Anniversary celebrations kick off Mountain Brook's birthday month

Community members gathered in front of City Hall Sunday afternoon to start celebrating one very special birthday: Mountain Brook's.

This year on May 24 the city will be turning 75, and in honor of the milestone the Chamber of Commerce, Emmet O'Neal Library and Mountain Brook Schools came together to plan activities throughout the entirety of May, starting with the Kick-Off Celebration on May 7.

Organized in part by Leadership Mountain Brook members Kendall Alby, Will Bundy, Matthew Bullock and Mary Louise Howland, the event featured live local music from Kate and the Howlers and Riverbend, Mayfield's ice cream and Maggie the Cow, a dunk tank, a bounce house and, of course, birthday cake. 

Guests were also encouraged to pick up a copy of the city-wide scavenger hunt, created by Katie Moellering with EOL. After identifying photos of the city, participants who turn in their pamphlets by May 24 will be registered to win Village Gold.

"We really wanted this to be a community event," said Chamber of Commerce Director Suzan Doidge. "It's just a great day, great way to celebrate Mountain Brook."

Tess Patton, the Mountain Brook ninth-grader who won the city's "Why I Love Mountain Brook" essay contest, made an appearance to cut the ceremonial ribbon during the event. She will be taking Mayor Stewart Welch's seat tomorrow night, May 8, at the City Council meeting as mayor for the day and will "gavel-in" the meeting and read a proclamation.

"I think [the event] is a really friendly atmosphere," said Laura Rais-Bahrami. She and her family attended the event looking forward to ice cream, cake and the bounce house, which she said her two year-old loved.

Although Rais-Bahrami said they are relatively new to the area having only lived in Mountain Brook for a few years, she said it was nice to spend time at the event.

"It feels nice to be a part of the Mountain Brook tradition."