Fun-filled Week in Downtown Huntsville and More!

In this edition of the Downtown Explorer, our Food Trailers are back in Big Spring Park, Super Saturday is happening this weekend, we are hosting another great National Day of Giveaway, and we have a very exciting announcement for our beer fans! Don't miss out on these events happening in Downtown Huntsville!

This Friday, join us for the Food Trailers edition of Food Trucks VS Food Trailers, presented by Amanda Howard Sotheby's International Realty. We will be in Big Spring Park from 5-9 pm with Food Trailers and Tent Vendors!

Our vendors include:

Food Trailers
2 Chicks On A Roll
Bruster's Ice Cream
Delicious
Grumpy's
Highway Kabobery
HIPPEA Camper
Level Up
Newsouth Hot Dog & Sushi
O Taste & See BBQ LLC
Southerland Sno Depot
Triple L BBQ

Tent Vendors
Forever Grateful, LLC
freethought coffee co.
Nanny's Old Fashioned Lemonade
Piper and Leaf
Regale Cupcakery
Suzy's Pops
Amanda Howard Sotheby's International Realty
AT&T
CycleBar Huntsville
Discovery Life Sciences
Onin Staffing

View the map and get more updates on the event through our Facebook Event Page!

Join us for another Super Saturday Sidewalk Sale in Downtown Huntsville! Father's Day is quickly approaching, so come grab the best gifts for the special occasion! This event is going to have local art vendors, musicians, retail deals, and more!

Don't miss out on any updates and RSVP to our Facebook Event Page!

We hope you enjoyed our National Burger Day Giveaway but don't worry there's more! This month we will be doing a special giveaway on June 4th, also known as National Donut Day! We have partnered with Piper & Leaf x Constitution Hall for a sweet treat!

More information will be given out on our Facebook Event Page so make sure you RSVP and turn on those notifications so you don't miss out!!!

We are very excited to announce our 1st Annual Downtown Huntsville Craft Beer Trail Fest!

You will have the exclusive opportunity to taste brews from our Downtown Huntsville Craft Brewery Trail stops at The Camp at MidCity! Below the Radar, Fractal, Green Bus, Innerspace, Mad Malts, Rocket Republic, Salty Nut, Straight to Ale and Yellowhammer are all going to wow you with their own unique taste!

There will be live music and The Camp food trucks will be open!

Two sessions will be available on Saturday, Aug 14th:
Session One: 12pm to 2pm
Session Two: 3pm to 5pm

Purchase tickets here
Tickets: $20 before Aug 1st
Tickets: $25 from Aug 1st to Aug 13th
Tickets: $35 at the door (If not sold out)
Only 100 tickets will be sold for each session. Get your tickets early!

NOTE: This event is a 21 years or over event. No one under the age of 21 will be allowed in the Beer Fest area.

MidCity is getting a taste of our Downtown Craft Beer Trail and we hope to see you there! RSVP to our Facebook Event Page.

This Week in Downtown Huntsville: Rocket City Adventure Race, DHI Logo Contest, and National Day of Giveaways!

The Rocket City Adventure Race and National Day of Giveaways are back, plus our DHI Logo Contest is coming to a close. These are fun and free events/activities you can enjoy in Downtown this week. Join in, and read more in this edition of the Downtown Explorer!

The Rocket City Adventure Race is back this year. Starting off as a DHI contest winner, the Rocket City Adventure Race is now a fan favorite here in Downtown! It is a free, fun athletic challenge made up of 15-20 stations of mental and physical challenges. Win prizes along the way while also supporting a great cause! The race begins at Cozy Cow Sunday at 2pm!

The race is free, but donations are appreciated. All proceeds benefit Girls On The Run Of North Alabama, an after-school girls’ mentoring program. This is a family-friendly event and suitable for all fitness levels.

RSVP to their Facebook Event Page to stay updated!

Downtown Huntsville, Inc. wants to reward the creative minds of Downtown Huntsville! What better way to do that than a little friendly competition? We invite you to participate in our DHI Logo Contest!!! Download our editable logo files here and recolor, animate, texturize, and more. Once you have finished your design, please email it to Alyssa at alyssa@downtownhuntsville.org for review.

