First Fridays: Back for 2nd Year

Rocky Ridge’s entertainment district will come alive again this summer with the return of First Fridays.

This year, organizer Rob Morgan of Morgan Properties said the event’s focus will be on music and the community of Rocky Ridge businesses.

First Fridays began in 2016 as a way to take advantage of Rocky Ridge’s designation as an entertainment district, where patrons can drink alcoholic beverages outside under certain conditions. The idea was adapted from other Alabama cities such as Florence that bring together music, vendors and other entertainment once a month. 

Morgan said last year’s crowds varied from 500 people up to about 2,500.

“The community’s just been so supportive about it,” Morgan said.

There are five events scheduled for this season, kicking off May 5 and lasting through Sept. 1. 

Morgan said one major element from last year — the market of area craftsmen and vendors in the Western Supermarket parking lot — will not be returning. There was concern about the vendors competing for attention with established Rocky Ridge businesses, so Morgan said they decided to take a different approach this summer.

“We’re just trying to morph it into what works for everybody and make it the best that it can be,” Morgan said.

Instead, the brick-and-mortar stores will be playing a bigger role in First Fridays. Morgan said several tenants in the Rocky Ridge shopping centers already have committed to placing tents and tables outside to showcase their products on First Friday evenings.

“Everybody wants to see this work; we just need to figure out how to do it right,” Morgan said.

Live music also will be returning to the outdoor area near The Ridge and the new patio at Moe’s Original BBQ. Morgan said the restaurants will have the main responsibility of booking artists, and the line up had not been determined as of the Vestavia Voice’s press time.

“It’s morphing more into a live music event,” Morgan said. “Everyone is committed to at least on the First Friday, if not on other Fridays, to having live music.”

Johnny Brusco’s Pizza will be in charge of providing games and activities for children. Morgan said the organizers also are trying to find special guests for some of the events, such as a classic car show or the aerial acrobats that performed last year.

Parking was affected last year by vendors, activities and guests in the parking lots of the Rocky Ridge Square, Rocky Ridge Plaza and Shops at Oak Park shopping centers. Morgan said he wants to see how many people attend the first event and then make any needed changes to have enough parking available.

As with last year, police officers will be on hand to make sure attendees are safe while crossing Morgan Drive and Rocky Ridge Road — which are not closed to traffic — as well as to monitor enforcement of entertainment district laws. 

Within the entertainment district’s boundaries, including all three shopping centers, adults can take open alcoholic beverages outdoors as long as they are in marked entertainment district cups and they do not enter another restaurant selling alcohol.

City Manager Jeff Downes said there were no reports last year of any problems associated with the entertainment district or outdoor alcohol consumption. Vestavia Hills has the ability to add another entertainment district elsewhere in the city, but Downes said there are no immediate plans to create a second district.

Morgan said last year’s event had a positive response from the community, and he’s looking forward to seeing it again this summer. The goal of First Fridays is to “give people an outlet to have fun and stay in the community and not have to go down to downtown Birmingham.”

Follow the Rocky Ridge First Fridays Facebook page for more information on this season’s events.