The 41st Annual Frank Brown International Songwriters' Festival will feature over 200 nationally acclaimed songwriters in venues along the Florida / Alabama Gulf Coast from November 6-16, 2025.
The festival is an opportunity for seasoned and aspiring songwriters and musicians from all over the world to have their songs heard and for the public to learn the stories behind the lyrics that only the song's author can express.
During this exciting 11-day festival, you will listen to everyone from Grammy Award winners to upcoming new talent.
Experience the Oyster at The Hangout, presented by Murder Point Oysters, is back for its 4th year!
Experience the Oyster is an oyster festival weekend of unforgettable culinary delights and entertainment in beautiful Gulf Shores. Sample inspired oyster dishes from the South's best chefs and taste fresh raw oysters from the Gulf Coast oyster farms. Not an oyster fan or just need a different taste? No worries! The Hangout Restaurant is also open and has food for all taste buds!
Friday kicks off with an exclusive VIP Kickoff at Zeke's Restaurant. Savor fresh Murder Point oysters, delectable appetizers, and enjoy a cocktail soiree with renowned chefs and Gulf Coast farmers.
On Saturday, the excitement continues at The Hangout! Experience the Oyster is scheduled to run from 11 AM to 5 PM, with VIP guests enjoying special early access starting at 10 AM. Immerse yourself in live music, hand-crafted cocktails, chef demos, a big screen football experience, and feast on raw and cooked oysters and gumbo!
Food Truck Festivals of America is bringing the 3rd Annual Coastal Alabama Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival back to Town Green area of Gulf Shores. The festival will be a weekend of craft beer, great food, lawn games and fun for the whole family. Most importantly - bring your friends and family, lawn chairs, blankets, and soak in the sun!
The event runs rain or shine!
Magic Christmas in Lights at Bellingrath Gardens & Home
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.
Explore the enchanting 29th Annual Magic Christmas in Lights at Bellingrath Gardens & Home a festive paradise on the Gulf Coast. Wander through a dazzling 65-acre Garden estate adorned with thousands of lights. The Bellingrath Home adds to the ambiance with holiday finery and poinsettias.
Discover the magic of Alabama as our dedicated staff crafts each holiday light set piece with passion. Immerse yourself in the season's sounds with live musical performances.
Savor the festive spirit with delectable holiday treats and warm beverages. From seasonal delights to classics, there's something for everyone. Craft lasting memories with family and friends against the radiant backdrop of our displays. Bellingrath Gardens and Home's Magic Christmas in Lights is a cherished tradition that brings people together in the true spirit of the season.
In this Gulf Coast holiday tradition, guests stroll through a dazzling light display that features more than 1,100 set pieces, 3 million lights and 16 scenes throughout the 65-acre Garden estate.
(The show is closed only on Christmas and New Year's days.)
In 2022, Bellingrath Gardens and Home was named No. 9 in USA Today's list of the Top 10 Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights. Bellingrath's show is the only one in the Southeast that made the list.
The Annual Christmas Lighted Boat Parade
12/13/2025 - 12/13/2025 200 East 25th Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542 (251) 967-5858
We anticipate this event occurring around this estimated date. Once we learn the confirmed date, we will update this page. Meanwhile, read about last year's event details below.
Come by LuLu's for a magical night on the Waterway Village with LuLu's Lighted Boat Parade!
We like to celebrate the holidays in Gulf Coast style with brightly decorated boats to light the night! Arrive early if you want a table and stick around for the festivities.
The boats will leave LuLu's Gulf Shores and Homeport Marina at dusk and head to the Wharf in Orange Beach. The boats will be visible along the canal from Gulf Shores or Orange Beach.
Krewe De La Dauphine Mardi Gras Parade
01/17/2026 - 01/17/2026 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Island, AL 36528
This Dauphin Island group formed in 1992 after a handful of friends having breakfast at a local restaurant decided their little barrier island needed more than one Mardi Gras group.
The Big Beach Marathon
01/24/2026 - 01/25/2026 101 E. Beach Blvd., Gulf Shores, AL 36542 (251) 948-3030
The Big Beach Marathon and Half Marathon take place in beautiful Gulf Shores, Alabama. The courses are flat and fast, running on the fully paved trails through Gulf State Park, with the start and finish located at The Hangout. In addition to Sunday's Marathon and Half Marathon, the Safari 7K on Saturday gives attendees an opportunity to take on the Shark or Dolphin challenge!
Run the 7K Saturday and the full or half marathon Sunday to secure medals, cool shirts, extra beer tickets and the ultimate bragging rights. We can't wait to see you at Big Beach!
