1 of 3
Photo by Erin Nelson.
Pat Noker, left, and Diane Ray clean and sort through shoe donations on June 12 as volunteers set up the annual Trash and Treasure Sale for Our Lady of Sorrows’ 4th of July Festival.
2 of 3
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Children spin in a carnival seat during Homewood’s 2021 Fourth of July celebration ahead of the Thunder on the Mountain fireworks display.
3 of 3
Photos by Erin Nelson.
Fireworks light up the night sky over Vulcan Park during the annual Thunder on the Mountain fireworks display in July 2021.
Joe Falconer and his family have been parishioners at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood for 50 years.
In that time, Falconer and his wife, Melanie, have spent many a weekend preparing for and participating in the Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School’s 4th of July festival. Joe spent decades cooking the meat at the festival, which began in 1950. While he retired from that role a few years ago, he’s still active in helping plan the activities and helps Melanie with the garage sale.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” Joe said.
The cooking crew is on their third smoke and is known for cooking excellent meat, including ribs, chicken, pork butts and more, he said. “It just comes natural for me.”
Guests can purchase a dinner plate, meat in bulk and a gallon of tea.
Spending time with the other volunteers leads to “amazing” fellowship, he said. He’s learned over the years the importance of being kind, as everyone involved in the festival is doing it as a volunteer.
When Joe did cook, he often had a friendly competition with Melanie to see who raised the most money, he said.
“She’d always beat me,” Joe said.
The festival has added an outdoor tent and better prizes over the years, he said. They’ve given away great cash prizes and, in 2011, a new car.
“It’s been a very fun thing to do,” Joe said.
For Melanie, she began helping at the festival when she began dating Joe, whose family was already involved. After helping with the garage sale for several years, she eventually took it over when the previous leader stepped down.
The sale started with just a couple of tables and clothing racks, along with some shelving from the now-defunct K-Mart, she said. Now, in her 30th year of being involved, they use the school’s gym, have more tables and have items lining the sidewalks. They also use part of the parking deck for furniture, lamps and more, she said. There are at least 200 people in line when they open on the morning of the sale, Melanie said.
In addition to the July 4 sale, items leftover from the sale are 50% off on July 5, she said. Any items still not sold are donated to The Foundry.
“The only reason I feel like it’s successful is that we have a whole bunch of volunteers that help us,” Melanie said.
Donations are taken in late May, and volunteers take time to organize them, price them and more, she said.
Melanie said she has the time during the summer to help out since she is a teacher during the school year. The group that organizes the sale gets together often at other times throughout the year, celebrating birthdays and having potlucks, she said.
“It’s a good social outlet for me,” she said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut everything down for a few years, the festival took a hit, she said. But she recalled seeing the three people who were always first in line at the garage sale back in their usual spots when they came back in 2022, eagerly anticipating being able to shop again.
“It fills a need for people who need a good bargain,” Melanie said.
People will shop for their college-bound student or for a good deal on clothes, which are usually $1. Books are usually 50 cents or $1, she said.
“They know they can get a good deal on things,” she said.
There have been some interesting items over the years as well, she said, including fur coats, a car, a kitchen sink, doors and windows.
“Our people … are very gracious to donate to us,” she said. “It’s really rewarding to me.”
The money raised at the festival goes toward the church and school. The festival itself is organized by the Knights of Columbus. The school is located at 1720 Oxmoor Road.
Visit ourladyofsorrows.com for more information about the festival.
Area events
For other fun July 4 events throughout the area, see the list below:
BIRMINGHAM
The “Thunder on the Mountain” fireworks show will be put on by the Vulcan Park & Museum at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4.
It’s a 20-minute fireworks show handled by Pyro Shows of Alabama and shot from the base of the Vulcan statue, allowing for easy viewing from both sides of Red Mountain.
The official soundtrack for the show will be simulcast on all iHeart Media Birmingham radio stations, including Magic 96.5, News Radio 105.5 WERC, 103.7 The Q, 102.5 The Bull and La Jefa 98.3.
Pyro Shows of Alabama starts designing the show about six months in advance, and it usually takes three days for about 10 people to set the show up at Vulcan Park & Museum, said Marvin Jones, the company’s show director.
It takes about 15 people six or seven hours to clean up afterward, he said. “We’re there til 3 or 4 in the morning,” Jones said.
The show will feature some of the traditional favorites such as happy faces and hearts, but Pyro Shows of Alabama always tries to do something different each year and works to meet special requests of the sponsors, Jones said.
This year’s sponsors of Thunder on the Mountain include the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, city of Homewood and city of Birmingham.
Just prior to the Thunder on the Mountain show, the UAB Summer Band plans to put on a free concert outside Bartow Arena on the south side of the arena from 7 to 8:30 p.m. People are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets to watch both the concert and the fireworks show.
HOMEWOOD
The city of Homewood and Homewood Parks and Recreation Board are having an Independence Day celebration on Tuesday, July 4, in downtown Homewood at 5 p.m.
Two blocks of 18th Street South and one block of 29th Avenue South will be blocked for pedestrian traffic, rides and inflatables designed to appeal to all ages of children. A disc jockey will provide music and interactive activities for attendees.
There is no admission charge to enter the area, but the rides and other attractions require a wristband that can be purchased for $10. The wristbands will be sold in a tent near the intersection of 18th Street South and 29th Avenue South. All money raised from the event goes to the Homewood High School band.
All activities will end when the Thunder on the Mountain fireworks display begins at Vulcan Park at 9 p.m.
HOOVER
The city of Hoover has a 15-minute fireworks show scheduled for after sunset (roughly 9 p.m.) on Sunday, July 2, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
The fireworks will be shot by Pyro Shows of Alabama from the lower Hoover Met parking lot by the soccer fields, said Marvin Jones, the show director for the company.
People are encouraged to find a spot in the Hoover Met parking lot to view the show, which is costing the city of Hoover $25,000, said Kelly Peoples, the city’s events manager. Music will be broadcast on 87.9 FM, she said.
The Hoover Country Club, located in the Green Valley community, has a fireworks show scheduled for shortly after dark (roughly 9 p.m.) on Monday, July 3.
It’s a private show designed for club members and their guests, but people frequently gather on surrounding streets and at Star Lake, a small public park, to view it. The show, handled by Pyro Shows of Alabama, will be shot from the golf course driving range behind the clubhouse and usually lasts 10-15 minutes, said Kia Macon, director of special events for the club.
The club will have other activities for club members and their guests that day, with wristbands required to enter the premises, Macon said.
