Cocktails in The Gardens Music Lineup

THIS JUST IN: Cocktails in The Gardens has its best music lineup to date! Cocktails in The Gardens presented by smart center Birmingham is in its third season, and it keeps getting better.

Birmingham indie-acoustic rising star Matthew Mayfield kicks off the first of three Cocktails in The Gardens on August 13. Todd Simpson & Mojo Child bring the blues to The Gardens on September 10 with their flare for southern and classic rock. Birmingham darlings The White Oaks, best described as a unique gospel-inspired, indie garage band, take the stage October 8 for the last Cocktails in The Gardens.

Last year, over 1200 came out to enjoy the music, food, mixing, mingling and cocktails. The Gardens Cafe by Kathy G is catering the spread of hors d’oeuvres and signature drinks this year. Tickets are only $10, but members of The Gardens get in free.

Many thanks to this year's sponsors: smart center Birmingham at Crown Automobile, Live100.5, The Gardens Cafe by Kathy G, RealtySouth’s Young Realtors Council, Southeastern Attractions, Fox 6, Birmingham Magazine, Birmingham Home & Garden and Cool People Care.

Staff Retreat

The staff of Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens closed the office for the annual staff retreat on Friday, May 29. On our way to our destination, we stopped at a dive called Twix & Tween in Centreville, AL and enjoyed catfish, fried pickles, onion rings and their famous icebox pies. We then went to Perry Lake, an oxbow lake of the Cahaba River, a characteristically “Southern” swamp with bald-cypress and tupelo trees covered in Spanish moss and supporting clusters of the shrub Itea, still blooming, at their bases.

We owe a special thanks to the Cahaba River Society's Randy Haddock for giving us the tour and allowing us to explore the unique and beautiful swamp right off the Cahaba, at no cost to The Gardens.

Below are a few pictures of the fun 'field day.'

Click here to see more pics from our retreat on Flickr.