Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/34521
BIRMINGHAM A meeting group looking for a leisurely diver- sion or a family reunion group seeking a fun activ- ity might consider traveling to Alabama’s largest city in August, when the Birmingham Arts & Music Festival and the Stokin’ the Fire Barbecue and Music Festival are on tap. One of Birmingham’s most popular attractions —andmost unique settings for an offsite event— is Barber Motorsports Park and the onsite Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, which houses more than 1,000 motorcycles. Many other notable local attractions also double as event venues, including the Sloth Furnaces National Historic Landmark (which hosts the Stokin’ the Fire fest), the McWane Science Center, the Birmingham Museum of Art and the WorkPlay Theater. A tour of Birmingham’s renowned Civil Rights District will take you to the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, site Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Exhibit of the 1963 bombing that killed four young girls; Kelly Ingram Park, where a series of sculptures commemorates the civil rights demonstrations that took place there; and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Other area landmarks include the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, located inside the historic Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts; the Fourth Avenue Business District; Alabama Penny Savings Bank, the state’s first Black-owned bank; and A.G. Gaston Gardens, a former motel and civil rights meeting space. Oak Mountain State Park, located about 20 minutes from downtown Birmingham, would make a great setting for a family reunion picnic or corporate teambuilding sports activities. Other places to play include the entertainment dis- trict known as Five Points South; Alabama Adventure, the state’s first amusement park; and the Oxmoor Valley Golf Course, part of the state-wide Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Birmingham’s largest meeting venue, the Jefferson Convention Complex, contains 220,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space, 60 meeting rooms, and a 10-story Medical Forum. There are about 14,000 area guestrooms. ARKANSAS In a place nicknamed “The Nature State,” you’ll naturally find plenty of outdoor adventure, from whitewater rafting on theOuachitaRiver to hunting for precious gems at the world’s only public dia- mond mine. In Pine Bluff, you can book tee time at the Harbor Oaks Golf Course and — if you plan your trip for September — join in the city’s popular Smoke on theWater barbecue and music festival. Hot Springs could be the ideal setting for a spa A must try is a relaxing day at the Turtle Cove Spa. vacation as an incentive trip, with Bath House Row in Hot Springs National Park as the pampering headquarters. Other area attractions include the Gangster Museum of America, the Mid-American ScienceMuseum and GarvanWoodland Gardens. Little Rock is home to one of the nation’smost significant historical landmarks: the CentralHigh School National Historic Site, where a pivotal U.S. school desegregation case began.The Little Rock Nine Memorial, dedicated to the students involved in the case, is located on the grounds of the State Capitol. FLORIDA Whether it’s relaxing at one of the state’s luxurious resort spas, claiming a sandy play spot among its 825 miles of 34 beaches or hitting the inks at a championship golf course, Florida offers visitors plenty of ways to indulge in their Black Meetings & Tourism May/June 2011: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Photo Credit: Birmingham CVB Photo Credit: Hot Srings CVB