What's On in Tuscaloosa
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Tuscaloosa, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Featured
Tuscaloosa Fourth of July fireworks 2026
Tuscaloosa's fireworks are at Celebration on the River, the free July 4 show at the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater. In 2026: 6 to 9 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m.
Coming up
The full month- Fri. Oct. 23 Jon Pardi with Alexandra Kay and Sadie Bass
- Fri. Oct. 23 Central at Northridge, high school football
- Now through Oct. 28 Calling the Spirits In: Spiritualism in America
- Tue. Oct. 27 Haunting at the Museums: Otherworldly Encounters
- Tue. Oct. 27 The Conjuring (2013) at the Bama Theatre
- Tue. Oct. 27 The Conjuring (2013) screening
- Fri. Oct. 30 Monster Makeover Auction
- Sat. Oct. 31 Boo! in the Park
- Sat. Oct. 31 Tuscaloosa First Assembly Fall Fest
- Fri. Nov. 20 Home Alone in Concert with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra
- Sat. Nov. 21 Kentuck's Art Market
- Sat. Nov. 21 Wagner's Tuscaloosa Turkey Trot
More in What's On
Halloween
Trick-or-treat hours in Tuscaloosa 2026
Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Tuscaloosa has not set official trick-or-treat hours. Tech or Treat is Oct. 22; Boo! in the Park is Oct. 31 at Sokol Park North.
Christmas
Tuscaloosa Christmas parade and tree lighting 2026
The 50th West Alabama Christmas Parade is Monday, Dec. 7, 2026, at 6:30 p.m., after a 5:30 p.m. tree lighting on the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse steps.
High school football
Friday night football in Tuscaloosa 2026: schedules and scores
Central plays at Northridge Oct. 23 in the city rivalry; Bryant visits McAdory. Schedules and results for Tuscaloosa's three city high schools.
Fall festivals
Fall festivals and pumpkin patches in Tuscaloosa 2026
Kentuck Festival of the Arts is Oct. 17-18 at Snow Hinton Park; Boo! in the Park and a church Fall Fest are Oct. 31. Plus pumpkin painting and crafts.
Halloween
Halloween events in Tuscaloosa 2026
Halloween in Tuscaloosa 2026: Tech or Treat Oct. 22, a free haunted museums night Oct. 27, Boo! in the Park and a church Fall Fest on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Tuscaloosa 2026: turkey trots, closings, trash
Thanksgiving is Thursday, Nov. 26. City Hall closes Nov. 26-27; Thursday trash moves to Friday; city schools are out Nov. 23-27; the Iron Bowl is here Nov. 28.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Tuscaloosa 2026
Black Friday is Nov. 27. University Mall posts holiday hours on its site; Small Business Saturday is Nov. 28, Iron Bowl day. Plus art markets and parking.
Christmas
Holiday lights and Christmas events in Tuscaloosa 2026
The Tinsel Trail lights 200-plus trees on Government Plaza from Nov. 23, with free Santa photos Dec. 6, 12 and 18, an ice rink and a holiday market Dec. 12.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Tuscaloosa 2026: events, skating, closings
New Year's Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31. The Government Plaza ice rink is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; City Hall is closed New Year's Day, Friday, Jan. 1, 2027.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Tuscaloosa 2027: events, dinners, date ideas
Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday. First Friday is Feb. 5, Kentuck's Art Market Feb. 20 and the symphony Feb. 22. Dinners are listed as venues announce them.
Spring break
Spring break in Tuscaloosa 2027: school dates, camps, things to do
Tuscaloosa City Schools' spring break is March 22-26, 2027; UA's runs March 20-28. PARA day camps run all week. Easter is March 28, the last day.
Easter
Easter in Tuscaloosa 2027: egg hunts, Bunny Trail, brunch
Easter is Sunday, March 28, 2027. Northport's Bunny Trail opens Feb. 21 with an egg hunt March 14; UA's Panhellenic hunt was at Denny Chimes in 2026.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Tuscaloosa 2027: brunch, events, gift markets
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027. First Friday is May 7, the farmers market runs Saturday May 8, and Kentuck's Art Market is May 15. Brunch listed as posted.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Tuscaloosa 2027: ceremony, closings, trash
Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. City Hall closes and trash runs a day late. PARA's ceremony is at Veterans Memorial Park; pools open that weekend.
Summer camps
Summer in Tuscaloosa 2027: camps, pools and splash pads
PARA's pool and splash pad open Memorial Day weekend; paraKids day camp ran June 1 to Aug. 7 in 2026. Hours, fees, sports camps and Lake Lurleen's beach.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Tuscaloosa 2027: events, car shows, brunch
Father's Day is Sunday, June 20, 2027. Ideas from the Bryant Museum to PARA golf and Lake Lurleen; events, car shows and brunch are added as they post.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Tuscaloosa 2027: events, closings, trash pickup
Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 6, 2027. City Hall closes, trash runs a day late all week, the library closes, and it is the last day of PARA's pool season.
