There are big things happening in Birmingham’s Ensley community. Keep reading for a look at a couple of the fun happenings including Ensley Renaissance Festival and a new multi-use facility called District Depot.

Ensley Renaissance Festival returns

Ensley Renaissance Festival, a unique experience for Ensley residents and the greater Birmingham area, is back bigger and better than ever.

When: Saturday, August 20
Time: 3PM-8PM
Location: 1601 Avenue K, Birmingham, AL 35218
Cost: free for Ensley Residents and $10 for non-Ensley residents
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At this family-friendly, community-driven festival, guests can enjoy so many fun activities, including:

Live music from local artists
Over 40 community organizations providing information on services available to the community
Food & drinks from your favorite local food trucks
Small business vendors with clothing, candles, food items and more

The festival would not be complete without a concert featuring David Joshua, Dru Toney, Ashley Sankey and R&B recording artist Vivian Green. You won’t want to miss it!

District Depot—new mixed-use development in the works

7BD10C33 0384 4844 9B0D CF437D918745 1 What's happening in Ensley—Ensley Renaissance Festival, Aug. 20 + NEW mixed-use development plans — Brandon Cleveland (Daniel Payne Legacy Foundation)

oz imaghador — Brandon Cleveland (Daniel Payne Legacy Foundation)

Plans for a new multi-use space are in the works in Ensley. We spoke with Brandon Cleveland, Executive Director of the Daniel Payne Foundation, about his nonprofit, Waterside Global, and its plans for a development in Ensley called District Depot.

What: a 6000 square foot warehouse is being repurposed into a multipurpose, mixed-use facility
Where: 18th street
When: set to open in May 2023

Here’s a sneak peek at what you can expect to find in this new facility:

a 400 square foot repurposed two chair salon/barber shop
600 square feet of administrative offices to contain professionals in accounting, counseling, therapy, etc.
3 additional offices in the center of the facility to be a co-working space
a 1000 square foot food stall with a catering kitchen
700 square foot retail space
2400 square foot art gallery/event flex space

PLUS: A small business market will be in the space around the warehouse for local businesses to come and be a part of.

As District Depot grows and comes to life, software company CoWello will be keeping everything in check. We spoke with co-founder Oz Imaghodor about the partnership between CoWello and District Depot.

“CoWello is a software that helps businesses manage their space. We are here to help all of the tenants and professionals in this new space be more successful by managing their invoicing, bookings and ultimately bringing more members and clients to their businesses as they grow within the city. Brandon and I both grew up here in Birmingham, so it’s really about getting to serve and better our community.”
Oz Imaghodor, Co-founder, CoWello