Calendar of Events

Pollinators are experiencing a serious decline across the country. Jack LeCroy, an Urban Regional Extension Agent with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, will give an overview of best practices to attract and protect bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Questions are encouraged!

Zoo Camp is offered to all elementary school age children, ages 5 to 11, in a full day session from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. conducted by licensed teachers and trained volunteers. Campers will explore animal life here at the zoo, partake in animal enrichment activities, meet our zoo keepers, and even greet some of our animal residents personally. They will also participate in age-specific games, arts and crafts projects and special zoo-related events. There will be plenty of hands-on educational and fun activities carried out in a safe and educational environment. Zoo Camp is a collaborative effort within our community to create a rewarding, educational, and fun experience for everyone. We do hope you can be a part of this year's session!

The zoo also wants to recruit 10 volunteer teachers, who must be licensed in Alabama or Florida. Each teacher selected will receive free registration for up to two children and a one-year family membership. The zoo also has openings for volunteer camp counselors who want to inspire children to study, love and protect animals and the environment. Volunteers will assist teachers with crafts and other activities. counselors must be at least 14 years old.

On June 24, young ladies ages 7 – 10 years are invited to join a tea and manners class at the mansion. Class size is limited. Registration deadline is June 17. Come enjoy the day from 9 a.m.-noon and learn how to “polish” your Southern hospitality skills.

For more information and registration, please contact the mansion at (251) 471-6364. Our business hours are: Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m..

Paint your favorite Bellingrath Gardens scenes and flowers during this special evening Paint Party. Artists Renee Wallace and Janie Brown will paint with you, step by step. You may choose to freestyle paint a blank canvas, or a pre-sketched Bellingrath Gardens scene on a 12 x 16' canvas panel. All supplies are included.

The creators of International Mud Day wanted to find a way to help all of the children of the Earth feel closer to each other…and what a better way to do it than through the Earth itself?

International Mud Day began in 2009 at a World Forum event, when Gillian McAuliffe from Australia and Bishnu Bhatta from Nepal got together to talk about ways to encourage feelings of community and appreciation for the world around us. The collaboration that followed has inspired educators, children,and families across the globe, from Holland to Nepal to the United States, to celebrate International Mud Day together each year on June 29. Regardless of age, race and religion, covered in mud, we all look the same!

Celebrate International Mud Day at Graham Creek Nature Preserve.

Photo galleries to include domestic life, recreation, military training, medical and cavalry at Fort Morgan during WWI will be stationed inside the fort. There will be living history participants, dressed in period clothing, stationed throughout to answer questions and provide additional information. Bring your own lawn chair and sit where the citadel once stood and enjoy the sounds of the 151st Army Band.

Mini-hike to Gopher Tortoise Colony and free eco-educational activities for children 10 and under.

Do not miss this very special evening astronomy program, led by members of the University of South Alabama Department of Physics. After a brief lecture in the Magnolia Room, guests will gather on the Great Lawn to view the night sky. Telescopes will be set up to view planets and constellations. Guests are encouraged to bring binoculars and flashlights.

Join Executive Director Bill Barrick as he shares insights into his distinguished 40-year career in public gardens management. Friday, July 19, will be his last official day of employment with Bellingrath Gardens and Home.

Wagon ride to Pitcher Plant Bog and learn about the adaptations of the Pitcher plant and habitat management.

According to those who knew her best, Bessie Morse Bellingrath “hated liquor worse than God hates sin.” And yet her collection includes a wide variety of beautiful objects created to serve or contain everything from gin to champagne. Displayed throughout the home are case glass decanters, Sheffield wine coolers, a ceramic book disguising a liquor flask and assorted glassware designed to serve an array of wines and liqueurs. Join Tom McGehee as we take a look at these alcohol-related treasures within a teetotaler’s collection.

Learn how to create your own Magic Christmas in Lights set piece from members of Bellingrath's light crew! Guests may select a metal frame created by our team and then learn how to attach lights to decorate the piece. All materials will be supplied and are included in the cost of the program. A salad/sandwich boxed lunch is also included. Space is limited and reservations are required to attend, so be sure to make your reservation early for this one-of-a-kind workshop!