You can recolor, add textures, animate, or whatever you so desire to our logo. Here’s the catch, you cannot change the overall layout and shape. The finished product must be a square with an “H Downtown Huntsville” in the corner. If you have any questions or concerns about your design, please email Alyssa at alyssa@downtownhuntsville.org.

Once the deadline closes, we will review the submissions with our DHI staff and pick 2 winners. Our first prize winner will receive a $100 gift card to a downtown establishment of their choice. The second prize winner will receive a $50 gift card to a downtown establishment of their choice. We can’t wait to see what you’ve got!!

To get some inspiration you can view our new gifs created by Rocket City Digital by typing in "Downtown Hsv" in the gif keyboard on IG Stories and more!

The deadline to enter is June 1st

Official rules can be found here. 

Join us on Friday, May 28th for National Burger Day! We have partnered with Below the Radar Brewing, Melt, and Jack Browns Beer & Burger Joint to celebrate this holiday. Courtesy of Downtown Huntsville, Inc., the first 5 burgers purchased at each of these establishments on Friday, are on the house! So, be sure to be one of the first 5 people in the doors on Friday to get your free burger!

If you want to be updated about future National Day of Giveaways, we will be announcing these giveaways through our Facebook Event Page so make sure you RSVP and turn on those notifications so you don't miss out!!!

Friday Night Art Walks Return to Downtown Huntsville!

Friday Night Art Walks are back in Downtown Huntsville! We reveal this Friday's details plus we unveil and discover everything about our newest addition to our Downtown Parks in this edition of the Downtown Explorer!

Friday Night Art Walks 2021, presented by Progress Bank, returns to Downtown Huntsville on the second Fridays of every month from May to October from 5 to 8 pm! The kickoff event will be taking place this Friday around the Historic Square!

We have over 50 vendors participating this weekend with local art, home goods, baked goods, activities, and much more! Progress Bank will be hosting a special giveaway and fun activities all night long! Hear more from Progress Bank on Friday Night Art Walks here.

We are also so excited to welcome the Greater Huntsville Humane Society (GHHS) as our official Art Walk charity partner for another year!

The weather is going to be fantastic this Friday, so come walk around historic Downtown Huntsville, check out the art and artisan goods, dine and drink local, and enjoy this beautiful evening!

This event is open to the public and FREE to attend! The vendor list can be found on our Facebook Event Page!

While you are out at the Friday Night Art Walks, you might notice that we have some new Adirondack Chairs out, sponsored by Lore Hislop, Averbuch Realty. We are adding in over 30 new chairs to the historic square and surrounding areas!

Grab a purple cup, shop around historic Huntsville, and relax with your friends this weekend!

Also new in Downtown Huntsville, is the Community Foundation Park on Pelham Avenue! This new urban park, beside the beautiful new Redstone Federal Credit Union building, adds more green space and art to Downtown!

At the park, you will find an art installation called “Travelers One". It is one of three art installations to be scattered throughout downtown Huntsville over the next year bringing more art around Big Spring Park!

The park has seating for passerby's to enjoy lunch or relax with friends. If you are interested in learning more about our other Downtown parks, click here!

Get a Taste of Downtown Huntsville

Food is on the brain in this edition of the Downtown Explorer! A Taste of Panoply is headed back to Downtown Huntsville this weekend and you won't want to miss it. Then, watch as we taste test some of our Food Trucks vs Food Trailer menu items in our most recent YouTube video. And we take a tour of our Craft Cocktail Trail with the Leadership of Greater Huntsville Alumni. Read more below!

The Arts Huntsville Panoply Festival is back this year!! This in-person, three-day arts festival will be held at Huntsville’s Big Spring Park April 23 – 25! A Taste of Panoply, a scaled-back version of the annual arts festival, offers the community a much-needed opportunity to interact while celebrating and supporting the arts community safely.

There will be 15 musical performances by local and regional talent and art from over 100 visual artists. On Saturday and Sunday, festivalgoers can experience live art demonstrations at the Arts In Action tents, interact with strolling characters and take photos at the festival’s interactive art installations, and grab their free STEAM and Creativity Corner activities to continue the festival experience at home! Plus, enjoy fireworks over Big Spring Park on Friday night's preview night.

