By 
May 1, 2017
UPDATED on May 4 at 9 a.m. to include a new date for the Walk at Lunch and Cinco de Mayo Healthy Huntsville events.
Nothing to do in Huntsville?
Isn’t it time to bury that old lament for good?
Last week’s 35th annual Panoply was just the appetizer course. This Saturday’s calendar is spilling over with activities, from a major travel convention (#TBEX) to the peace and calm of a yoga class by a gently flowing river.
Here’s a sampling of City events and major festivals that will make May 6 one of the busiest days of Huntsville’s spring and summer. For all of the other fantastic events happening on May 6 that are non-City affiliated, check out the Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau’s calendar, Our Valley Events or Rocket City Mom.
More than 600 travel journalists and others in the travel industry are in Huntsville from May 4-6 for the annual TBEX North America Conference.
TBEX hosts a number of similar gathering across the world, and Huntsville joins such sites as Israel, Ireland, Stockholm, Manila, Bangkok, Fort Lauderdale and Cancun as recent or future hosts.
According to organizers, travel media attending reach a combined audience of 300 million viewers, readers and followers a month.
While the convention events are not open to the public, the public is definitely open to the convention attendees. They devote an average of 11 days at convention sites.
Big White Tent Adoption Event with Huntsville Animal Services
Join Huntsville Animal Services and A New Leash on Life at the PetSmart on Jones Valley starting at 10 a.m. to adopt an animal in need.
The annual WhistleStop Weekend takes place at the Historic Depot on Friday and Saturday, with music, barbecue and other foods.
On Saturday night at WhistleStop, the Marshall Tucker Band is the headliner. A chili cook-off and barbecue contests for pros, amateurs and kids from 8 to 14 will be held.
The annual Mayor’s Bike Ride is at 10 a.m. in downtown Huntsville.
The Mayor’s Bike Ride is a casual, four-mile loop around the city, and there will be bike-related vendors on hand, including information about the city’s new Zagster Bike Share program. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m.
The Bike Ride is part of a larger Healthy Huntsville initiative that includes “Walk at Lunch” (which has been rescheduled due to weather to May 9 ) from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Big Spring Park East. There will be vendors touting nutrition and fitness, and an array of giveaways. Register as a team or individual before the event to be eligible for prize drawings.
The Cinco de Mayo Dance Party will be at Campus No. 805 and has also been rescheduled due to weather. Its new date is Friday, May 12. It includes a 45-minute Zumba session for participants. Register from 5 – 6 p.m. for a chance to win door prizes. The Zumba by Mira Eggleston begins at 6:15, followed by salsa lessons at 7:15 given by Ricky Jenkins of Dance Rocket City. There will be a live DJ for dancing from 8 p.m. until 10.
District 1 Council Member Devyn Keith is hosting the North Alabama Community Cleanup, in conjunction with the Green Team.
Residents may drop by Mae Jemison High School to obtain garbage bags, pick-up sticks and gloves. Other such cleanups will be held in other districts through the course of spring and summer. Follow the District One and Green Team Facebook pages for details. According to Green Team, more than 80,000 volunteered last year for cleanup events.
Yoga By The River
Ahhhh. So peaceful. This event will be held at 9 a.m. at Hays Nature Preserve, adjacent to the Flint River.
From the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra’s Video Games Live to Babypalooza at the VBC, there are a ton of great events happening this Saturday. Use those event calendars we linked above to learn about them all.
UP NEXT WEEKEND: Rocket City Brewfest
