Music, Mardi Gras and much more dominate spring on Alabama’s beaches

Media Contact:

Mary Sergeant • Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism
[email protected] • GulfShores.com/Media
1-800-745-SAND • 251-974-4605 (direct) • 251-509-3832 (cell)

Parades kick off the season in March with Hangout Music Fest rounding it out in May

GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA. – Whether it’s the sounds of marching bands during Mardi Gras, zydeco or the nation’s top artists, music fills the air in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach during the spring season. Beginning March 1, locals and visitors can sing and dance along to a variety of sounds this year on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

Mystical Order of Mirams Mardi Gras Parade
Date: March 1
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Orange Beach; begins on Perdido Beach Boulevard at Fin & Fork (24131 Perdido Beach Blvd.) and ends at Rite-Aid (25801 Perdido Beach Blvd.)

Ballyhoo
Date: March 2
Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Waterway Village (225 East 24th Ave., Gulf Shores)
Website: BallyhooFestival.org
Phone: 251-948-2627
Admission: Free
Details: Featuring fine art combined with cultural charm, live music, performing arts, local cuisine and more in Waterway Village on the Intracoastal Waterway

Mystics of Pleasure Mardi Gras Parade
Date: March 2
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Orange Beach; begins at traffic light east of Phoenix West (23972 Perdido Beach Blvd.) and ends at Highway 161

The Wharf Kid & Pet Mardi Gras Parade
Date: March 4
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: The Wharf at Palm Plaza (23101 Canal Road, Orange Beach)

Gulf Shores Mardi Gras Parade
Date: March 5
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Begins on Clubhouse Drive near City Hall and ends at East Beach Blvd. near Gulf Shores Public Beach

Orange Beach Mardi Gras Parade
Date: March 5
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Begins at traffic light east of Phoenix West (23972 Perdido Beach Blvd.) and ends at Highway 161

LuLu’s Mardi Gras Boat Parade
Date: March 5
Time: 3 p.m.
Location: Begins on the Intracoastal Waterway at The Wharf (23101 Canal Road, Orange Beach) and ends at LuLu’s (200 E. 25th Ave., Gulf Shores)

Festival of Art
Date: March 9-10
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Coastal Arts Center (26389 Canal Road, Orange Beach)
Website: OrangeBeachArtsFestival.com
Phone: 251-981-2787
Admission: Free
Details: For the 45th year, Orange Beach will welcome more than 100 artists who will present a variety of mediums during this juried art festival. Event will also feature musical entertainment, live art demonstrations, kids’ art alley, food trucks and more. Public parking will be located at the Orange Beach Sportsplex (4385 Williams Silvers Pkwy., Orange Beach) with a shuttle running for $5 per person for all day service; and a Bike Village will provide ample parking for bicyclists

C Spire Concert Series presents: Luke Combs with Lanco and James Rodgers
Date: March 9
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: The Amphitheater at The Wharf (23325 Amphitheater Drive, Orange Beach)
Website: ALWharf.com/Amphitheater.php
Phone: 800-745-3000
Tickets: Ticket prices vary; TicketMaster.com
Details: Join the 2018 CMA Best New Artist for his “Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour” with special guests Lanco and James Rodgers

C Spire Concert Series presents: Zac Brown Band
Date: March 10
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: The Amphitheater at The Wharf (23325 Amphitheater Drive, Orange Beach)
Website: ALWharf.com/Amphitheater.php
Phone: 800-745-3000
Tickets: Ticket prices vary; TicketMaster.com
Details: Take a trip “Down the Rabbit Hole Live Tour” with the award-winning, eight-piece Zac Brown Band

The Wharf Boat & Yacht Show
Date: March 29-31
Time: 10 am. – 6 p.m. (Friday and Saturday); 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Sunday)
Location: The Wharf (23101 Canal Road, Orange Beach)
Website: WharfBoatShow.com
Phone: 850-348-1498
Admission: Event passes $25; daily passes $10 (Friday and Sunday) and $12 (Saturday) for adults; free for children 12 and under; $8 for all active and retired military (must present ID)
Details: Largest in-water boat show display along the upper Gulf Coast showcasing more than $150 million in the latest boat and marine products from Southeastern boat manufacturers and dealers, including approximately 135 in-water boats and yachts, more than 600 trailered boats on land as well as top-notch exhibits, instruction seminars, live music, kids’ art classes and more; benefitting St. Jude’s Research Hospital

