fresh Market and get some snacks like Sean Astin did when filming Woodlawn, see what’s going on over at Excelsior, and get tea and 2nd breakfast at Another Broken Egg Cafe. 

Zora Neale Hurston: Alabama author and Style Icon

Banned Books Week (24-30): Read Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, Alabama authors who have made the banned books list. Then head over to the Homewood Library for Banned Books Bingo. 

National Cheese Pizza Day (5): Grab a slice at Slice, Davenports, or Post Office Pies! Or, stop by Busy Corner and make your own pie at home.

National Beer Lover’s Day (7): This day was MADE for Birmingham. Try ’em all at The J. Clyde. And make sure you call an Uber home.

World Suicide Prevention Day (10): Make a donation to the Birmingham Crisis Center. There’s a ton of ways you can donate, and if money isn’t a possibility, they always need volunteers. Learn how to initiate meaningful conversations with a loved one who is struggling through the Suicide Prevention website, and get involved through social media. 

Family Day- A Day to Eat Dinner with your Children (25): Birmingham Parent submitted a list of the best kid-friendly restaurants in the city, but I’m gonna add Twisted Root, Taco Mama, and Tip Top Grill.