One of the most popular events on the Alabama coast returns to Gulf Shores this fall. Scheduled for October 11-14, the 47th annual National Shrimp Festival is expected to attract more than 250,000 visitors to the city. Founded in 1971 to lure tourists to Alabama beaches during the off-season, the Gulf Shores event has since […]
Imagine you’re a bird soaring above the sparkling Gulf of Mexico, just where the waters meet the white-sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama. What would you see? Maybe schools of fish swimming below, or a pod of dolphins playing a few hundred feet under your toes. Perhaps you’d catch a glimpse of sea turtles nesting […]
Some of country music’s brightest stars will have an opportunity to shine at the upcoming Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam. First held in 2013, the festival has quickly become a Panama City Beach tradition. Past events have featured such familiar names as Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, and Keith Urban. Headliners for this […]
You don’t have to own a boat to find plenty of fun during the Emerald Coast Poker Run. This is the 26th anniversary of the annual boating event, presented by the Emerald Coast Foundation as part of Boat Week, August 8-12. And it’s the largest summer poker run in the U.S., annually earning around $150,000 […]
Internationally acclaimed artists will flock to Cape San Blas for 10 days, beginning May 4, for the Forgotten Coast en Plein Air, America’s Great Paint-Out. Hailed as being among the most prestigious events of its kind, the paint-out features professional artists capturing scenes from Florida’s Forgotten Coast on canvas. Celebrating Where You Live This year’s […]
Visitors and residents alike, beware! Fort Walton Beach is bracing for trouble when that infamous pirate, Captain Billy Bowlegs, and his band of merry men stage their annual invasion at the Billy Bowlegs Festival. But the resulting skirmishes should be fun, not mayhem, when Billy and his Krewe come ashore at Fort Walton Beach Landing […]
The excitement is building already for the 2018 Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic at Sandestin. One of the top big-game fishing tournaments in the world, this year’s competition is scheduled for June 20-24 in Destin, Florida. The fabulous Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the host facility for this five-day sporting event with a nearly $2 […]
Celebrate the end of Siesta Key’s peak season in block-party style with the 40th annual Siesta Fiesta, April 28-29, 2018. The outdoor street fair, which is set up over an entire block at Ocean Boulevard and Beach Road, features more than 200 of the country’s most talented artists and crafters. The collections of artwork are […]
Twice a year, thousands of bikers wheel into Panama City Beach, Florida, for the Thunder Beach Motorcycle Rally. Held in spring (late April or early May) and fall (mid-October), the five-day event is huge, regularly featuring more than 200 vendors and exhibitors. With no gate fees, no admission charges, and no charge for parking, Thunder […]
Some of the hottest new artists on today’s music scene will head the lineup at Hangout Music Festival 2018 in Gulf Shores. Rapper and songwriter Kendrick Lamar, pop duo The Chainsmokers, and Las Vegas rock band The Killers will take the stage during the three-day event, which opens May 18 for its ninth year. Other […]
For 10 days, the sugar-white sands of Clearwater Beach will become the raw material for works of art – the incredible sculptures created and displayed during the Pier 60 Sugar Sand Festival. Eleven of the world’s best sand sculptors will be participating in this year’s festival, scheduled for April 13-22 and themed “Sea America, a […]
It’s almost time again to “Uncork Some Fun in the Sun” at the Sandestin Wine Festival, which celebrates its 32st anniversary in 2018. Named the “Best Annual Event” by Destin magazine, the popular festival offers wine lovers the opportunity to sample hundreds of wines from around the world. Guests also have opportunities to interact with […]
The white sands and emerald waters of Panama City Beach are the backdrop for the 20th annual Seabreeze Jazz Festival. The five-day festival, scheduled for April 18-22, 2018, at Aaron Bessant Park Amphitheater, has been named one of the Top 10 Jazz Festivals in the United States by JazzIZ Magazine and one of the Top […]
St. Petersburg, Florida, comes alive with the blues at Vinoy Waterfront Park during the highly acclaimed Tampa Bay Blues Festival. Hailed as one of the world’s finest blues music events, the festival, scheduled this year for April 6-8, packs out the house with three days of legendary sounds from some of the biggest names in […]
If you think a mullet is just a bad haircut, you probably haven’t heard about the Flora-Bama Lounge’s Annual Interstate Mullet Toss and Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party. Centerpiece of this tongue-in-cheek Perdido Key event is a strange but satisfying three-day competition. It involves tossing a mullet – a small fish that’s found in abundance in […]
Head to the Anna Maria Island Art League’s 30th Annual Springfest Festival of Fine Arts and Fine Crafts and dive into art of all colors, textures, and mediums. Held each year in Holmes Beach, the biggest community on this beautiful barrier island, Springfest brings people of all ages together to share its three biggest attractions […]
Safely exhibited behind the glass of an aquarium, jellyfish, with their fluorescent colors, spots, stripes, and other markings, can be real crowd pleasers. However, a close encounter with a jellyfish in the ocean or on the beach can have painful consequences for vacationers. The good news is that these stinging nuisances, which are found abundantly […]
You know you love to run. And you know you love the beach. So, what are you waiting for? Join the folks at Boca Grande Community Center for an island 5K Run and Fun Walk through the historic town, one of Southwest Florida’s premier spots to take in the sun. Not only is the event […]
Because it’s hosted by a city with the memorable name of Apalachicola, you should expect the 22nd annual Forgotten Coast Chefs Sampler to be uniquely fun. Presented by the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce, the event features chefs from all over the Forgotten Coast, preparing and serving their most creative dishes. It’s scheduled for Sunday, […]
Continuing what has become a New Year’s tradition on the coast, the Flora-Bama Lounge invites everyone to take a quick dip in the Gulf on January 1, 2018. Scores of partiers, some in costume and others wearing nothing but their swimsuits, will gather on the beach outside the iconic roadhouse at high noon for the annual […]
