Calendar of events

Summer is in full swing! From indoor sports to farmers markets, Hoover offers many ways to have fun in the sun and to beat the heat. Let’s take a look at some of the highlights around town.

July 1-27: Hoover Restaurant Week

Explore local eateries offering deals and special menus during the annual Hoover Restaurant Week celebration (this year, it’s an entire month of food fun!). Find the latest information on participating restaurants at hooverrestaurantweek.com, and follow Hoover Restaurant Week on Instagram and Facebook.

July 6: First Saturday Cruise In at Hoover Tactical Fire Arms

Hosted by the Dixie Vintage Antique Automobile Club, the cruise in features antique and vintage cars in the Hoover Tactical Fire Arms parking lot on Highway 31. Talk with owners, listen to oldies music and sip complimentary coffee.

July 9: Great British Bake-Off Teen Edition at Hoover Public Library from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. 

Calling all teen bakers! Show off your baking skills in this fun competition inspired by the hit TV show. Participants will be provided with all necessary ingredients and equipment. The event will conclude with judges tasting and awarding prizes to the top bakers. Register at hooverlibrary.org/events.

July 12-18: The Hartford Nationals 

The Hartford Nationals is the largest and longest-standing national sports championship event for athletes with a physical, visual, and/or intellectual disability.  More than 400 athletes with disabilities and coaches are expected to participate, and the event includes competitions, clinics, education, and social opportunities. Events will take place around Hoover at the Hoover Met, the Finley Center, Spain Park High School, and other locations. Details can be found at moveunitedsport.org.

July 15: Sushi Class at Brock's Gap Brewery from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 

Learn the art of sushi making in a relaxed brewery setting. This hands-on class will teach you how to prepare and roll sushi, and you'll get to enjoy your creations with a refreshing drink from the brewery. All supplies are included. Register at sushiclass.com.

July 21: Ice Cream Eating Contest

Celebrate National Ice Cream Day with an ice cream eating contest benefitting local nonprofit Hoover Helps. All ages can participate, and winners receive free ice cream for a year and a trophy. Register at The Whole Scoop Ice Cream Shop, located at the Village at Brock’s Gap, anytime before July 21.

July 27-28: Indoor Pickleball Tournament at the Hoover Met

Get ready for an exciting weekend of pickleball, one of America’s fastest growing sports! Men's and women's doubles will play Saturday, July 27, and mixed doubles will play Sunday, July 28. The tournament will follow a round-robin format followed by medal-round playoffs. Register at hoovermetcomplex.com.

Hoover Restaurant Week returns – for a whole month!

As though we needed another reason to dine out, Hoover restaurants are giving us 27 good ones.

From July 1-27, there are a series of events taking place that are designed to showcase the city’s culinary scene, culminating with Hoover Restaurant Week from July 19-27. David Cohen, owner of The Whole Scoop and chairman of the Hoover Restaurant Alliance, said Hoover Restaurant Week began during the pandemic to promote our local restaurants that were struggling. It started as a ‘Curbside Edition,’ but quickly turned into a whole lot more.”

This year, around 40 local restaurants are expected to participate. The most up to date list of participants can be found online at HooverRestaurantWeek.com.

With an impressive selection of more than 200 restaurants around town, Hoover offers a diverse range of options when it comes to dining out. “It’s a great opportunity to try new restaurants,” Cohen says. “We think it's a great time to try new foods and new cuisines, we all need to get out of our comfort zone and try a new BBQ joint, Mexican restaurant or new date night spot.”

The month-long culinary celebration has many events for residents and visitors alike.

The Hoover Fire Station Show Down
It’s not uncommon for a fire house to have a great chef, as preparing nightly meals is part of daily life at the station. On July 1-14, Hoover firefighters will go head-to-head to see which local firehouse officially has the best cook.

The Bartender Challenge
On July 15 and 16, the East and West sides of Hoover will host bartending competitions, showcasing the skills and artistry of local mixologists. The pinnacle of the challenge, the Bartender Challenge Championship, will take place on July 18 at Merk’s Tavern and Kitchen, located at the Hyatt Regency Wynfrey Hotel. The bartender with the most flair and creativity will be awarded the 2024 championship title. May the best bartender win!

A News-Worthy Kick-Off
Mark your calendars for July 19 as Fox 6 brings the Hoover Restaurant Week Kick-Off to Bluff Park Community Park. Join the live morning broadcast with Jeh-Jeh Pruitt to meet esteemed chefs and passionate restaurant owners, gain insight into their culinary inspirations and hear the stories behind their creations.