Hours:
Friday, April 23 from 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday, April 24 from 10:00am – 9:00pm (Art Marketplace closes at 7:30pm)
Sunday, April 25 from 11:00am – 6:00pm

Tickets:
Friday Night Tickets: $20
Saturday and Sunday free with a suggested $10 donation per adult

*Please note that there will be capacity limitations

Food Trucks vs Food Trailers is quickly approaching! To gear up for the big kick-off event, Chad Emerson, Downtown Huntsville, Inc. CEO, and Amanda Howard, with sponsor Amanda Howard Sotheby's International Realty, participated in a preliminary taste testing with some of our vendors!

To watch this fun little cook-off, click here! Amanda and Chad try 2 Chicks on a Roll, Mac & Snacks, Hippea Camper, and Badd Newz BBQ for this taste test. Not one of them disappointed!!!

Come check out these Trucks and Trailers and more at this year's Food Truck All Stars event. Every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month from May to October in Big Spring Park. Be there for the fight of the century!

Yesterday, we had the privilege of leading a tour for the Leadership Greater Huntsville Alumni through our Craft Cocktail Trail.

After sampling cocktails at Purveyor, we headed through the Clinton Row Colorwalk for some fun photos before arriving at The Bottle. Then, on our way to Stellas Elixir Lounge, we stopped by to see some more art on our Secret Art Trail. After Stellas, we passed by the new hotel on Jefferson Street and made our way to Phat Sammys to end with cocktails and appetizers.

If your company is interested in taking a similar tour, let DHI help you in the process! Email Karla at karla@downtownhuntsville.org to learn more about how you can have a fun outing in Downtown Huntsville!

Here's a List of Easter and Spring Activities in Downtown Huntsville!

Happy Spring Downtown Huntsville! In this edition of the Downtown Explorer, we announce our St. Patricks Day Porch Parade winners, Easter events to attend, and Spring activities to enjoy in Downtown! As the weather warms up, come out and see what the Rocket City Center has to offer.

Our St. Patrick's Day Porch Parade ran from March 12th through March 21st with 8 residents and 6 businesses partaking in the decoration contest! After a close poll on Instagram with over 250 votes, we are so excited to announce our St. Patrick’s Day Porch Parade winners!

1st place: 227 Walker!
2nd place: 410 Newman!
3rd place: 412 Holmes!
Honorable Mention: 405 White!

Best Downtown Business Decorations: VanValkenburgh & Wilkinson, Realtors

Thank you to everyone who participated and voted in our Porch Parade Decoration Contest! Stay tuned to our social media channels for future Porch Parades and other competitions!

The Easter holiday is quickly approaching and Downtown Huntsville has many Easter events for you to enjoy.

Char Restaurants Easter Brunch: There are two ways to celebrate Easter with Char this year! Dine-in and enjoy their full brunch & lunch menus beginning at 10am on Sunday, April 4th. Or, celebrate from a distance! View their brunch family meal package here and call to place your order by Friday, April 2nd at noon for pickup Sunday, April 4th between 10:30am-3pm.

Burritt on the Mountain Easter Jubilee: Celebrate springtime with Burritt on the Mountain at their annual Easter Jubilee! Bring your favorite Easter basket to collect eggs and special treats, try your hand at panning for gems, make a fun Easter craft, and so much more!

Commerce Kitchen Easter Brunch: Enjoy a southern three-course feast with indoor or outdoor seating at Commerce Kitchen on Sunday April 4th from 10am-3pm. You can also enjoy this meal from the comfort of your own home by calling in your order and picking it up curbside. View the dine-in menu here, the take-home menu here, and make reservations here.

Purveyor Easter Brunch Buffet: Indulge in an Easter Brunch Buffet at Purveyor on Sunday April 4th from 11am-2pm. The buffet includes a raw seafood bar, small bites, a meat carving station, and sides. Make reservations online.

1892 East Restaurant Easter Brunch: 1892 East will be open for brunch from 10am to 2pm on Easter Sunday with their regular brunch menu. View the menu here and be sure to call to make reservations!

