Editing Tuscaloosa, Alabama (section)

===Festivals and events===
Before each football game is a massive gathering at the UA Quad, where people gather starting on Friday for [[tailgating]] and the University of Alabama holds pep rallies on the Gorgas library steps. The Quad has hosted ESPN's ''[[College Gameday (football)|College Gameday]]'' several times and also is a place to meet Alabama football legends on game day and perform the "Elephant Stomp" (a pre-game parade) to Bryant–Denny Stadium with the Alabama mascot "[[Big Al (mascot)|Big Al]]" and the [[Million Dollar Band (marching band)|Million Dollar Band]].

Other annual city events worth noting are:
* Live at the Plaza – The City of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza concert series is held annually on summer Friday nights at Government Plaza in downtown Tuscaloosa. This family-friendly event includes a wide variety of live, local music; a kids' zone; food trucks and vendors; and more.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Live at the Plaza |url=https://liveplaytuscaloosa.com/city-events/live-at-the-plaza |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=City of Tuscaloosa Arts and Entertainment |language=en}}</ref> 
* [[Sakura]] Festival – The Sakura festival celebrates the symbolic moment when a cherry blossom petal detaches itself to float earthward, which reminds one of the paradoxically fleeting, yet enduring, nature of life. Every March Tuscaloosa celebrates its ties with Japan and its Sister City of Narashino City. This festival features a Haiku Contest.
* Kentuck Festival of Arts – This annual event takes place during the third week in October near the banks of the [[Black Warrior River]] in Historic Downtown Northport. This nationally recognized event brings in visitors and artists from all over the United States. As several hundred talented artists bring their creations, several thousand visitors come to pay tribute to their skills. Those crowds come not only for the art, but also for the artistry of the days of old. Several artisans provide live demonstrations of blacksmithing, furniture making, quilting, and potting. There are music acts performing on stages and many varied foods available. In February, 2024, Kentuck and the City of Tuscaloosa announced the relocation of the 2024 Kentuck Festival of the Arts to Snow Hinton Park in Tuscaloosa.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Colurso |first=Mary |date=2024-02-22 |title=One of Alabama's largest art festivals announces new location, dates for 2024 |url=https://www.al.com/life/2024/02/one-of-alabamas-largest-art-festivals-announces-new-location-dates-for-2024.html |access-date=2024-07-16 |website=al |language=en}}</ref>
* Moundville Native American Festival – This annual festival takes place at the Moundville Archaeological Park. Native American performing artists, craftspeople, and musicians entertain and educate visitors about the rich culture and heritage that makes Southeastern Indians unique. Visitors can look forward to learning about the society and culture that existed there 800 years ago.
* Dickens Downtown – An annual Victorian holiday celebration known as Dickens Downtown takes place on the first Tuesday night in December in Downtown Northport. Dickens is a community supported gathering to celebrate the true spirit of Christmas involving Theatre Tuscaloosa performing scenes from "A Christmas Carol", local choirs, the 5th Alabama Regimental Band, a real English Town Crier, father Christmas, and business and neighborhood open houses. As the area comes alive with characters and props straight from 'A Christmas Carol', local shops offer hot cocoa and cookies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tuscaloosabusiness.com/Tuscaloosa_Pages/Tuscaloosa+Festivals~83.html|title=Tuscaloosa Festivals|website=Tuscaloosabusiness.com|access-date=May 13, 2016 |archive-date=May 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514023742/http://www.tuscaloosabusiness.com/Tuscaloosa_Pages/Tuscaloosa+Festivals~83.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Druid City Arts Festival - Since 2010, the DCAF has been held at Government Plaza downtown in the first week of April every year. The annual open-air festival is free for anyone to attend and hosts vendors from around the state of Alabama and the country that display art, amateur and professional alike, that is available for purchase in tents scattered throughout the plaza. Attendees can travel from tent to tent admiring and buying available pieces, food, and other trinkets from vendors. There's a dedicated Kids Zone where sidewalk chalking takes place, and there's usually free musical performances held under the pavilion in the center of the plaza. The festival celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 5 and 6, 2019; it was also the festival's first two-day event, which is usually held for just one day a year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.druidcityartsfestival.com/|title=Druid City Arts Festival}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Druid City Arts Festival attracts students, community|work=The Crimson White|date=April 8, 2019|url=https://cw.ua.edu/52127/top-stories/dcaf-brings-community-to-tuscaloosa/|access-date=April 10, 2019}}</ref>