Flora-Bama Polar Bear Dip

After celebrating New Year's Eve at the Flora-Bama there is only one way to start the new year .... by taking a plunge into the Gulf of Mexico with a few thousand of your friends.

The Flora-Bama Polar Bear Dip is THE event of New Year's Day along the gulf coast. Groups and families gather in costumes, swimsuits, and some even in wet suits to feel the brisk saltwater on their faces.

Take a dip in the Gulf of Mexico at high noon. Those who fully submerge will get a free draft beer and a free New Year's lunch of ham, black-eyed peas, greens, and cornbread.