Join UAB Center for the Arts Block Party featuring Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience!Two-time Grammy Award winner Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience will bring traditional Louisiana Creole Zydeco to the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus Friday, Sept. 18, for the 2026 UAB Center for the Arts Block Party.
This event is presented by the UAB Center for the Arts, in partnership with its nonprofit organizations the Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center, Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts, ArtPlay Community Education and Arts in Medicine. It is a free, family-friendly evening filled with music, art, food and fun for all ages.
The block party celebrates creativity and community through the arts and marks the kickoff of the new season, from 30th anniversary season performances at the Alys Stephens Center to new programming from AEIVA, ArtPlay and AIM.
The celebration will begin at 5 p.m. outdoors on 10th Avenue South between 12th and 13th streets South, which will be closed to traffic. Enjoy local food trucks, creative vendors, live DJ music by Bad Boy Butch, giveaways and interactive experiences throughout the evening. The galleries at AEIVA will be open for guests to explore, while ArtPlay and AIM offer hands-on activities for kids and adults alike.
At 7 p.m., Simien will take the stage, bringing more than 40 years of powerful performances rooted in Black American zydeco traditions. The concert will take place outdoors on the street.
An eighth-generation, multicultural and multiracial, French-speaking Louisiana Creole, Simien blends infectious rhythms, soulful vocals and deep cultural storytelling into performances that move audiences across generations and borders. Leading a dynamic, intergenerational band of veteran musicians and rising Gen Z musicians, Simien delivers a live experience that honors tradition while pushing the music forward — making every performance both a celebration and a cultural statement. The Zydeco Experience band is Danny Williams, Stan Chambers, Ian Molinaro-Thompson, Noah Boshra and Robbie Wallace.