The seventh annual Pelican Paddle, a canoe, kayak, and paddle board race, will be held on Saturday, August 3 at the Tonsmeire Weeks Bay Resource Center. Registration and check in begins at 7:30am. There will be an on-the-water Paddler's Meeting at 8:45am. The race begins promptly at 9am. It is sure to be a great day on the water!
Participants receive water and soft drinks and entry in our drawing for the chance to win a kayak and other door prizes.

If you're not interested in racing, but would like to be on the water, there will be a non-competitive Eco-tour paddle of the Weeks Bay area. We will paddle to the Bald Eagle nest and then turn around.

If you would like to participate in the race or the Eco-tour but do not have your own paddling gear (Lifejackets, Paddle, Kayak or Canoe) we may be able to help. The Fairhope Boat Company  has generously donated a limited number, with paddles and PFDs, for the day of the race. They are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested in borrowing gear, please call the Weeks Bay Foundation at 251-990-5004 to reserve your boat. Please do this BEFORE you register to ensure that we still have boats available.

Click for registration.

Commemorating the events that happened at Mobile Bay August 5-23, 1864. Learn about the famous naval battle, "The Battle of Mobile Bay." Living history staff and volunteers will perform drills and demonstrations inside the fort. For cancellations and closing due to weather check us out on Facebook Fort Morgan State Historic Site. If you would like to volunteer for this or any other event please contact Dylantucker@fort-morgan.org.

Hunt for slugs, bugs and snails in the outdoor classroom. Free admission.  Eco educational activities for children 10 and under.

Take a hike on the Treasure Tree Trail. Free eco-educational activities for children 10 and under. This event will meet at the Interpretive Center.

Tickets go on sale Friday, February 15 at 10am.

Little Big Town—consisting of members Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook--entered the music scene over 18 years ago with hits like "Boondocks," "Bring It On Home," "Good As Gone" and "Little White Church." Albums Tornado and Pain Killer delivered massive success with #1 singles "Pontoon," "Tornado," "Day Drinking," and the history-making, best-selling country single of 2015, "Girl Crush." Little Big Town recently received their third career Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their multi-week #1, platinum-selling hit, "Better Man" off their chart-topping album The Breaker. Their latest album debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and Top 5 on the Billboard 200 All Genre chart. In the past 7 years they have won over 20 awards, including GRAMMY, CMA, ACM, People's Choice awards, and also an Emmy.

Learn about pollution and the environment. Free eco-educational activities for children 10 and under.

Free eco-educational activities for children 10 and under. 

Free eco-educational activities for children 10 and under. 

Always the first full weekend of October, birders know the Alabama Gulf Coast is a prime spot to see birds during the fall migration, and since 2004, BirdFest has attracted visitors from more than 27 states and Canada—many returning multiple times.

Join us on Oct. 2 – 5 for the 16th annual Alabama Coastal BirdFest, a birding and nature festival, and experience many opportunities to see birds, alligators, wildflowers, dolphins, and other wildlife, and learn about their habitats! Plus, we will offer workshops at 5 Rivers Delta Center.
BirdFest showcases great bird-and nature-watching spots all around Baldwin and Mobile counties, including Fort Morgan, Dauphin Island, Weeks Bay, Mobile-Tensaw Delta, Bayou La Batre, Forever Wild Grand Bay Savanna, Gulf Shores and more. BirdFest is a great adventure no matter your level of birding experience.

The Bird & Conservation Expo is our free, family friendly event that takes place at the Halstead Amphitheater on the grounds of Coastal Alabama Community College (formerly Faulkner) in downtown Fairhope, with exhibits, a raptor show, snake show, kids’ activities, and more.

BirdFest Trip Schedule will be available July 1
Registration will open August 12 at 9am
Registration will close September 21 at 4pm

The 48^th Annual National Shrimp Festival will open at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10. Questions related to the festival should be addressed to the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber office at 251-968-6904 or by going to www.myshrimpfest.com.