Dauphin Island People’s Parade
01/24/2026 - 01/24/2026 101 Bienville Boulevard, Dauphin Island, AL 36528
Geographically, between Dauphin Island and downtown Mobile, there are a lot of territories, but within that area is the Order of the Rolling River, a smallish band of folks established in 1999 and proudly committed to putting on a Mardi Gras parade and ball for their part of the world: South Dauphin Island Parkway.
The Pharaohs are an interesting bunch. Their parades are not as big as those of the more established men's groups, but they are always different and very Egyptian.
Dauphin Island's only nighttime Mardi Gras event. Come witness a flame-lit Street Tableau through the old village district as they revisit scenes of the island's historic past.
Twenty women founded the Order of Polka Dots in May 1949. In 1950, it was the first ladies' organization to parade in Mobile. Still a robust and active group, it was a trailblazer for several other ladies' organizations.
The Incas formed in 1956 and held their first ball in 1957, but they did not parade until 1975. Nowadays, it's hard to imagine Mobile Mardi Gras without the group's floats of ancient Incan temples or its distinctive emblem beads and doubloons.
The Mystics have earned the reputation of being heavy throwers. Anyone who walks away from one of their parades without a bag of goodies just isn't trying.
One of Mobile's first two women's parading groups, the Maids of Mirth, first paraded in 1950, just days after the Order of Polka Dots broke the gender barrier.
The parades by the mystic societies in Orange Beach roll at 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday. In 2026, it's February 14.
The Marshals parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Mystics of Pleasure at 6 p.m. There will be a slight gap between the parades. All parade routes on Perdido Beach Boulevard start at the traffic signal at Wolf Bay Lodge, east of Phoenix West, and travel east, ending at the intersection at Highway 161 and Perdido Beach Boulevard, just past the Publix shopping center. At the median, which begins at the Romar Beach Access, the parades will move to the eastbound lanes (southside of the beach highway.)
The Marshals Parade
02/14/2026 - 02/14/2026 24281 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561
The Marshals parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the Mystics of Pleasure at 6 p.m. There will be a slight gap between the parades.
All parade routes on Perdido Beach Boulevard start at the traffic signal just east of Phoenix West and travel east, ending at the intersection at Highway 161 and Perdido Beach Boulevard, just past the Publix shopping center. At the median, the parades will move to the eastbound lanes (southside of the beach highway).
Floats, trucks, antique cars, walking groups, and just about anything you've seen in a parade before can be found in Foley. Usually, this parade has more than 25 units, and organizers stress the family friendliness of the whole thing.
One of Mobile's most popular parades, the Mystics of Time, comes out on the Saturday before Mardi Gras and unleashes smoke-breathing dragons on the city streets.
This is not your average Mardi Gras parade! On the Sunday before Fat Tuesday, you will see golf carts, cars, jeeps, boats, and trailers parading down the coast.
The Floral Parade is one of only two scheduled to run twice, first on the Saturday before Mardi Gras and again on Lundi Gras. The other is the King Felix III parade, which rolls again on Fat Tuesday.
After the Mobile Carnival Association's King Felix III arrives by boat at Cooper Riverside Park on Lundi Gras, he climbs aboard a float and rides through downtown Mobile to wave to his loyal subjects and throw them some royal stuff.
In April 1993, a group of women met at Gambino's Restaurant in Fairhope and created the Order of Mystic Magnolias, according to the group's history. With much hard work and help from other organizations, the OOMM held a parade in 1994.
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.
Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade
02/17/2026 - 02/17/2026 24131 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL 36561
The Orange Beach Parade started as a loose confederation of large and small groups that wanted to parade by the beach. The city of Orange Beach stepped in and took over the parade's planning. It's still open to participation by just about anybody, even groups outside of Orange Beach.
The Mystical Maids of Miram and the Mystics of Pleasure contribute to the parade, as 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.
The Comic Cowboys was founded in 1884 by Dave Levi, a Mobile store owner who was also a stage actor and comedian. There is nothing fancy or pretty about them, but the Comic Cowboys are as much a Mobile Mardi Gras icon as Folly and Death or Cain's Merry Widows.
Every year, MAMGA sponsors a parade on the afternoon of Fat Tuesday, referred to as the Mammoth Parade, which is a big one. A couple dozen or so floats send a barrage of throws on the streets. The parade is an absolute favorite with many revelers.
Whether you like 'em naked or dressed to impress, Sassy Bass, The Beach Club Resort and Spa, and Navy Cove Oysters will be serving up happiness on a half shell at the Annual Fort Morgan Oyster Fest held the last weekend of February each year. Held at The Beach Club Resort and Spa, join us for food, fun, and oyster perfection.
We'll be serving up Navy Cove and other Fort Morgan oysters in several ways, so wear your stretchy pants and bring your appetite! Additional festival food and drinks (including beer and cocktails) will also be available.
