Birmingham, Alabama: Putting People First

Birmingham, Alabama (March 13, 2020) – Due to a growing concern over the spread of the coronavirus, several events with an expected large attendance in Birmingham have been canceled. The Jefferson County Department of Health has recommended that any event with 500 people or more be canceled or postponed. This is effective immediately.

Today, state health officials reported that one case of the coronavirus has been found in Montgomery County and another in Jefferson County. Three additional cases have been reported, but officials did not immediately release where those cases are based. 

Mayor Randall L. Woodfin has said the risk of the virus spreading is not just a concern for event spectators and participants in Birmingham but also for city employees. For smaller events and venues, the health department has recommended that people remain aware of the latest news developments and practice “social distancing,’’ which means putting 6 feet between you and the other person.

Some of the large events that have been canceled in Birmingham for March 2020:

• The UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball, set for March 14, has been postponed. A new date has not been announced yet.
• The 36^th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, set for March 14, has been postponed. A new date has not been announced yet.
• The NCAA Division II Track and Field and Women’s Basketball, set for the Birmingham CrossPlex, has been canceled for March 14.
• Birmingham Hammerfest has been canceled for the weekend of March 14.
• The March 14 Epic Brand Cheer Competition at Boutwell Auditorium has been canceled.
• SWAC basketball games at Bartow Arena have been canceled for March 13 and 14.
• The March 14 Valley Creek 10^th annual clean-up project has been canceled.
• The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, a Smithsonian affiliate, will temporarily close to the public starting Sunday, March 15. They are not announcing a re-opening date at this time.
• Sidewalk Cinema closed on March 12 and has a target reopen date of March 26.
• All non-emergency hearings and trials at Jefferson County Family Court have been suspended, effective March 16, 2020 and continuing through March 27, 2020.  This applies to both the Birmingham and Bessemer divisions of Family Court.
• Jefferson County jury trials set for March 30 – April 13, have been suspended.
• The March 16 Ramsay High School Senior Breakfast at Boutwell has been postponed.
• The Birmingham Botanical Gardens has canceled its March 21 Sakura/Cherry Blossom Festival.
• The Visions Natural Hair and Expo set for March 21 at BJCC has been postponed. A new date has not been released at this time.
• UniverSoul Circus, which was set for March 24-29 at Legion Field, has been postponed. Dates for future shows will be announced later. Promoters have said they will honor tickets that have been previously purchased.
• The Birmingham Public Library’s Partnership Community Health Fair with Dannon Project, which was scheduled for March 25, 2020 at Boutwell Auditorium, has been canceled.
• The Black Veils Concert, which was scheduled at Sloss Furnaces for March 26, has been canceled. A new date will be released at a later time.
• March 21 Chris Stapleton concert and March 18 Cher concert have been canceled at the BJCC. Please go here to see a list of other canceled events at the BJCC.
• The in-person March 30 Town Hall meeting with Mayor Woodfin and Councilor Valerie Abbott at Birmingham Botanical Gardens has been canceled.
• The weekly Get Healthy classes at Railroad Park have been suspended through the end of March. Follow the park’s social media platforms for updates.
• Since Minor League Baseball has delayed the start of the 2020 season, the Birmingham Barons has delayed its season. They will release a date on when the season will start.
• Arlington House has canceled the following events: Its March 21 Dinner Date Night; and Its March 27-28 Spring Break Open House.
• As of Friday, March 13, the Birmingham Museum of Art galleries will remain open to the public during its normal business hours: Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10am – 5pm and Sundays from 12 – 5pm. However, out of an abundance of caution, all programs will be canceled until further notice. 

Some of the large events that have been canceled in Birmingham for April 2020:

• The Hispanic Radio Festival scheduled for April 4, 2020, at Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark has been canceled.
• The Birmingham Museum of Art will postpone its April 4 Holi: A Festival of Color and cancel its April 3 presentation of Art After 5.
• The Negro Southern League Museum’s Jackie Robinson Street Festival, scheduled for April 18, has been postponed. A new date will be released later.
• Arlington House’s April 19 Jazz in the Park has been canceled.
• Arlington House has postponed its Homewood Belles Presentation Reception set for April 25 – 26.

For coronavirus updates from the City of Birmingham, please visit www.birminghamal.gov/coronavirus.