The Original German Sausage Festival
Date: March 30
Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Elberta Town Park (13052 Main St., Elberta)
Website: ElbertaFire.com/Sausage-Festival
Admission: Free
Details: A 40-year tradition, the festival is all about German music, Elberta’s famous German sausage and sauerkraut (7,000 pounds of sausage are consumed at each festival) and approximately 250 arts and crafts vendors; benefiting the Town of Elberta Fire Department

Park Day
Date: April 6
Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Fort Morgan State Historic Site (110 State Highway 180, Gulf Shores)
Website: Fort-Morgan.org
Phone: 251-540-7127
Admission: Free for all volunteers who pre-register with Dylan Tucker, cultural resources manager, at [email protected] 
Details: An annual hands-on preservation event started by the American Battlefield Trust to preserve Civil War, Revolutionary War and War of 1812 battlegrounds and historic sites; volunteers are encouraged to participate to aid in maintaining and preserving Fort Morgan Historic Site

Coastal Bird Banding
Date: April 16-20
Time: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Tuesday-Friday) and 8 a.m. to noon (Saturday)
Location: Fort Morgan State Historic Site (110 State Highway 180, Gulf Shores)
Website: BirminghamAudubon.org/BirdBanding
Phone: 251-540-7127
Admission: Bird Banding is free; attendees must pay site admission to the Fort; see Fort-Morgan.org for admission costs
Details: Public bird banding returns again this spring, courtesy of Birmingham Audubon; get up close to migratory bird species, learn from guest researchers and more

Waterway Village Zydeco & Crawfish Festival
Date: April 20
Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Waterway Village (225 E. 24th Ave., Gulf Shores)
Website: GulfShoresAL.gov/733/Waterway-Village
Phone: 251-968-1172
Admission: Free for festival
Details: Sink your teeth into juicy crawfish while dancing along with some of the best zydeco bands the South has to offer; explore dozens of arts and crafts vendors, children’s activities, crawfish races, 80-foot shrimp boat, 5K and 1-mile fun run and more

Alabama Gulf Coast Slam Professional Fishing Tournament
Date: April 20 – May 18
Time: Daily weigh-ins 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Zeke’s Landing (26619 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach)
Website: AlabamaGulfCoastSlam.com/Index
Phone: 251-609-1555
Admission: Prices vary
Details: The Alabama Gulf Coast Slam welcomes all saltwater anglers of all ages to participate in this inaugural fishing tournament

C Spire Concert Series presents: Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band
Date: April 23
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: The Amphitheater at The Wharf (23325 Amphitheater Drive, Orange Beach)
Website: ALWharf.com/Amphitheater.php
Phone: 800-745-3000
Tickets: Ticket prices vary; TicketMaster.com
Details: Every Parrothead’s favorite guy is returning to The Wharf to kick off the summer season with his “Son of a Son of a Sailor” Tour

Interstate Mullet Toss and Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party
Date: April 26-28
Location: Flora-Bama (17401 Perdido Key Drive, Pensacola)
Website: FloraBama.com
Phone: 850-492-0611
Admission: $15 to toss mullet (includes t-shirt); cover is $10 for adults 21 and older; and $15 for ages 13-20 (only 21 and up allowed after 6 p.m.)
Details: Always held the last full weekend of April, Mullet Toss’s legendary competition invites attendees to toss a mullet from Florida into Alabama; multiple age categories for children and adults; celebrities toss at high noon April 27-29; live music, food and other fun activities; benefiting local youth charities, including the local school education and prevention program from the Community Drug & Alcohol Council, Inc.