Entertainment, Arts and Crafts, and Contests
When you're not slurping down your favorite seafood, tap your toes to great live music on the music stage, where bands will perform throughout the day. Alabama-based arts and crafts vendors will be on-site for browsing. You can also enjoy a host of fun games, contests, and kid's crafts and activities throughout the day. Practice your oyster-shucking skills, and you may be invited to enter the Oyster Shucking Contest!
There is an Admission fee to the festival, which includes all-you-can-eat oysters!
Ballyhoo Festival
03/07/2026 - 03/08/2026 20115 State Hwy. 135, Gulf Shores, AL 36542
The Annual Ballyhoo Festival features the juried fine art of 100 artists and combines that with a unique focus on cultural exchange. The history of the Poarch Creek Indians is presented on Saturday of the festival with historical narrative and original tribal dance in ceremonial regalia. The meaning of each dance is described by the PCI Cultural Director.
The Ballyhoo Festival cultural exchange on Sunday is in the form of Early Americana music with a Fiddle/Banjo Competition and performances by some of the best musicians in the Southeast.
The Children's Art Pavilion, local bands, a wide variety of food, art demonstrations and the hospitality of the fun-loving residents of Coastal Alabama make this an event you do not want to miss.
Let's Ballyhoo!
Orange Beach Festival of Art
03/14/2026 - 03/15/2026 26389 Canal Rd., Orange Beach, AL 36561 (251) 981-2787
The Orange Beach Festival of Art celebrates an extraordinary variety of arts, including visual, performing, musical and culinary arts. With more than 100 vendors displaying a variety of media, festival attendees will have plenty to see, touch, taste and hear. The event also has a kid's art alley, a culinary arts court featuring local fare, and a music and songwriter's stage.
For more details and information on parking, please visit our website.
Annual Fairhope Arts & Crafts Festival
03/20/2026 - 03/22/2026 Fairhope, AL (251) 229-1874
The Fairhope Arts and Crafts Festival Foundation takes place in beautiful downtown Fairhope.
The Festival was recently named one of the TOP 15 art shows in the nation by the prestigious Sunshine Artist Magazine in their annual ranking of the nation's top festivals.
See the event website for more information on parking, entertainment, and artists.
The Wharf Boat & Yacht Show
03/20/2026 - 03/22/2026 4550 Main St., Orange Beach, AL 36561 (850) 252-2592
Featuring over $100 million in boats and marine products, and more than 120 exhibiting companies, it's the "Top Boat Buying Show" in the northern Gulf. Take in a display of 120 wet slip boats and yachts, 700+ center and dual console boats on land, live music, tons of exhibitors to explore, instructional seminars + so much more!. There's something for everyone from an entry-level boater to a seasoned veteran.
Bama Coast Cruisin’
04/23/2026 - 04/25/2026 4830 Main St., Orange Beach, AL 36561 (251) 224-1000
The Annual Bama Coast Cruisin' will be held at the Wharf Resort and Marina in Orange Beach. Come and see the beautiful cars on display at The Wharf, and enjoy a day of shopping and dining at one of The Wharf's several delicious restaurants.
Bama Coast Cruisin'is an absolutely stunning show set against the backdrop of the Inter-Coastal Waterway and the Canal Bridge. It's a laid-back, family-friendly weekend full of amazing cars, fun events, entertainment and Southern hospitality.
Flora-Bama Interstate Mullet Toss & Greatest Beach Party
GET READY FOR THE INTERSTATE MULLET TOSS! This year, we're letting it all fly!
The Interstate Mullet Toss & 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.
Hotel bookings are done months, if not years in advance for this event. People travel from across the globe to see what all the fuss is about here at the Flora-Bama; the memories are priceless.
Foley is the spot for high-flying adventure and family fun at the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival. Enjoy the entertainment, arts and crafts displays and more at the festival site daily. Balloon flights, glows, and tethered rides (weather permitting) add to the fun at dawn and dusk.
Admission is FREE!
Mobile Big Game Fishing Club’s Gulf Coast Masters
05/20/2026 - 05/24/2026 27075 Marina Rd., Orange Beach, AL 36561 (251) 981-4207
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.
Join us in Orange Beach for a week of family fun and fishing.
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.
Sometimes things come together at the right place and the right time to create something truly unique. The Blue Marlin Grand Championship is a result of one such magic combination.
The right team. With the tournament experience and knowledge to create a hybrid tournament scoring system emphasizing released Billfish.
The right venue. Unlike any other on the Gulf Coast. The magnificent Wharf Entertainment Complex under the leadership of Art Favre.
