Sidewalk Film Festival 2015 Recap

Hey guys, I hope you had an incredible weekend! Sorry, I didn't blog as much last week but you know how life gets super busy at times. I have lots of posts ready for this week and I can't wait to share my experience at the Sidewalk Film Festival held in Downtown Birmingham the last weekend in August. This was my first year attending the fest (which is in its 17th year) and I am wondering why I haven't attended sooner! Wanting to get the most out of the weekend, I selected the VIP Ticket Pass, it was totally worth it. Not only do you get access to all the films but a special VIP lounge area in the nearby Continental Bakery with snacks and drinks throughout the day as well as a few Sidewalk goodies and admission to all the pre and after parties of the weekend. The Kickoff party for the event was on Thursday night from 5pm-9pm held at the Historic Rucker Place in Five Points. It's a beautiful old southern style home with vintage décor. There were food and drinks, the specialty drink of the night was called "The Harper Lee", how great is that? The event also had live music and it was great to socialize with the filmmakers, actors, etc. that were local and out of town.
 

The after-party was at a new favorite spot of mine, Saturn Birmingham located in the Avondale district. It looks like a mix of Space Mountain and Pizza Planet on the inside! A really cool place with a great atmosphere and there are lots of old school and new school video games that you can play around the stage area.
 

On Friday the festival kicked off with the opening night film, Raiders (an amazing documentary by the way) and the theme was an Indian Jones vibe.  I had never been a huge documentary fan until this past weekend, I saw some wonderful features and can't wait to check out more in the future! The opening night was full of excitement and all the film lovers seemed ecstatic.
 

 

It was raining a little but no way that was going to stop the evening festivities!

 

After the movie, it was like a block party type atmosphere. They were even showing the original Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark on a blow up screen. I was so sad I missed the donut wall though! Yes, a wall made of actual donuts aka a dream come true. After a snack with my buddies, it was time to call it a night to get ready for the first full day at the movies.

I love seeing Birmingham lights at night and the historic, restored Lyric Theatre lit up. Can't wait to see this beauty when it is completed in a few months!

Day 2 (Saturday): After making a quick stop at the Continental Bakery for our VIP grab and go breakfast, it was time for movies. The way it works is you are given a guide with all the movies and their locations. We were mostly at the Alabama Theatre but there are several other theaters and all pretty much within walking distance to each other. They were also offering trams and golf cart rides to take you to your theater of choice. I would recommend parking by the Alabama since it is the hub then walking or taking a tram from there.
 

 

It was non-stop movie madness, one of my favorites was Krisha which was actually produced by one of my college friends. You see so many unique and interesting films, animation, shorts and docs at fests like this. Don't let a name or synopsis scare you off from seeing something. Give everything a shot!
 

Food trucks lined the streets outside the main event hub (the Alabama) so after a few films, it was time for a snack break! My ice cream cookie from Big Spoon Creamery was delicious, try the cookies and cream!
 

I liked how the Continental Bakery was so close that you could walk right across the street. In addition to the VIP area, anyone could purchase healthier fare such as chicken salad, fruit and sandwiches. Love the décor on the inside!
 

The Saturday after-party was held at Sloss Furnaces and had a wait for it...a pig theme! You may or may not know I am obsessed with pigs. The decorations here were some of the cutest and pinkest I've ever seen. The event was held at the new Sloss Furnace venue and it was a great choice for the party.
 

 

The even had put-put golf for attendees to play! Great music and good times were being had by all.
 

I really should have gotten a temporary tattoo...next time!

Yes, they even had a mechanical pig you could ride. A MECAHNICAL PIG! Overall, the party was a wonderful way to cap off an amazing day of film watching. Still one more day to go!

Day 3 (Sunday): Another early morning for one of my favorite series of the fest. There were several short film blocks and I found these to be a great way to experience lots of unique films at once. They also have blocks with documentary shorts. The short films range from about 10 min to 30 min so you get a lot of films in at one time. Yes, I also ate a moon pie and coke for breakfast. It was early!
 

 

The day just seemed to fly by and soon it was time for the last film I saw at the fest. It was seriously my favorite movie, A Few Zombies More played to a packed house at the historic Carver Theatre. If you are from Alabama (or anywhere really) you must check out this local made hit. It even won the Viewer's Choice at the awards ceremony later that nigh! All films besides the shorts, have a q&a after session so feel free to ask any questions you may have.

 

 

 

As they say, all good things must come to an end and the Sidewalk Film Festival was no exception. They definitely gained a new fan and I can see what all my friends have been talking about for the last few years. It really was a special weekend. If you live in Birmingham, please don't tell me there is nothing to do here...there is plenty. Events like this are happening more frequently and the city keeps preparing for more. If you live in another city or state, I highly recommend the Sidewalk Film Festival and hope you join me next year!