C Spire Concert Series presents: Kenny Chesney with David Lee Murphy and Caroline Jones
Date: April 27
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: The Amphitheater at The Wharf (23325 Amphitheater Drive, Orange Beach)
Website: ALWharf.com/Amphitheater.php
Phone: 800-745-3000
Tickets: Ticket prices vary; TicketMaster.com 
Details: After a year playing in major stadiums across the country, Kenny Chesney is back in Orange Beach for an intimate yet high-energy concert at The Wharf for his “Song for the Saints Tour”

10th Annual Bama Coast Cruisin’
Date: April 26-27
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: The Wharf (23101 Canal Road, Orange Beach)
Website: BamaCoastCruise.com
Phone: 251-224-1000
Admission: Free
Details: Classic cars line Main Street at The Wharf with vendors, music, exhibits, giveaways and much more

Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival
Date: May 3-4
Time: 2-10 p.m.
Location: Foley Soccer Complex (998 W. Section St., Foley 36535)
Website: GulfCoastBalloonFestival.com
Phone: 251-943-5590
Admission: Free
Details: Featuring more than 40 hot air balloons from across the country; activities include tethered rides each night, Balloon Glows, entertainment, carnival attractions, food vendors, arts and crafts vendors and the Disc Connected K-9 Frisbee Dog Show at various times

NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship
Date: May 3-5
Location: Gulf Shores Public Beach (101 Gulf Shores Parkway)
Website: NCAA.com/Championships/Beach-Volleyball/NC
Admission: TBA (tickets go on sale in March)
Details: Watch the top eight women’s collegiate beach volleyball teams in the country battle it out on the Gulf Shores Public Beach for the fourth year in this NCAA-sanctioned event; youth and adult tournaments and clinics will also be taking place throughout the weekend

C Spire Concert Series presents: Jim Gaffigan
Date: May 11
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: The Amphitheater at The Wharf (23325 Amphitheater Drive, Orange Beach)
Website: ALWharf.com/Amphitheater.php
Phone: 800-745-3000
Tickets: Ticket prices vary; TicketMaster.com
Details: Grammy-nominated comedian and actor, and two-time New York Times best-selling author is bringing  his “Quality Time Tour” to The Wharf in Orange Beach

Orange Beach Billfish Classic
Date: May 17-18
Location: The Wharf Marina (4830 Main St., Orange Beach)
Website: OrangeBeachBillfishClassic.com
Phone: 251-402-8190
Registration: OrangeBeachBillfishClassic.com; weigh-in viewing free to the public
Details: One of the five high-profile fishing tournaments in the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series with more than 53 teams and one million dollars in prize money

Hangout Music Festival
Date: May 17-19
Location: Gulf Shores Public Beach at The Hangout (101 E. Beach Blvd.)
Website: HangoutMusicFest.com
Tickets: $259 (general admission); $1099 (VIP); and $1699 (Super VIP)
Details: Enjoy three days of live music from nationally-recognized performers, carnival rides, beach volleyball, delicious seafood and more at this annual kick off to summer; lineup includes The Lumineers, Travis Scott, Hozier, Cardi B, The 1975 and Vampire Weekend

Visit GulfShores.com/Events for a full calendar of events. For more information on this family beach destination, visit GulfShores.com and OrangeBeach.com. 

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Photos:

Download: https://gsob.co/2PaX9lf
Caption: Catch flying beads, moon pies and other trinkets and snacks at the annual LuLu’s Mardi Gras Boat Parade on March 5 at 3 p.m.
Credit: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

Download: https://gsob.co/2BHLPK5
Caption: Enjoy mouth-watering crawfish, zydeco bands from across the Southeast and local art at the Waterway Village Zydeco & Crawfish Festival on April 20.
Credit: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

Download: https://gsob.co/2reUAW8
Caption: Toss a mullet over the Florida-Alabama line and live it up at the Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party all while benefitting local civic groups and organizations at the Interstate Mullet Toss April 26-28.
Credit: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

Download: https://gsob.co/2ABoYOx
Caption: Birmingham Audubon researchers will return to Fort Morgan during the spring migration for Coastal Bird Banding April 16-20. 
Credit: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

Download: https://gsob.co/2RiQXcN
Caption: The Hangout Music Festival will take place May 17-19 in Gulf Shores, Alabama featuring headliners The Lumineers, Travis Scott, Khalid, Cardi B, Kygo and Vampire Weekend.
Credit: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

About Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism:

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism serves as the official destination marketing organization for the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in addition to the unincorporated area of Fort Morgan. To learn more about Alabama’s 32 miles of white-sand beaches, visit either GulfShores.com or OrangeBeach.com. This convention and visitors bureau is an accredited Destination Marketing Organization.