Rhythm on Monroe Easter: Friday, April 2nd through Sunday, April 4th, Rhythm on Monroe is offering a special Easter Menu. Learn more and make reservations online!

Ruth's Chris Steak House Take-Home Easter: Ruth's Chris is offering a steakhouse-inspired, carryout Easter dinner again this year! Complete with all your favorite dishes – including their signature Beef Tenderloin – this is a multi-course meal you can pick-up, reheat, and serve. Deadline to place an order is Wednesday, March 31.

Super Saturday Sidewalk Sale: Downtown Huntsville will be filled with local art vendors and buskers again on Saturday, April 3rd from 11am to 3pm. This Easter edition of our sidewalk sale is a great opportunity to find cute Easter baskets and gifts right before the holiday!

Cotton Row Easter Brunch: Sunday, April 4th, Chef James Boyce and his culinary team are preparing a holiday brunch! A three-course meal $42 per person.

Warmer weather is on its way, which means that getting outdoors is a must this week! Here are some activities to get you enjoying springtime in Downtown Huntsville:

Blue Bikes, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama: Rent a blue bike from one of the 11 stations in Downtown Huntsville and explore! There are 30 bikes, across the downtown area. This is a great physical activity to enjoy with friends and family while also staying outdoors. Plus, it only costs a simple $2 per 30 minutes of riding. Download the Movatic app to get started!

Secret Art Trail, presented by Polaris: With 19 "secret" art pieces and a brand new segment with 7 art pieces just added, the Secret Art Trail can be a great day activity for the whole family! Grab a card at the Huntsville/Madison County Visitors Center or print one off online and head downtown to find these unique pieces!

Downtown Parks: Looking for a new park in Downtown Huntsville? From playgrounds to tennis courts, our downtown parks have so much to offer! You can watch our Explorer Vlog Park Videos here to get a better look at what we mean!

Check out more outdoor activities on our website!

This Week in Downtown Huntsville: Gymnastics, Tailgating, and Porch Parades!

Spring is coming to Downtown Huntsville and we have some great outdoor activities for you to enjoy! With the Gymnastics Championship this weekend, we are excited to host a tailgating experience. Plus, you can also enjoy our St. Patrick's Day Porch Parade until Saturday! Learn more in this edition of the Downtown Explorer.

This Saturday the Von Braun Center is hosting the SEC Gymnastics Championship with 8 Women's Gymnastics Teams! This week, we have been sharing Gymnastics Trivia on our Twitter page as well as famous women gymnasts from each team on our Instagram page.

Join in on the fun on our social channels in celebration of this great event coming to Downtown Huntsville!

Join us on Saturday, March 20, 2021 for a tailgating experience! Right across from the Propst Arena where the Gymnastics Championship will be taking place, Big Spring Park will be set up with a tailgating area.

The Von Braun Center will be providing an outdoor bar area outside of the arena. University of Florida and Auburn University Alumni groups will have designated sections, along with an open area for other supporters, alumni, and fans to enjoy this tailgate experience in Downtown Huntsville!

The Downtown Huntsville St. Patrick’s Day Porch Parade is a walkable, bikeable, or drivable route through the Downtown Core and two of Downtown Huntsville’s historic residential districts: Old Town and Twickenham!

Our residential Porch Parade participants are competing in a decoration contest. Head over to our Instagram page to vote for your favorite house! Winners of the decoration contest will receive a gift card to a downtown establishment of their choice: 1st place ($250) 2nd place ($100) and 3rd place ($50)! Decorations will be up until March 21!

View the map and addresses here!

Holiday Markets and Gift Guides in Downtown Huntsville!

December has arrived and with it has come many holiday deals! Enjoy our last Super Saturday Sidewalk Sale, visit the brand new Holiday Art Marketplace and Hispanic Holiday Market, and learn about DHIs extensive Holiday Gift Guides all in this edition of the Downtown Explorer!

Come to downtown this Saturday from 10am to 5pm for our last Super Saturday Sidewalk Sale! Local art vendors and buskers will line the streets of downtown bringing handmade goods and live music. Our downtown retail shops will be bringing their merchandise out on the sidewalk to you offering the best deals and discounts!

