Families enjoy night out at Calera’s Backyard Bash
Published 2:53 pm Thursday, June 12, 2025
Calera Main Street hosted its Backyard Bash First Friday event on June 6 at the Calera Courtyard with an array of activities and food trucks for residents and visitors alike. (Reporter photos/Noah Wortham)
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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor
CALERA – Wearing bright grins, children excitedly dunked city council members and the mayor into the water during Calera Main Street’s latest First Friday event.
Calera Main Street hosted its Backyard Bash First Friday event on June 6 at the Calera Courtyard with an array of activities and food trucks for residents and visitors alike.
“This gets all of the people out of the house with some activities to come and do and everybody enjoys it,” City Council member Kenny Dale Cost said.
During the event, attendees were able to browse a selection of vendors and enjoy food from various local food trucks, including Nawlins Style Po’Boys, Wasabi Juan’s, Gypsy Pies and more. Children were also able to enjoy safely testing their skills on a rock-climbing tower.
A popular highlight for many attendees was a dunking booth that provided a chance for residents to use their best pitch to knock the mayor, several city council members and election candidates into a cold pool of water.
Calera Main Street’s First Friday summer festival started on April 4 and is scheduled to continue monthly through Friday, Aug. 1. Each Friday features a different theme and a different sponsor with the ultimate goal of promoting Calera’s historic district and its shops and merchants.
Calera First Fridays first started five years ago and have continued to grow in tandem with the development of the city’s main street and historic downtown area.
“This is exactly what our vision was,” Council member Calvin Morgan said. “This is what we hoped for and this is what we wanted to see. What you see out here now—the crowds, the citizens of Calera coming together—this is the dream.”
Morgan expressed his gratitude for all of the families and visitors that made Calera Main Street’s Backyard Bash a success.
“I’m just grateful to see our community come together,” Morgan said. “This is what good living is all about.”
Cost shared that the city has a variety of events set for the rest of the year and encouraged everyone to come visit and support the city.
“Our city has just come alive in the last five years,” Cost said. “I’m looking forward to seeing it really come alive in the next four years.”
The next Calera First Friday event is set for Friday, July 4 with Festival Fun and Fireworks. Sponsored by TNT Fireworks and Calera Parks and Recreation, the event will allow Calera to celebrate the Fourth of July and First Friday at the same time with an explosive fireworks display set for after dark. The event will also be packed with music, games and a variety of food trucks.
Friday, Aug. 1, will see the First Friday series conclude with its annual Back to School event. Central State Bank will lead a backpack giveaway at the event as the city celebrates the start of a new school year with plans for vendors, food and activities for families.
In addition to the First Friday series, Calera has a collection of upcoming community events planned for the rest of the year, including the following:
- June 21: Fourth annual Cornhole for a Cure benefiting National MS Society
- Sept. 21: Pavilion Pawty
- Oct. 8: National Night Out
- Oct. 17-18: Calera Stampede PCA Rodeo
- Oct. 30: Seventh annual Trunk or Treat
- Nov. 8: Second annual Calera Nerd Fest
- Nov. 22: Tree Lighting Ceremony
- Nov. 29: Small Business Saturday and Christmas tree lighting
- Dec. 6: Annual Christmas Parade
- Dec. 31: Second annual New Year’s Eve Party
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