An Event for Every Season

In the South, we don’t need much of an excuse to celebrate, and for that reason, you’ll find at a myriad of extraordinary events in every season! We’ve got everything from parades to plays, billfish to beer, concerts to competitions. Looking for a festival? Immerse yourself in shrimp, sausage, zydeco, or hot air balloons. There’s something new to experience every season!

Spring

When azaleas start blooming and spring fever sets in, the Coast comes alive. Our mild-winters make for warm springs, which is why we’re known as a family-friendly Spring Break destination.

While here, families, vacationing couples, and the remaining snowbirds relish our spring events like the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley where timeless festival food is king and the colorful balloons fill the skies.

When it comes to fun festivals, the Hangout Music Festival – the three-day beach side blowout – is one of the most well-known in the country, but not the only spring event happening on the Gulf Coast.

The Wharf’s C Spire Concert Series in Orange Beach kicks off each spring, and we’re also celebrating everything from art at the Annual Festival of Art to the heritage of those in the small town of Elberta at the Original German Sausage Festival.

Did we mention we’re into mullets, too? No, not the iconic haircut – the fish. Participants of the Interstate Mullet Toss at the Flora-Bama fling the fish across the Florida-Alabama state line because…well, we’re not really sure why, but it’s been happening for more than three decades and, best of all, the proceeds go to charity!

Summer

With our warm Coastal weather, there’s plenty of time to lounge on the beach, rock out at summer concerts, take in a sporting event, or watch the weigh-in of a fishing tournament.

We also love noshing on exquisite cuisine and Southern Grace Dinners at Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina and getting lost in a show at the SummerTide Theatre in Gulf Shores.

Oohs and ahhs are the soundtracks of the Fourth of July celebrations found at Fort Morgan Historic Site, Gulf Shores’ public beach, and at The Wharf in Orange Beach.

Fall

You might think that after Labor Day we just roll up the sidewalks, scoop up the sand and put it all in storage for next year, but in reality, fall is one of the best times to be at the beach. Mornings start with cooler temps and the day ends with some of the most spectacular sunsets of the year.

Kick off the season with Freedom Fest at The Wharf in Orange Beach.

For an event that is truly for the birds, birding enthusiasts flock down for the John L. Borom Alabama Coastal Birdfest to catch the migration patterns of our feathered friends. 

But perhaps the most anticipated event of the entire year is the Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores which takes place each October. Here, attendees can eat their way through a variety of seafood vendors. Somewhere between bites of goodness you can enjoy arts & crafts, live music, and a sandcastle competition.

Winter

If you’ve never experienced the holidays in a Coastal town, that is exactly what your next winter vacation should entail! Christmas is celebrated with a lighted boat parade in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach while more than three million lights sparkle at the 65-acre Bellingrath Gardens and Home near Mobile.

We ring in New Years with a Pelican Drop in Pensacola, a Moon Pie Drop in Mobile, and a day (and night) full of waterfront celebrations along Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

After the New Year comes, we start gearing up for one of our favorite winter events – Mardi Gras where we’ll be parading through the streets through Fat Tuesday!

For a full calendar of events, visit Coast360.com/events