A Week of Special Menus
The peak of Hoover Restaurant Week is the annual week-long celebration from July 19-27 when participating restaurants offer curated menus that highlight their culinary expertise and innovative flavors. Discover which local eateries are taking part in this year’s HRW at HooverRestaurantWeek.com, where you can find a comprehensive guide to the week, including unique menus and exciting specials.

National Ice Cream Day
This year, National Ice Cream Day falls on July 21, right in the middle of Hoover Restaurant Week! Hoover has several great stops along their own “ice cream trail,” including Magic Milkshakes and More, Kilwin’s, Bluff Park Ice Cream Shoppe, La Sabrosita, and more. The Whole Scoop invites you to join its annual ice cream eating competition. With various age categories, this event benefits Hoover Helps and brings the community together to compete for a trophy and a year of free ice cream.

Standing for a good cause

The lemonade stand: a classic summer ritual upheld by smiling neighborhood kids, something that has not yet been lost through the years. Whether it is for extra pocket money or a good cause, children have been sitting behind plastic tables with a pitcher of lemonade and a jar of cash for decades. On Wednesday, June 5, Luke Dettling, age 10, and Ian Mitchell, age 9, set up their own citrus table outside their neighborhood pool to raise money for Luke’s church, Faith Presbyterian.

At Faith Presbyterian, their version of Vacation Bible School is known as Wonderlab, an art and science camp where kids can paint, learn and play. This year, Wonderlab is raising money for Sacred Road Ministries, a 10-person team of representatives from the church that will be venturing to a Native American reservation in Warm Springs, Oregon.

Luke and Ian baked cookies for the occasion and sat in the heat with Luke’s mom, Tally Dettling, wearing their blue Wonderlab t-shirts after a day at camp. Their table also was stocked with chips, water, Rice Krispies, Cheez-Its, and, of course, lemonade. This was Ian’s first time at Wonderlab camp, and Luke said it was nice to have a friend with him this year. The pair met in first grade and have continued to be friends since.

“We both like making art the most, especially drawing,” said Ian, referring to Wonderlab camp. “I like science too, but I know everything about science already.”

The funds raised at their lemonade stand will go to the mission trip team traveling to Warm Springs, Oregon. Warm Springs is home to Confederated Tribes, which, according to their website, are separate tribes that operate under one form of tribal government. The website also states that the government of Warm Springs secures the health and prosperity of the tribes and creates a community that affords every tribe member the opportunity to gain good health, self-sufficiency, pride and self-esteem.

Members of the Faith Presbyterian mission team will fund the purchase of a van to help residents on the reservation with transportation, participate in construction work and host a kid’s camp for over 200 local children. This camp will provide a safe place for children to play, sing, raft, learn, swim and hear about Jesus.

Luke and Ian raised $50 at their lemonade stand, which contributed to the more than $2,000 donated throughout Wonderlab camp.

Microgreen Farming

If you are looking for healthy (and delicious) ways to improve your diet, My Greens microfarm may have just what you need. Emily Lawrence grows fresh and organic greens in her Hoover home and sells them to those looking to improve their diets and lifestyles at farmers markets and on Etsy.

“I’ve come across a few people who have health issues and are looking to improve their diets but are unsure where to start,” said Lawrence. “I have people come to the market that are recovering from breast cancer, and I tell them which microgreens to eat and how to incorporate them into their diet. It’s just to help people feel better, more energetic, and just healthier overall.”

Microgreens are young vegetable seedlings, or baby plants, that are incredibly nutritious. They are packed with nutrients that hold up to 10-100 times higher concentrations of vigorous nutrients than fully matured plants and possibly reduce the risk of developing many diseases.

Lawrence herself has noticed a change in her health since she began growing and consuming microgreens in 2022 and has said she has much more energy, goes on walks every day, and her skin has thrived. Health is the reason she started the business in the first place.

“My boyfriend had a heart attack in 2022 at age 50,” said Lawrence. “He was looking for ways to eat healthier and found out about microgreens, and so we started growing them just for us. We grew so many that we thought we should begin selling, and it kind of took off from there.”

Lawrence says a great way to incorporate microgreens into your diet is to put them on dishes you enjoy. She says cilantro microgreens are great on tacos, pizza or really anything if you enjoy cilantro. Lawrence’s favorite salad to make with her microgreens is mixed greens with radish, broccoli, bull’s blood beet, red cabbage, chickpeas, arugula, cucumbers, tomatoes, sunflower seeds and her homemade dressing.

As her business continues to grow, Lawrence hopes to eventually move her greens from her daughter’s old nursery room to a warehouse. Though she is looking forward to expanding her business, her main goal all along has been to help people.

If you are interested in buying from My Greens or would like to know more, you can reach out to mygreens1517@gmail.com or (205)-907-1478.

INTERVIEW WITH LAUREN SISLER