These ingredients, and many others, led to the creation of the Billfish Tournament, which has become known as the Greatest Show In Sportfishing.
Well-thought-out and carefully executed tournament parties and events centered around the marina and its upland amenities. A weigh-in arena and a spectacular experience unlike anywhere in the world.
The Blue Marlin Grand Championship is not only the finale of the acclaimed Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series- but a tournament experience you simply don't want to miss.
We'll even throw in a little Southern glamour for good measure.
Locals and visitors from all over look forward to the annual Pensacola Beach Air Show held every summer in July. The show highlights our hometown heroes the Blue Angels the U. S. Navy's flight demonstration squadron stationed at Forrest Sherman Field aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola. The Blues hold several practice sessions along the beach in the days leading up to the big event on show day.
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.
Get your tickets early because Bulls On The Beach is one of Flora-Bama's most anticipated events of the year! Bring the family out to experience the ultimate adrenaline rush with three nights of live rodeo action featuring Professional Bull Riders from all around the country! A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Join us Thursday for Kid's Night! Kids 12 and under can participate in a coloring contest and a bike giveaway for both a lucky little boy and girl (see website for more info), followed by Professional Bull Riding to round out the night. Friday and Saturday night will feature the Professional Bull Riders in the adult Bull Riding Competition. We look forward to seeing you there!
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 triathlon begins early Saturday morning with a 1.5K swim in the Gulf of Mexico, a 40K bike ride through Gulf State Park and finishes with a scenic 10K run.
The "Tri-it-On" Triathlon begins with a 300-yard swim, a 9-mile bike ride and a 2-mile run. Join us for the awards ceremony and post-race party at The Hangout.
FRIDAY 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm: Registration & packet pick-up at The Hangout 4:00 pm - 6:30 pm: Bike Check-In: Encouraged but not Mandatory 5:30 pm: Race Overview followed by Q&A
SATURDAY 5:30 am - 6:30 am: Registration & Packet Pick Up at The Hangout 6:45 am: Transition closes. Bikes must be in the transition area. 7:00 am: Olympic Swim Start 7:50 am: Sprint "Tri-It-On" Swim Start 9:45 am: Estimated time for Sprint "Tri-It-On" Distance Awards 10:45 am: Estimated time for Olympic Distance Awards 12:00 pm: All participants must be finished to guarantee police and volunteer support*
Orange Beach Freedom Fest
09/19/2026 - 09/20/2026 23101 Canal Rd., Orange Beach, AL 36561 (251) 224-1000
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.
Freedom Fest weekend will kick off Saturday, September 21, with arts and crafts vendors, outdoor experience booths, patriotic military booths and food vendors on the Wharf's west side. Live music will be provided by Flora-Bama and Coastal. Bama Coast Cruisin' show's vintage and classic cars will be lining Main Street and Wharf Parkway, along with a Kids' Zone, sponsored by the Police Benevolent Fund, next to the Ferris wheel.
On Saturday, a motorcycle and Jeep rally is expected to add to the festive weekend, including a beach cruise at noon. Bama Coast Cruisin' participants will have their own parade to the beach late Saturday afternoon.
Saturday, September 20th - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
Bama Coast Cruisin' car show on Main Street and Wharf Parkway
Kids' Zone by the Ferris wheel
Patriotic military booths
Arts, crafts and outdoor vendors as well as Food vendors
Live music stage with entertainment provided by the Flora-Bama and CoastAL
The Gulf Coast Gun Collectors Association will host a Collectible Firearms Show at the Orange Beach Event Center. Cost of admission for firearms show: $10 per person with children 15 and under free with adult supervision.
Sunday, September 21st - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.:
Bama Coast Cruisin' car show on Main Street and Wharf Parkway
Kids' Zone by the Ferris wheel
Patriotic Military Booths
Arts, crafts and outdoor vendors as well as Food vendors
Live music stage with entertainment provided by the Flora-Bama and CoastAL
The Gulf Coast Gun Collectors Association will host a Collectible Firearms Show at the Orange Beach Event Center. Cost of admission for firearms show: $10 per person with children 15 and under free with adult supervision.
Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup
09/19/2026 - 09/19/2026 Gulf Shores, AL (251) 928-9792
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.
Residents, visitors, individuals, and organizations are invited to "get the trash out of the splash" by picking up trash littering Alabama coasts and waterways.
Take part in Alabama's largest annual volunteer event as we clean our neighborhoods, local parks, streets, and storm drains. Why is this important? Trash travels through storm drains and rivers to become bay and Gulf pollution. Picking up litter benefits you, your community, and the Gulf!
Volunteers are needed on foot and on water. Alabama Coastal Cleanup provides a t-shirt and clean-up supplies to participants who collect trash.
