Special holiday open house planned for the historic A. G. Gaston Motel

Birmingham, AL - The City of Birmingham and the National Park Service will host its inaugural Holiday Harmony Open House at The Gaston on Saturday, Dec. 7. This free, public event is a special community viewing of the historic A.G. Gaston Motel, located at 1510 5th Ave. North. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the lobby and courtyard will be filled with local storytellers, performers, vendors, and entrepreneurs.

"The A.G. Gaston Motel has a history of being at the center of celebrations of culture and community," said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. "The partnership with the National Park Service has enabled us to revive and restore this special place. We hope the Gaston will once again be at the heart of community gathering for all people here in Birmingham and beyond."

The A.G. Gaston Motel is the key historic site of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, which was established in 2017 by President Barack Obama. The National Park Service and the City of Birmingham cooperatively own and manage the motel, one of seven cultural heritage sites included in the National Monument and located in and associated with Birmingham's Historic Civil Rights District.

The Holiday Harmony Open House is made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Foundation.

"This special event will serve as a way to show our appreciation to the city, Birmingham Civil Rights District stakeholders, and broader constituencies for supporting this ever-expanding multi-year partnership," said Dr. Rolando Herts, Superintendent of the National Park Service's Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. "This also marks the temporary completion of the Gaston Motel lobby with new exhibits and furnishings that illuminate Birmingham's Civil Rights legacy."

The Holiday Harmony Open House at the Gaston will feature performances from local artists, food trucks, free food tastings, educational tours, and a marketplace of vendors and entrepreneurs-a festive way to honor our community's support and the enduring partnerships within the Birmingham Civil Rights District.

For more information about the motel and this event, go to www.nps.gov/bicr.