Also on Saturday at the same time, visit the new Holiday Art Marketplace beside the Von Braun Center! This outdoor event will feature 50 area artists from a variety of mediums selling one-of-a-kind merchandise perfect for gift giving. The Von Braun Center will be hosting SEC Football Games in the Mars Music Hall and the NEACA Craft Fair in the South Hall. Then, end your shopping day at The Huntsville Museum of Arts skating rink and our very own Tinsel Trail at Big Spring Park.

So come out and enjoy a fun-filled Saturday!

On December 11th, La Esquina Cocina is hosting a Posada, a traditional Hispanic Christmas festival with live music and vendors! This is a great opportunity for the Latin community to be able to experience this tradition and its a great way to educate yourself of the rich Hispanic culture, especially during the Christmas season.

Free hot chocolate (the infamous Abuelita chocolate) will be offered as well as some giveaways from local shops. Have fun hitting pinatas and...visiting SANTA at this Hispanic Holiday Market! This is a COVID-safe event, and it is family and pet friendly!

La Esquina Cocina is so excited to showcase this Hispanic tradition!

If you are following along on our social accounts, you may have seen the beginnings of a few special series! DHI is helping you find the best holiday gifts in Downtown Huntsville with our Holiday Gift Guide series!

On our DHI Instagram account watch @alextrieslife shop at our downtown retail shops! From inexpensive stocking stuffers to grand presents, Alex has made a shopping guide perfect for every person and price range!

If you have some beer or coffee lovers in your life, you don't want to miss our Craft Beer Trail and Craft Coffee Trail Holiday Gift Guides! Every day of December, we will be sharing an item you can find along the trail perfect for gifting to that special someone in your life. Some gifts featured in our gift guide include: delicious pastries, 4-packs of the best local brews, book boxes, hoodies, and much more! Visit the Craft Coffee Trail Instagram and Facebook and the Craft Beer Trail Instagram and Facebook accounts to get this gift guide.

Happy shopping!

Our LAST Food Truck All Stars is this Friday and many more events in Downtown Huntsville!

Come visit Downtown Huntsville this week to enjoy our very last Food Truck All Stars of 2020, this years amazing Pop-Up Parks, and many Halloween themed events! This is your exclusive guide to find your downtown experience, all in this edition of the Downtown Explorer.

Yes! This is our very last Food Truck All Stars of 2020, presented by valleymls.com! With no Food Truck All Stars Finale this year, this is your last chance to see all of your favorite food trucks in one place. Join us this Friday from 5-9pm at Big Spring Park for this physically distanced event!

The best part is, the weather is predicted to be nice and cool! Clear skies and temps in the 60's! Come grab your favorite menu items and walk around our beautiful Big Spring Park. 

Our 2020 Pop-Up Parks are here! Downtown Huntsville is welcoming back our Pop-Up Parks for 2020, presented by Redstone Federal Credit Union. Move out the cars and bring in the people!  

6 parking spots around the downtown square have been converted into mini parks for you to enjoy. Grab a purple cup or a full meal and come take a seat (or enjoy other fun suprises) at these mini parks! These parks are open to the public and completely free to enjoy!

As an added bonus, you may have noticed that some of our Downtown Open Putt Putt holes are still out! That's because we are extending the Downtown Open, presented by Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate Group, through this weekend. 

Stay tuned to our social media pages for updates on these events and fun surprises to come!

Halloween is quickly approaching and there are so many SPOOKtacular activities to partake in! 

On October 24, participate in the BlossomWood Witches Ride & Sorcerers Stroll. The Blossomwood Witches Ride is a fun bike ride through the neighborhood of Blossomwood. Women dress up as witches, ride their brooms (bikes) and throw candy to the little monsters (kids) along the posted route. 

The Huntsville Ghost Walks are still going strong every Friday and Saturday night. They offer three completely different tours, but our personal favorite is the haunted tour! Haunted Downtown features the businesses in downtown Huntsville as well as the Big Spring and all of the spooky spirits that occupy them.

If you would rather take the Huntsville Ghost Walk haunted tour on a bike, we have just the thing for you. You can book a ride on the Rocket City Rover, a pedal-powered party trolley, and take a ghostly tour of downtown!