 

 

 

A special thanks to all the filmmakers, actors, producers, and everyone associated with the films for making such great work for all to enjoy. This event would not be possible without the city, event planers, marketing teams, sponsors, food vendors and of course the volunteers. THANK YOU for an eventful weekend!

 

Happy Film Watching!

 

XOXO,

 

 

Sloss Fest 2015 Event Review

Hey guys! Hope everyone is recovering nicely from the weekend. Is it me or does July seem to fly by? I can't believe we only have ten days left this month! I'm trying to make the last part of summer count and take advantage of all the exciting things going on in Birmingham. I was so excited to attend the first-ever Sloss Fest this past Saturday. The event held at historic Sloss Furnaces, was a two-day music and art festival and let me just say it was AMAZING!
 

I was supposed to be out of town this weekend but when that got nixed at the 11th hour, I was sad about not going to Florida but a little relieved. I had already gone out of town last weekend and have several upcoming trips that I would rather save my money for. But what to do? A friend quickly reminded me that our own Birmingham, AL would be hosting a brand new music festival. I love music festivals and travel to them quite frequently so how could I pass up the chance to attend one right in my own backyard? I put on my flower halo (my trusty Festy Besty) and the comfiest dress I could find to head over to Sloss Furnaces.

What is Sloss Furnaces? Well, if you want to know the history, don't worry I took the above pic just for you. If you want more of a one sentence answer, it's an old, former furnace in the middle of downtown Birmingham, AL. Think it sounds a little creepy...it is. So much so that legend says the furnace is haunted and it has one of the best Halloween themed attractions in the South by the name of Sloss Fright Furnace. But last time I checked it's July not October so back to the festival. I was pumped about a festival being right here in my hometown and was pretty amazed at the lineup.

 

We arrived a little after 6pm, it was really humid that day due to previous thunderstorms a few hours before but the atmosphere was super energetic. Also, this was the BEST dress ever for a music festival. It was comfortable and I loved the tie-dye in soft pink hues. I will definitely post about the entire outfit and other fashion/beauty tips for any music festival. It was crowded but not unbearable by any means, I think the event team did an excellent job of crowd control and having the three stages set in different locations made things easy to find and watch. I mean just look how relaxed the crowd looks.

After a bit, we got thirsty and needed to rehydrate so the first thing I saw was a juice bar amongst the line of food trucks. Local business Sprout and Pour were offering up some delicious juice options and I just had to try the Watermelon Lemonade. Let me just say it was heaven on a hot summer night. It was delicious! I will definitely be picking up some juices in the future and hope to see them at other events. I took a pic (blogger rules obviously) and then later realized that I had the wrong side facing (blogger fail) so of course I took another one. It was in the dark but hey I got the name in there this time!

 

Sprout and Pour Take 1

Sprout and Pour Take 2...seriously try this stuff!

It was fun walking around the old furnace with music in the background and beautiful once the sun began to set. It's funny how something like an old building can look so serene and lovely at night.

There was also plenty of lighting. If someone were to trip and fall, believe me I would be the victim. But not to worry there were lights all around and every spot of the event area was covered. It was really cool to see how they changed this place up to fit a music festival. Although I shouldn't be too surprised since this venue actually holds lots of weddings. This was the perfect ambiance for the night.
 

As I said earlier there were three stages aptly titled Blast, Steam and Shed (all furnace things ha-ha get it?). Blast and Steam seemed to be the bigger stages and Shed was literally in a Shed, it could have been bigger but that area was packed at the time we checked it out.
 

Blast Stage

Loving the neon pink décor

This can kind of provide you with a better glimpse of Shed, it had these pretty fountains in front and surrounded by a lot of really cool art vendors. I picked up two posters that I can not wait to add to my home! If you live in Bham, I would suggest looking at Yellowhammer Creative, they have some really cool vintage style posters and pictures along with specialty tanks and tees that remind you of landmarks and such from the city.

The Shed lit up

They also had iron pouring stations which went along with the theming of the location. That's right we had IRON POURING at a music festival. Getting pretty hardcore here.
 

Iron Pouring Action Shot

The night was perfect for a music festival, just look how clear the skies were. I think what makes music performances sometimes is the crowd. The crowd stayed hyped and energetic throughout all the performances and no one seemed to be getting out of hand (that I saw) just a really chill group.
 

I also liked how all three of the stages were close enough that you could make your acts on time but also enough space that if you needed a little break for food and rest, you could easily move away from the crowd.
 

Steam Stage

Birmingham has also welcomed lots of new local breweries the past few years and have an extensive lineup of homegrown brews. It was only fitting that they have their own "beer garden" showing off local favorites. I would highly suggest visiting several of the Ham's breweries exclusive to the state (my picks are Avondale and Good People). This was a fun touch to make the event even more "localized" and show attendees from out of state something new to try.

