Enjoy great entertainment heading into the new year.
MoonPie Over Mobile
Ring in 2022 at one of the Gulf Coast’s largest and coolest New Year’s celebrations. Dig into the world’s largest MoonPie cake, join the second line, and watch live entertainment and an all-star fireworks show. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue will headline the event. Download the full schedule here. Find the only 600-pound electric MoonPie at the world-famous MoonPie drop at midnight. Visit Mobile’s New Year celebration for more information.
Reelin’ in the New Year
Welcome 2022 at the annual Reelin’ in the New Year Street Party at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Bid adieu to 2021 in the grandest of style with live bands, family-friendly activities and adult-centered fun all rounding off at midnight with The Park Band, the marlin drop and a fireworks finale. Give yourself one last excuse to let loose and kiss this unforgettable year goodbye New Year’s Eve from 5 p.m. until midnight. Free admission and parking. Activities for children will vary from $5 to $10.
Festivities include:
- DJ Silky, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- 88 Licks Dueling Pianos, 6-9 p.m.
- The Park Band, 7 p.m. to midnight.
- Fireworks and Marlin Drop, midnight.
New Year’s Eve for Kids
The Children’s Hands-On Museum (CHOM) of Tuscaloosa is hosting New Year’s Eve for Kids from 9:30 a.m. until noon. A balloon drop is planned for 11:30 a.m. All activities are included in admission. Guests ages 2 and older must wear museum-approved masks from entry to exit. New Year’s Eve for Kids is a safe-distancing event and admission will be limited. CHOM is at 2213 University Blvd. in Tuscaloosa.
New Year’s Eve Fireworks
OWA’s Inaugural New Year’s Eve celebrations in Foley will be filled with fun for adults and the young at heart with fireworks well before midnight. The celebration includes OWA’s kid-friendly Bubbles & Beats starting at 2 p.m. followed by Downtown OWA Sparks & Sounds kicking off at 5 p.m. Children can enjoy OWA’s kid-friendly epic bubble party with music by DJ Patrick, free kids’ crafts and inflatables. The event is perfect for little ones and adults who can’t quite make it to midnight. Kids’ crafts include peel-and-stick New Year’s 2022 glasses and noisemaker wands. Quick bites are available from the Taste of OWA food truck parked by Clash eSports Center, where guests will find the scavenger hunt prize pick-up. Downtown OWA Sparks & Sounds will run from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the OWA Island. Guests can enjoy free live music from the Miles Flatt Band followed by The Tip Tops, with a fireworks show to end the evening at 8:50 p.m. For more information about the events, visit the website.
Kids Confetti Drop
Have a poppin’ 2022 at the annual Kids Confetti Drop at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Kids whose bedtime comes well before midnight will get to ring in the New Year hours early with a petting zoo, rock wall, bouncy house, face painting ($10), camel rides ($5), mechanical bull and surf simulator. The confetti cannons will be going off at noon for a colorful good time the whole family can enjoy on New Year’s Eve from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free admission and parking. Activities for kids will vary from $5 to $10.
Festivities include:
- DJ Silky, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Kids’ activities, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Character appearances, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Confetti Drop: noon, Main Street and Palms Plaza.
‘Cinderella’
“Cinderella” is underway through Sunday, Jan. 2 at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. The Tony Award-winning musical from the creators of “South Pacific“ and “The Sound of Music“ will delight audiences with its surprisingly contemporary take on the classic tale. Music is by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, new book by Douglas Carter Beane, original book by Oscar Hammerstein II and directed by Shelley Butler. The show is recommended for ages 7 and older. For tickets, visit the website.
Cheers! The New Year’s Eve Concert
Dance into the new year with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra Friday, Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. The SuperPops special event will have safety COVID-19 protocols in place. Attendees must wear masks while inside the hall. Seating capacity will be limited and the audience will be distanced throughout the hall. Click here to read more about our COVID-19 protocols. Follow this link for tickets. The venue is UAB’s Alys Stephens Center.
New Year’s Eve Party at Iron City
Celebrate the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 at the Iron City New Year’s Eve Party. There will be party favors and casino games. Must be age 21 or older attend. The show starts at 8 p.m. Purchase tickets here. Visit the website to learn more.
‘Beyond Van Gogh’
In an imaginative and immersive presentation crafted by world-renowned audiovisual designers, “Beyond Van Gogh” uses cutting-edge projection technology to create an engaging journey into the world of Vincent Van Gogh. Using his dreams, his thoughts and his words to drive the experience as a narrative, it moves along projection-swathed walls wrapped in light, color and shapes that swirl, dance and refocus into flowers, cafes and landscapes. Masterpieces, now freed from frames, come alive, appear and disappear, and flow across surfaces. His own words set to a symphonic score will bring a new appreciation of the tortured artist’s stunning work. Go to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex website for dates and exhibit details.
Glow Wild: An Animal Lantern Celebration
The larger-than-life illuminated experience will be on select nights through Monday, Jan. 17 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Watch the Birmingham Zoo come alive with jaw-dropping plant and animal lantern creations brilliantly lighting up the night. Take a ride on the Red Diamond Express Train or go for a spin on the Protective Life Carousel. Glow Wild is a weather-dependent event with nights being subject to cancellation. Give yourself one full hour to see every lantern and to enjoy the entire event. The Birmingham Zoo will be closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