Savor fresh from the Gulf seafood at the 48th Annual National Shrimp Festival during this four-day event from October 10 - 13 that attracts over 300,000 people. This year the festival will play host to more than 100 hours of musical entertainment featuring a lineup of national, regional and local acts. There will be musical acts to please all palates, including blues, Motown, southern rock, jazz, zydeco and country. The music plays daily Thursday through Sunday.

Food is another highlight of the festival with 50 local and regional vendors lining the boardwalk at the public beach with mouth-watering delights. Due to the generous sponsors Organized Seafood Association of Alabama, Alabama Seafood Marketing Commission and Wind Creek Casino, 10,000 pounds of shrimp per day will be prepared by some of the area's best chefs in their award-winning recipes and given away for people to sample at different tasting times that will be posted on the outside of the sponsor tent.

Activities this year include Second Annual Little Miss Shrimp Festival Pageant and Singing for Scholarships. 

Second Annual Little Miss Shrimp Festival Pageant: each age group will have a crowned queen, 1st runner-up, and a three-princess court that will be introduced and reign at the 48th Annual National Shrimp Festival's Coastal Alabama Business Chamber Stage on Saturday, October 12, 2019.

Singing for Scholarships will be a competition where high school singers from seven local schools will compete in elimination rounds to find out who will receive scholarships. Scholarships will be awarded to the top three contestants.

Families can enter the Annual Sand Sculpture Contest on Saturday. Kids can take part in a myriad of activities in the newly relocated Children's Activity Village, including face-painting, karaoke and much more.

Runners and walkers can enter the 10K and 5K races to help work off some of the great food at the festival. All net proceeds of the Run will be donated to Coastal Baldwin Education Enrichment, benefiting the local Gulf Shores and Orange Beach public schools.

Art lovers will have almost 200 booths of fine art and arts and crafts vendors from which to choose. Car lovers will have a chance to preview many of the new Chevrolet models that will be on display.

Wear your costume and trick or treat in the outdoor classroom. Free pumpkin to decorate while supplies last.

Take a tour by candlelight through the brick tunnels of this massive structure and hear the stories of visitors from the past. Historical interpreters dressed in period clothing will be throughout the fort portraying the life of someone who once lived at Fort Morgan.    

Tours will be guided through uneven surfaces in dark areas and visitors may encounter wildlife. This tour is recommended for ages 13 and over. Tickets will be sold in advance. Check our Facebook page Fort Morgan State Historic Site, website www.fort-morgan.org, or call 251-540-7202 for more information.

The Elberta Sausage Festival makes its semiannual return to that South Baldwin hamlet. Held in Elberta Town Park, just north of the town’s only stop light on Hwy. 98, the event attracts up to 20,000 revelers, according to organizers. A 40-year tradition, the festival is a major regional event that attracts a cross section of the community in what has become a reunion type atmosphere. It is also the main revenue source for the area’s volunteer fire department.

Festival fans can enjoy Elberta's famous German sausage and sauerkraut, plus continuous entertainment
for adults and children, and 250 arts & crafts booths. There will also be carnival rides and a full scale Midway. Of course, there will also be a Bier Garten featuring a large selection of imported and domestic beers.

Other scrumptious foods will include German style filled cabbage, potato salad, goulash, red beans and rice, hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, ice cream, popcorn, peanuts and homemade baked goods.
The Bellview Stumpfiddle Band will perform with the North End Stompers and other cloggers. There will also be polka, country and German music.

Spearheaded by Elberta's Volunteer Fire Department since 1978, festival proceeds are used for improving not only the fire department, but the town as well. Additionally, local non-profits benefit from the festival through proceeds from their booth sales and parking lot fees. The festival is held twice a year - on the last Saturday of March and the last Saturday of October. Although it has been tweaked a bit over the years, the original secret recipe for Elberta's famous sausage is credited to Alfred Stucki, who managed Elberta's Locker Plant from 1953 until his death in 1973. About 7,000 pounds of German Sausage are consumed at each fest.