To finish off your thrilling night, head over to Lowe Mill for Monsters Movies at the Mill! Every Saturday night they will be playing a classic halloween movie on their 40 foot screen. Tickets can be bought here!

Here is your "staycation" itinerary for this Saturday in Downtown Huntsville!

This Saturday is the perfect day to have a "staycation" in Downtown Huntsville! In this edition of the Downtown Explorer, we are giving you the perfect itinerary to do just that! We've got food, shopping, putt putt, and much more on our list this weekend so don't miss out!

The first activity on our "staycation" itinerary is our Food Truck All Stars Brunch, presented by valleymls.com! This physically distanced event will be on Saturday from 10am to 2pm. Some of your favorite food trucks will be there serving breakfast, lunch, and everything in between! 

Confirmed participants include: Hippea Camper, Iceworks, Golden Years Ice Cream Parlor, Regale Cupcakery, and Beast Mode. For updates on the event and to view the event map, RSVP to our Facebook Event Page!

Just a short distance away from our Food Truck All Stars Brunch, you can find our Super Saturday Sidewalk Sale! From 10am to 5pm, enjoy amazing sales from the shops in downtown, a mini art walk, and a mini buskerfest! 

These shops and vendors are releasing Fall themed items and it is a perfect time to get some holiday shopping done. To see the list of art walk vendors and buskers, visit our Facebook Event Page!

Downtown Open 2020, presented by Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate Group,  has begun! From October 1st through the 11th you can enjoy this unique and urban putt putt course around the downtown square and surrounding sidewalks. This full 18 hole course is open 24 hours a day during this 10-day period for free!

For the safety of everyone, we ask that you provide your own putters and balls for this year’s course. Scorecards can be printed on our website. Updates on the event and exciting photos and videos will be shared on our Facebook Event Page!
 
This safe and unique course is fun for the whole family, so come out and enjoy our Downtown Open in Downtown Huntsville!

To finish off your Saturday "staycation", visit Lowe Mill for Monster Movies at the Mill! They will be screening a horror feature film in the North Lot on their 40 foot outdoor cinema screen every Saturday night in October at 7 PM!

Limited parking is available, so purchase your tickets for each screening online while they last for only $20 per vehicle. Social-distancing and face masks will be required at these events.

Check out the movie schedule here!

What do art, putt putt, and parks have in common? They are all in Downtown Huntsville!

As our 2020 Friday Night Art Walk comes to an end, Downtown Huntsville, Inc. is proud to announce the return of our Downtown Open Putt Putt course and our Pop-Up Parks this October! In this edition of the Downtown Explorer, we will give you exclusive details on these events so you can plan the perfect day in Downtown Huntsville!

We are proud to announce that our Downtown Open Putt Putt course, presented by Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate Group is making a return in 2020 on October 1st through October 11th! Play putt putt on this unique, urban course with 17 holes around the square over a 10-day period for FREE!

For the safety of everyone, we ask that you bring your own putter and ball to use for the course. You will be able to print your own score cards through our Facebook Event Page!

We hope this years course is safe and fun for you and your whole family! Don’t forget to tag us @DowntownHsv in all of your photos!

Come down to the square in downtown for our very last Art walk of 2020. Yes, you read that right! Our very LAST Friday Night Art Walk of 2020, presented by Amanda Howard Sotheby’s International Realty, is this Friday! So come to Downtown from 5-8pm and get your holiday shopping done early this year and snag some amazing Fall themed items. We also have some exciting new vendors joining us this Friday, so don't miss out!

The map and full list of vendors can be found on our Facebook Event Page.

The unique and quirky Pop Up Parks return to Downtown Huntsville October 15th through the 25th!

Pop Up Parks 2020 will feature 7 parking spots converted into mini-parks around the Downtown Square. The event's motto: "Move out the cars, bring in the people." Downtown Huntsville, Inc invites the community to come out, play on the mini-parks, and enjoy all the amazing things Downtown Huntsville has to offer. 
This 10-day event is free to attend and open to the public!

RSVP to our Facebook Event Page to see updates!