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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Children move through a bounce house during the Vestavia Hills Spring Sports Celebration event, part of the Dogwood Festival, held at Wald Park in March 2022.
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Photo by Erin Nelson.
Maria May Johnson and Kim Douglass look at bids on silent auction items at the Dogwood Luncheon at the Vestavia Country Club in April 2022.
This month will see the annual Wing Ding, the Dogwood prayer breakfast, luncheon and the Battle of the Bands in Rocky Ridge.
All of the events are part of the city’s Dogwood Festival. A full list of events can be found at vhal.org/community/dogwood-festival.
Dogwood Luncheon
The annual Dogwood Luncheon will be held on April 4 at Vestavia Country Club, beginning at 10:30 a.m.
A silent auction will kick off the day’s events, with Heidi Elnora serving as this year’s keynote speaker, said Whitney McDonald with the Vestavia Hills Beautification Board.
Elnora designs wedding dresses, has launched her own line and has had multiple television shows, McDonald said. Her speech begins at 11 a.m.
The Vestavia Belles will also be honored for their work as ambassadors for the city. The Belles represent the city at various events, help at the Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest and work with different charities throughout the year,
McDonald said.
Tickets are $35 and must be purchased in advance. They can be purchased by check and mailed in, or through email at
dogwoodluncheon@gmail.com. Guests can also use Venmo: @vh-dogwood.
Proceeds pay for future events as well as supporting the Belles and various beautification efforts across the city, McDonald said.
Battle of the Bands
The fourth annual Battle of the Bands competition is set for April 8 in the parking lot at the Rocky Ridge Plaza shopping center.
The event began over a “cold beer and a bar napkin,” said organizer Bob Barker. Last year’s competition was a success and multiple bands are already confirmed for this year, he said.
Mason Music is the title sponsor and the homebase for several of the bands, Barker said. Attendance has grown each year, as more and more people watch middle school and high school bands compete for cash prizes.
Music will begin around 4:30 p.m, with the last band finishing around 9 p.m., Barker said. First-place prizes in the middle school and high school categories each receive $750, with second-place finishers receiving $250. Bands will draw names for time slots and will play three songs or for 15 minutes, whichever comes first, Barker said. The bands represent multiple schools and communities, Barker said.
Businesses in the area will usually support the event by offering food and drinks, Barker said.
Bands confirmed for this year’s event include Stone Harbor, Eggos, Strangers, Out of Pocket and Bassment, with more to follow, Barker said.
Dogwood Prayer Breakfast
Lindy Cleveland, founder and executive director of Unless U, is this year’s keynote speaker for the Dogwood Prayer Breakfast, set for April 18 at 7 a.m. at the Vestavia Country Club.
Unless U provides ongoing education for adults with disabilities and special needs.
Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at vestaviahills.org.
Leaders are still determining who will play at the event, but it will be a group from Vestavia Hills High School, said Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce Director Michelle Hawkins.
Vestavia Hills Mayor Ashley Curry will be part of the event as he has in years past, Hawkins said. Other participants are likely to include local churches, she said.
Wing Ding
This year’s celebration of all things chicken wing will be April 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Vestavia Hills City Hall, out on the front lawn, said organizer Marty Martin.
Various teams participate in the event, usually from businesses, churches or groups of friends, Martin said, all competing to create the best chicken wing. The event, now in its 11th iteration, is taken seriously, but it is not a professional competition, Martin said. Instead, Wing Ding is about the community gathering together, he said.
There are usually between 18 and 23 teams, Martin said. Those attending can experience a wide array of flavors, with teams competing for prizes in two categories: fried and grilled/smoked.
There is also a “People’s Choice Award,” voted on by attendees. The other prizes are voted on by judges, including a “Spirit Award” for the teams that show the most spirit.
Additional teams will provide other types of food and items, Martin said.
The event also includes live music, bounce houses, face painting and more. Leadership Vestavia Hills manages the event, and the money raised goes to the community through various charitable organizations. The three charitable organizations are the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Vestavia Hills Parks and Recreation Foundation and a scholarship fund for students in Youth Leadership Vestavia Hills, Martin said.
Tickets are $7 in advance and $10 at the gate. Those who bring a nonperishable food item can get in for $5 on the day of the event. Kids 10 years old and younger are free.
