Fall has arrived, and there are still fun ways to enjoy it in the community while keeping safe social distance.
1. Kitty Kat Haven 5K
Saturday, Oct. 3
Veterans Park, Valleydale Road
Run at Veterans Park the first Saturday of October, and you can support kitties that need a home! The 5K race and Whisker Walk 1-mile fun run/walk benefit Kitty Kat Haven & Rescue, a no-kill, cage-free shelter for cats and kittens based in Hoover. Find more information or sign up here.
2. Shop Save & Share
Oct. 14-25
Shops Throughout the Birmingham Area
We’re all about an excuse to shop for a good cause, and you can’t beat the Junior League of Birmingham’s Shop Save & Share fundraiser. A digital or printed Shop Save & Share card costs $40, and then you receive a 20 percent at more than 400 participating businesses. You can purchase and download a card at ShopSaveandShare.net or at select retailers.
3. Pumpkin Patch/Cotton Pickin’ Celebration
Oct 24-25 | 9 a..m-5 p.m. daily
Old Baker Farm
Come out for a fall celebration with food, arts and crafts, horseback rides and pumpkins of course. Entry is $10 per person and includes a pumpkin. You can also visit the pumpkin patch sans festival any day in October. Learn more at oldbakerfarm.com.
4. Owl-O-Ween
Saturday, Oct. 24 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Alabama Wildlife Center
Come out for an afternoon with the owls and other birds at the Alabama Wildlife Center the week before Halloween. Guests will be given treat bags and can participate in the “owl prowl,” an indoor tunnel around their aviaries lit with black lights, while they meet owls, hawks, falcons and even a bald eagle. The event is free but donations are accepted and park entry ($5 for adults and $2 for children ages 4-11). Learn more at alabamawildlifecenter.org.
5. Paws for the Cause 5k and 1-mile Tail Waggin’ Trek
Oct. 24 | 8-11 a.m.
Veterans Park, Valleydale Road
Support animals at Shelby Humane at this annual dog-friendly run. Now more than ever, the shelter needs financial support to care for the hundreds of pets in their care and foster homes to provide temporary housing. Register and find more information at Adventuresignup.com, and learn more about the nonprofit’s work at shelbyhumane.org.