Free eco-educational activities for children 10 and under.

Learn about the food web with free eco-educational activities for children 10 and under.

Birds of the Preserve free eco-educational activities for children 10 and under. 

***We anticipate this event occurring around these estimated dates. Once we learn the confirmed dates, we will update this page. Meanwhile, read about last year's event details below.***

The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber's 33rd Annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parade will take place on Saturday, December 8.

The Coastal Alabama Chamber of Commerce lighted boat parade takes off at about 5:30pm from LuLu’s at Homeport Marina and finishes at Flora-Bama. More than 45 decorated vessels, including sailboats, charters and even a kayak or two, make this boat parade one of the largest in the Southeast. There are great viewing sites all along the Intracoastal Waterway, but for groups the best spot is The Wharf at Orange Beach, adjacent to the convention center.

To sign up to participate call the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber at 251-968-6091. Additional information on the parade route, viewing stations and registration is at http://www.mygulfcoastchamber.com.

Celebrate the last Observe and Explore Day of 2019 with Santa, make ornaments and enjoy treats. This event will be at the Interpretive Center.

The parade begins on Perdido Beach Boulevard at 6:30 p.m. at the traffic signal just east of Phoenix West and it will end at intersection at Highway 161 and Perdido Beach Boulevard. For more information, visit www.mirams.info.

According to the written history of the Mystics of Pleasure, "while overlooking the Marina on Cotton Bayou and watching the sun set on a glorious April evening, a group of men planned what was to become ... Pleasure Island's very first nighttime Mardi Gras parading society."
By Carnival of 2001, the Mystics of Pleasure held its first ball and Mardi Gras parade in Orange Beach. Unlike parading groups to the west, marshals with the Mystics of Pleasure ride Harley-Davidsons, not horses.
The group also sponsored the Thunder Run boating event every year.

The City of Gulf Shores will celebrate the 41st Anniversary of the Mardi Gras Parade on Tuesday, March 5 at 10am. The City of Gulf Shores is excited to continue its expanded role as lead organizers for the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras Parade. This history of the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras parade dates back to 1978 when a group of locals decided Gulf Shores needed a parade. Those locals formed the Pleasure Island Players and thus Mardi Gras began in Gulf Shores. A year later the Mystic Order of Shiners joined the Pleasure Island Players to become what is now the oldest parading order in Baldwin County.

Future Mardi Gras Dates:

2021 - February 16
2022 - March 1
2023 - February 21
2024 - February 13
2025 - March 4

The Orange Beach Parade started way back when as a loose confederation of groups, large and small, that wanted to parade by the beach.

About 10 years ago, the city of Orange Beach stepped in and took over the planning of the parade. It's still open to participation by just about anybody, even groups from outside of Orange Beach.

The Mystical Maids of Miram and the Mystics of Pleasure contribute to the parade, but so do groups from Foley to Perdido Key. Even groups that parade in Gulf Shores earlier in the day move up the road to be in the Orange Beach procession.

Typically, these days, there's about 55 units in the Fat Tuesday afternoon parade, and about 30,000 people gather along the two-mile stretch of Perdido Beach Boulevard to stand in the rain of throws.

Future Mardi Gras Dates:

2021 - February 16
2022 - March 1
2023 - February 21
2024 - February 13
2025 - March 4

*As you make plans to attend this event during these conirmed 2020 dates, we will update this section with more details as soon as we learn of them.*

The Orange Beach Sports Association presents the 28th Annual Orange Beach Seafood Festival & Car Show at The Wharf. Come out to spend the day with family and friends while enjoying loads of tasty food, live music on two stages, and over 125 arts & crafts vendors!

Drop the kids off at the Kids Zone to play while you check out dozens of classic and hot rod vehicles and vendors. Bring the whole family including your furry BFF for our new Paws on Parade! We can’t wait to see the costumes! Come out and support this beautiful area and the sports-related activities in our community!