Craft Brew Garden

 After a few hours, my feet were hurting (one of my frequent festival going besties texted me and said if your feet aren't hurting then it wasn't a good festival) and I was pretty tired from the day so we decided to call it a night. I would have to say out of the bands we saw (Young the Giant, Cathedrals, Cage the Elephant and Modest Mouse were so good live) my favorite had to be Band of Horses, they were amazing! I loved Sunday's Lineup but I have to get up super early Monday morning and I'm trying to save money for other trips and concerts so I sadly had to opt out of day 2.

Yes, tickets were a little on the high side ($85) but it's a music festival with legit artists so what do you expect? If you live in Birmingham, I encourage you to experience all the exciting things this city has to offer! There is seriously something going on all the time. And if you are thinking of coming from out of state for this festival, I can not say enough good things about the event. It was run smoothly and efficiently and for a first year fest, I thought the team who put it together really hit it out of the park. Next year I hope they have the event starting on Friday instead of Saturday so I can attend both days, other than that I see this event growing and can't wait to see what's in store!

Happy Festival Season!

XOXO,


 

Passport to Wanderlust Event Recap

Hello everyone! While I am coming back from a lovely weekend (well, Saturday and half of Sunday) spent at Seaside, FL. It's always nice to get away even if it is just for the weekend. I'll have a whole blog post on my Seaside adventures (and lots of fashion picks/ootd's!). But,right now I want to recap a super fun Birmingham event that took place this past Thursday, the launch of the new magazine Good Grit. I attended the unveiling of the southern magazine via the event "Passport to Wanderlust" which was travel themed with a southern twist. Let's start the adventure!
 

Ok, one of my favorite sites in Bham are the rainbow filled tunnels (this particular tunnel is located on 20th Street North) and served as the perfect backdrop for the block party vibe. If you ever visit Birmingham (AL no,not England!) then definitely check out the brightly lit tunnels for a pic. If you live here and for some reason you haven't been...just go, like now. It's basically a Birmingham tradition!  I highly recommend going after a Birmingham Barons (local minor league baseball team) game. Back to the event! Upon arriving, I parked easily on 20th street. I would advise parking closely to the event location and avoid parking decks. It makes it easier and safer to walk back to your car at night. Obviously the first thing I noticed was the delicious spread that was set up.
 

The tickets were $25 a person and that got you into the event, two drink tokens, and access to the snacks. You could have easily made a meal from all the food available! I took pics of what I sampled, there was also gourmet pizza, tex-mex and a few other yummy offerings. My absolute favorite was the feta cheese from local The Pantry by Stone Hollow Farmstead. It was delicious!

I'm pretty picky (my downfall is sweets) give me a grilled cheese or chicken fingers any day but I do enjoy trying new things. I like easy snacks at events so you can talk and mingle plus it was H.O.T hot that night so I wasn't in the mood for anything heavy. Pimento cheese is always one of my top choices and who doesn't love those little butterfly crackers?

Ok, this one was a little sad. I totally thought these adorable macaroons we're going to be one of my favorite due to my chronic sweet tooth. It's blue and pink therefore it has to be blueberry and raspberry? Cotton candy? The possibilities! I took a bite and it wasn't sweet. Nnnnnooooo! Instead it tasted almost like blue cheese and cream cheese. Maybe fish? It was like a meal macaroon.  It's not that it was bad it just wasn't what I was expecting. If I see macaroons I think sweets by the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Or at least the France pavilion at Epcot Center. Your choice.

The theme as stated before, was travel and wanderlust. Our ticket doubled as a "passport" which if you completed five tasks and got the correct amount of stamps then you got a free "swag bag". You also had to be one of the first 250 people to complete the task. Free stuff? 250 people? Game on. When there is a free t-shirt on the line, you walk with a purpose. The tasks were easy, it was things like getting your picture taken and the photo booth. My friend and I finished the passport challenge quickly (maybe even the first ones done?) like I said a free shirt was involved! 

"Swag Bag" after completing passport challenge

 

Rompers and passports go good together

 

The event was very well put together and made for a fun night out. It was extremely  hot but I mean it is summer in the south so that's to be expected. I love finding new things to do in Birmingham and there are always events happening. Be sure to check here to see what all is happening in the city! I'll be singling out more events, concerts, etc. coming up in future blog posts. And be sure to check out local events in your city/hometown, you don't want to miss out on new adventures, right? You never know what's right outside your own back yard (or yellow door!).

Happy Monday!

XOXO,



(outfit details below!)
 

P.S. Seriously obsessed with this comfy, grey t-shirt dress (it's like wearing PJ's but appropriate for public!) from The Happy Goose (almost sold out!) and these adorable mega tassel leather sandals.