Brunch
Brunch in Tuscaloosa: where to go and when it is served
Where to get brunch in Tuscaloosa, with hours from each restaurant's own site: FIVE's weekend brunch, Avenue Pub on Sundays, and daily breakfast spots.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Tuscaloosa: dog park, trails, events and leash rules
Where to take a dog in Tuscaloosa: the Will May Dog Park, the leashed Riverwalk and city parks, pet events on the Tinsel Trail, and where dogs are not allowed.
Kids
Kids' activities in Tuscaloosa: playgrounds, story times, rainy days
Kids' activities in Tuscaloosa: Mason's Place playground, splash pads, free library story times, indoor playgrounds and rainy-day museums, with hours.
Trails
Tuscaloosa walking and biking trails: Riverwalk, parks, Lake Lurleen
Walking and biking trails in Tuscaloosa: the Riverwalk, PARA's park loops from 0.25 to 1.1 miles, bike trails at Sokol and Hurricane Creek, and Lake Lurleen's 23 miles.
Downtown
A guide to downtown Tuscaloosa: Government Plaza, Bama Theatre, river
Downtown Tuscaloosa: Government Plaza, the Bama Theatre, First Friday, the River District, the Riverwalk and amphitheater, free parking and the to-go cup rules.
Nightlife
Live music and nightlife in Tuscaloosa: venues and the rules
Where live music and nights out happen in Tuscaloosa: the Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater, Bama Theatre, Moody Concert Hall, First Friday and the downtown to-go cup district.
Free
Free things to do in Tuscaloosa: parks, art nights, festivals
Free things to do in Tuscaloosa: the Riverwalk, First Friday, Kentuck's Art Market, the Tinsel Trail, free concerts and festivals, library programs and parks.
Date night
Date night in Tuscaloosa: restaurants, shows and late openings
Date night in Tuscaloosa: dinner at Evangeline's, DePalma's, FIVE and The Sanctuary, a film at the Bama Theatre, the symphony, skating and the Riverwalk.
Kentuck
Kentuck Festival of the Arts: dates, tickets and parking
The 55th Kentuck Festival of the Arts is Oct. 17-18, 2026, at Snow Hinton Park: 270-plus artists, $15 a day or $25 a weekend, kids 12 and under free.
Druid City Arts Festival
Druid City Arts Festival: dates, hours and what to know
The Druid City Arts Festival returns April 10-11, 2027, to Government Plaza: free, with 80-plus regional artists, a music stage, a kids zone and food trucks.
Moundville
Moundville Native American Festival: dates, tickets, hours
The Moundville Native American Festival ran Oct. 1-3, 2026, 13 miles south of Tuscaloosa. Admission $10 at the gate; 2027 dates not announced yet.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Tuscaloosa: lists by category
Plain alphabetical lists of places to eat in Tuscaloosa by category, from wings and pizza to sushi, bakeries and patios, checked against each place's own site.
Wings
Where to get wings in Tuscaloosa: University Boulevard and Courtney Drive
8 places to get chicken wings in Tuscaloosa, with hours and phones from their own sites: University Boulevard, McFarland, Courtney Drive and Alberta.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Tuscaloosa: downtown, the Strip and McFarland
9 pizza places in Tuscaloosa, 15 locations, with hours and phones from their own sites: downtown, University Boulevard, McFarland and Skyland.
Mexican
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Tuscaloosa
6 Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Tuscaloosa, 13 locations, with hours from their own sites: downtown, University Boulevard, McFarland and Skyland.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Tuscaloosa: downtown, the Strip and Skyland
13 places for breakfast and coffee in Tuscaloosa, 19 locations, with hours from their own sites: downtown, the Strip, the riverfront and Skyland.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Tuscaloosa: downtown, McFarland and Skyland
5 burger places in Tuscaloosa, 6 locations, with hours and phones from their own sites: 23rd Avenue downtown, McFarland, Skyland and Highway 69 South.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Tuscaloosa: University Boulevard and more
5 sushi, Japanese, Thai and Chinese restaurants in Tuscaloosa with hours from their own sites: three on University Boulevard, plus 15th Street and Rice Mine Road.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Tuscaloosa: the Strip and McFarland
4 dessert shops in Tuscaloosa with hours from their own sites: cookies, cobbler and ice cream sandwiches on University Boulevard and McFarland Boulevard East.
Bakeries
Bakeries in Tuscaloosa: cakes, cookies and bread
4 bakeries in Tuscaloosa with hours from their own sites: Edgar's on McFarland Boulevard North, Crumbl and Panera near Midtown Village, Insomnia on the Strip.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Tuscaloosa: downtown and the river
5 Tuscaloosa places whose own sites list a patio, terrace or outdoor seating: four downtown and by the river, plus Five Guys in Midtown Village.