Future dates:

2021               February 27
2022               February 19        (Moved up due to Mardi Gras)
2023               February 25

Festival of Art celebrates an extraordinary amount of arts and artists from visual arts and fine arts and crafts to glass artists, potters, painters, sculptors, watercolorists, textile artists and wood artists. The event will also hold a kid's art alley, a culinary arts court featuring local fare and a music and songwriter's stage.

Satellite public parking is available with shuttle and will be provided by BRATS for a $5 daily rate. No public parking will be available on site. Parking this year is at The Wharf in Orange Beach on the west side of the property near the former Burris location. Bike Village will provide bicycle parking at the festival!

For more information visit our website.

The 68th Annual Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival is scheduled for March 20-22. Festival hours are Friday - Sunday from 10am - 5pm. The festival is free to the public.

More than 230 exhibitors from all over the country will bring their best works. This prestigious juried show showcases artists from across the country including many from the Southeast. Enjoy live entertainment and delicious cuisine from the food court throughout this great three-day event. An Eastern Shore staple for more than 60 years, there’s something for everyone at the Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival on the streets of beautiful downtown Fairhope.

*We anticipate this event occurring around these estimated dates. Once we learn the confirmed dates, we will update this page. Meanwhile, read about last year's event details below.*

The Wharf Boat and Yacht Show will offer the largest in-water display of any boat show along the upper Gulf Coast. It will showcase the latest offerings from boat manufacturers and dealers throughout the Southeast.

In-water displays will allow prospective buyers to test drive the boat of their dreams before taking advantage of on the spot financing. Last year there were over $90 million in boats and marine products for display, including more than 135 in-water vessels and an additional 450-plus boats displayed on land.

This year, show organizers report a sell-out crowd of exhibitors, promising even more variety. Virtually every type of vessel will be shown, ranging from luxury yachts and sport fisherman, to center consoles, cruisers, pontoons and runabouts.

But it doesn't stop there. Visitors can get their hands on the hottest marine electronics, fishing tackle, marine engines, and outdoor equipment as numerous exhibitors showcase the cutting edge in marine gear and personal watercraft.

NEW FOR 2019! BoatUS On-Water Training. No experience necessary!
Whether you love boating and want to gain confidence at the helm, you're considering buying or renting a boat and want to learn new skills, or you're just curious about boating, the BoatUS Foundation has partnered with the Wharf Boat and Yacht Show  and Freedom Boat Club  to offer you the BoatUS Foundation On-Water Training program. It is a fun, easy, and affordable way to develop your sea legs!

The Elberta Sausage Festival makes its semi-annual return to that South Baldwin hamlet. Held in Elberta Town Park, just north of the town’s only stop light on Hwy. 98, the event attracts up to 20,000 revelers, according to organizers. A 40-year tradition, the festival is a major regional event that attracts a cross section of the community in what has become a reunion type atmosphere. It is also the main revenue source for the area’s volunteer fire department.

Festival fans can enjoy Elberta's famous German sausage and sauerkraut, plus continuous entertainment
for adults and children, and 250 arts & crafts booths. There will also be carnival rides and a full-scale Midway. Of course, there will also be a Bier Garten featuring a large selection of imported and domestic beers.

Other scrumptious foods will include German-style filled cabbage, potato salad, goulash, red beans and rice, hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, ice cream, popcorn, peanuts and homemade baked goods.
The Bellview Stumpfiddle Band will perform with the North End Stompers and other cloggers. There will also be polka, country and German music.

Spearheaded by Elberta's Volunteer Fire Department since 1978, festival proceeds are used for improving not only the fire department, but the town as well. Additionally, local non-profits benefit from the festival through proceeds from their booth sales and parking lot fees. The festival is held twice a year - on the last Saturday of March and the last Saturday of October. Although it has been tweaked a bit over the years, the original secret recipe for Elberta's famous sausage is credited to Alfred Stucki, who managed Elberta's Locker Plant from 1953 until his death in 1973. About 7,000 pounds of German Sausage are consumed at each fest.

