They weren’t singing about Huntsville, but Sly and the Family Stone could have been with their 1969 hit “Hot Fun in the Summertime.” Because, simply, there is a lot of fun happening in Huntsville this summer. From soccer to baseball to disc golf to tennis and even college football, there is a smorgasbord of sports to whet anyone’s appetite.
So, let’s get this summer of fun cooking.
Take me out to the ballgame
The Boys of Summer are alive and well and home at Toyota Field in Madison.
The Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Double-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels, enter their sixth season in Minor League Baseball’s Southern League with a promotional calendar that features a record number of giveaway and appearance dates, highlighted by premium items handed out at the gates throughout the season.
Teams coming to town are the Double-A affiliates of the Atlanta Braves (Columbus Clingstones), Cincinnati Reds (Chattanooga Lookouts), Miami Marlins (Pensacola Blue Wahoos), Milwaukee Brewers (Biloxi Shuckers), Chicago White Sox (Birmingham Barons), Chicago Cubs (Knoxville Smokies), and Tampa Bay Rays (Montgomery Biscuits).
“I love our gate giveaway schedule this year,” said Ricky Fernandez, senior director of marketing and promotions. “There are items I’ve wanted to include for years, and I can’t wait to see how our fans react when we unveil all of the designs.”
Tickets can be purchased online at TPtix.com, in person at the Wicks Family Foundation Box Office at Toyota Field, or by calling 256-325-1403 (option 1).
A kick in the grass
Highlighted by four home matches in May, the Huntsville City Football Club is in its fourth season on the pitch of Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium. The club is the MLS NEXT Pro affiliate - comparable to Minor League Baseball - of Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC.
The stadium holds more than 6,000 frenzied fans who are over the moon for the “Boys in Blue.” And, to help boost the excitement, the team has its own rocket engine because, of course, it does.
This season, HCFC will host the likes of Chicago Fire FC II, Inter Miami FC II, and Atlanta United 2.
For information, visit www.mlsnextpro.com/huntsvillecityfc/
Meanwhile, the road to the Alabama high school state soccer championships leads to Huntsville.
The state’s best high school players and teams will converge on John Hunt Park for the Alabama High School Athletic Association championships hosted by the Huntsville Sports Commission.
The tournament is May 6-9. For tickets, visit GoFan.
And, if that’s not enough soccer, catch the future high school stars at the Apollo Cup.
Featuring several levels of competition, this annual event is an incredible weekend of youth soccer with some of the best club teams in the South.
The Apollo Cup is May 16-17 at Merrimack Soccer Complex.
Life’s a beach
The John Hunt Park Sand Volleyball Complex will be the site of the 2026 National Junior College Athletic Association Beach Volleyball Championships. The NJCAA and Huntsville Sports Commission are hosting the tournament, which runs April 30-May 2.
This year will see the debut of the Beach Volleyball Pairs Event, in addition to the team competition. The additional event will feature 16 pairs competing over two days in a format that includes pool play followed by a single-elimination bracket, offering student-athletes a dynamic and competitive environment to showcase their skills.
For information, visit www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/beachvball/index
Setting the pace
For nearly a half-century, the Cotton Row Run has taken runners through their paces along the streets of Huntsville.
Hosted by the Huntsville Track Club on May 25, the event is actually two road races (10K and 5K) and a one-mile run/walk.
The South’s premier Memorial Day running event has been held for 46 years and salutes fallen military. Runners pass through a living memorial flag line that commemorates fallen warriors whose families live in North Alabama.
For information, visit cottonrowruns.com. For information on other running events this summer, visit huntsvilletrackclub.org.
If you’re more into running on a track instead of road racing, then the RunningLane Track Championships at Milton Frank Stadium are where you need to be.
Hosted by RunningLane and Huntsville Sports Commission on May 22-23, the meet features the 400- and 800-meter runs; the mile; the 3,200-meter run and the 2,000-meter steeplechase.
The races are for grades 7-12, as well as some 6-and-over events.
For information and registration, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/AL/Huntsville/RunningLaneTrackChampionships
Making their first appearance in Huntsville, the nation’s top young athletes will hit Milton Frank Stadium for a week of elite competition at the USA Track & Field Youth Outdoor National Championships.
This high-level competition, hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Huntsville Sports Commission, is June 24-27.
The USATF Youth Outdoor National Championships bring together top competitors from across the United States, featuring athletes in multiple age divisions competing in a full slate of track and field events, including sprints, distance races, jumps, throws, and relays.
For more information on the USATF Youth Outdoor National Championships, visit www.usatf.org.
Disc-go Blast
With Huntsville’s rocket heritage, it should come as no surprise that the oldest continuous disc golf tournament in Alabama is named the Rocket City Blast.
The Professional Disc Golf Association-sanctioned tournament for professionals and amateurs is May 22-24 and includes six disc golf courses across Madison County - the historic Tom Monroe course at Brahan Spring Park, John Hunt Park, Mastin Lake Park, and Southside Park, all in Huntsville; Sunshine Oaks in Madison; and Sharon Johnston Park in New Market.
To register or for information, visit www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/2026_Rocket_City_Blast_presented_by_Westside_Discs/register
The 2026 Alabama Junior Disc Golf Championship will make its inaugural Huntsville appearance June 13 at the Tom Monroe Disc Golf Course at Brahan Spring Park.
The event is a fun, inexpensive, C-Tier tournament to provide juniors (ages 6-18) in and around Alabama a chance to compete for a state championship.
For information, visit the AJDGC website or Disc Golf Scene.
Love tennis
Featuring the best adult players across the South, the Callen Cup Tournament is set for May 28-31 at the Huntsville Tennis Center in John Hunt Park.
This premier event, hosted by the U.S. Tennis Association Southern, brings together players each year to compete on state teams. Originally called the Southern Senior Cup, it was renamed in July 2021 for the late John Callen, who was USTA Southern executive director and COO for 33 years.
In the hole
Against the backdrop of Green Mountain in South Huntsville, Valley Hill Country Club is hosting the American Junior Golf Association tournament June 1-4.
North Alabama’s only 27-hole golf course features 60 bunkers, multiple water features, tree-lined, rolling fairways, and plush AU Victory bentgrass greens that will challenge the top junior golfers in the region.
For information, visit www.ajga.org/tournaments/2026051
Kick it off
To wrap up the summer sports scene, we’ll kick off the football season with the inaugural Story Financial Partners Bowl.
The University of North Alabama will take the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium to face Samford on Aug. 29.
"This is more than a game – it's going to be an event to celebrate the start of college football season, and we will deliver a first-class experience for everyone,” said Mark Russell, executive director of the Huntsville Sports Commission.
The game is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff with several fan-friendly experiences inside and outside the stadium.
For tickets, click here.
