plate of shrimp

This October brings the 48th Annual National Shrimp Festival to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and you won’t want to miss this Gulf Coast tradition! This four-day event – October 10-13, 2019 – is packed with live entertainment, children’s activity village, sand sculpture contest, vendors of fine art as well as arts and crafts, sports, and of course the freshest seafood straight from the Gulf of Mexico!

Shrimp is the star of the show and you’ll find dozens of vendors serving your favorite recipes! Each year, chefs challenge each other to create the festival’s best dish – and you will want to try them all! Of course, there’s plenty of other seafood on the menu, from festival-favorite crawfish pistols to crab claws and everything between. Not a seafood fan? No problem, as there are tons of options. Just be sure to save room for dessert!

Before and after you’ve grabbed your favorite lunch or dinner, listen or dance to the crowd-pleasing musical lineup from classic rock to country. Performing acts will take two different stages to allow continuous entertainment throughout the festival.

High-quality artists and craftsman from all around the country will be selling their creations. Whether you’re looking to add to your collection or just browsing the booths, you’ll find artists working in a wide variety of mediums, from painting to sculpture to whimsical and wonderful crafts.

With the festival right on the beach, of course there is a sand sculpture contest! Warm up for it during Friday’s festival, when you are invited to watch a sand sculpture demonstration by Sand Castle University from noon until 2 p.m. Then on Saturday, on the west end of the beach at the public beach access, be amazed by the incredible talent showcased in the contest, or even enter the competition yourself.  

Also on Saturday, burn some extra calories to make room for all the delectable seafood you can feast on. How? Just join in on the Shrimp Festival 5K and 10K races that date back to 1977!

You are encouraged to come down and take in all of the delicious treats for your taste buds, eyes and ears at the 48th Annual National Shrimp Festival!