International Day of Birmingham
The International Day of Birmingham celebrates the historic alliance between the original city of Birmingham, in the United Kingdom, and the more than a dozen other Birminghams of North America, Together this group of places make up the United States of Birmingham. Official Friendship Agreements, gathered by the Lord Mayor's...
Drive visitation and cultural tourism to lesser-known Birmingham namesakes across North America by positioning the day as a unique travel challenge and heritage celebration.
- Create a 'Birmingham Bucket List' challenge encouraging travelers to visit all 14 namesakes
- Spotlight hidden gems: feature stories about the smaller, overlooked Birminghamams in Connecticut, Kansas, and beyond
- Partner with local tourism boards to offer September travel packages and 'sister city' experiences
- User-generated content campaign: #BirminghamToursWithMe showcasing visits to different namesake cities
Evolving from being a tiny market town in the 7th century to the fastest growing city in the 19th century, Birmingham, UK is the original city that this entire day is founded upon.
But, fostered by the spread of the people settling and starting up cities and towns across the Atlantic, the beloved city of Birmingham ended up with quite a few namesakes.
Fourteen namesakes, to be exact – and all of them are in North America. Thirteen are in the United States and one in the Canadian Province of Saskatchewan. Many people know about what is probably the most famous US city by this name, located in Alabama.
But did you know that there are towns and cities by this name located in States scattered throughout the eastern half of the US? From Connecticut all the way to Kansas, there are different places who bear this name.
And even more confusing? Three states, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana, actually have two each! In fact, Ohio used to have three, but it is now part of Lafayette Township.
International Day of Birmingham is an opportunity to invite all of these unique and interesting towns and cities to embrace and celebrate the main thing they have in common – their name.
Visit a Town Called Birmingham
Certainly one of the best ways to celebrate this event would be to be sure to get to one of these towns or cities for a visit. Some of them might be less-than-impressive, but still could be a delightful way to spend the day.
Make a Birmingham Bucket List
Perhaps it would be fun to make it a lifetime achievement to visit every one of the Birminghams in honor of International Day of Birmingham. Make it part of a bucket list, just for fun!