*As you make plans to attend this event during these confirmed dates, we will update this section with more details as soon as we learn of them. Meanwhile, read about last years event details below.*

The annual Waterway Village Zydeco & Crawfish Festival boils up a beaucoup (French for a lot) of fun! Sink your teeth into hot, juicy, lip-smacking crawfish throughout the day while dancing to the infectious rhythms of some of the best Zydeco bands from around the South. There will be arts and crafts vendors as well as children's activities offering nonstop fun for all ages.
If that's not enough, work up an appetite with the 5K Run/1 Mile Fun Run and Laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll) all day long.   

Music Lineup
10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.:               Rusty Metoyer & Zydeco Krush
11:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.:          Excelsior
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.:                 Lil Nate and the Zydeco Big Timers
1 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.:                   Excelsior
1:15 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.:              Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers  
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.:             Excelsior
2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.:             Chubby Carrier
4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.:             Excelsior
4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.:                  Step Rideau

Interstate Mullet Toss is always held the last full weekend in April. The Interstate Mullet Toss and Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party is legendary. What started as just a reason to party has become one of the biggest beach parties on the coast. Those who participate in the Mullet Toss will throw a dead mullet over the state line of Florida and Alabama to see who gets the farthest. Not to mention it's a great excuse to throw a weekend long party, with lots of fun activities, great music and food! Each year, with your help, we raise and contribute over $20,000 to local charities, especially youth organizations. The event begins Friday at noon, and Saturday and Sunday at 10 a.m. Celebrity tossers are at high noon Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25
9 a.m.: Gates Open
10 a.m.: Oyster Bar Opens & Beach Concessions Open
10 a.m.: Children's Toss (16 & Under)
1 p.m.: Mr. Mullet Hot Body Contest | Tent Stage
2 p.m.: Children's Toss Finals (16 & Under)
Noon: Miss Flora-Bama Bikini Contest Registration Opens | Tent
3 p.m.: Miss Flora-Bama Bikini Contest
4 p.m.: Celebrity Toss
4:30 p.m.: Mullet Toss Finals Begin

Sunday, April 26
9 a.m.: Gates Open
10 a.m.: Oyster Bar Opens & Beach Concessions Open
10 a.m.: Children's Toss (16 & Under)
2 p.m.: Children's Toss Finals (16 & Under)
4 p.m.: Celebrity Toss
4:30 p.m.: Mullet Toss Finals Begin

The Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival, presented by Tanger Outlets, welcomes more than 30 hot air balloonists from across the country. Enjoy the floating works of art as they grace the skies of South Baldwin County on Friday and Saturday morning. Get up close and personal as the hot air balloons and their pilots light up the evening skies at the nightly balloon glows, held Friday and Saturday night.

Guests enjoy free, fun entertainment featuring something for every member of your family. Spread out your blanket, grab an ice cold drink and enjoy a variety of live music daily, from country to rock and roll. Be sure to catch one of the many shows by the Disc Connected K-9 World Famous Frisbee Dog Show. Toss after toss you will be amazed as man’s best friend defies gravity catching their prized flying saucers. And don't forget about the Carnival!

Grab a cone of homemade ice cream or delicious BBQ plate as you shop through an eclectic array of local crafters, artisans, and retailers. Many crafters provide onsite demonstrations. Find a one of kind piece of art, or grab a souvenir to commemorate your visit.
Balloon Festival merchandise and weekend parking passes are now live on our website.

We anticipate this event occurring around these estimated dates. Once we learn the confirmed dates, we will update this page.

The Hangout Music Fest is known for sugar white beaches, starry nights and red hot music. The award-winning festival takes place in Gulf Shores, Alabama just a short drive from the Pensacola, FL and Mobile, AL airports. Hangout is as much a vacation as it is a concert event. Offering more than just music, fans can take advantage of festival amenities including beach volleyball, carnival rides, Gulf-front hammocks, delicious seafood and more. It was awarded as Pollstar’s “Music Festival of the Year” in 2011 and is continuously recognized as one of the best festivals in the US. The festival infuses over $40 million into the local economy each year.

Hangout Fest’s Thursday Kick-Off Party, a separately ticketed event, will be announced later along with full lineup details and ticket information.