One of our favorite things about actually living here is that there's almost always something going on — a festival on the sand, a band at the state line, a shrimp boil the size of a small town. This is our running list of the events worth planning a trip around in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan, sorted by season. We keep it current through the year (it's the kind of thing that ends up in our weekly note to guests), so bookmark it and check back before you lock in your dates.
Dates move a little each year
We list each event by its usual window. Always confirm the current year's exact dates on the official festival site before you plan a trip around one — and if a big weekend is on your radar, book your house early, because they fill first.
Check AvailabilitySpring · March to May
Spring is festival season on the coast, building to the biggest weekend of the year.
- Interstate Mullet Toss (late April) — the legendary Flora-Bama party at the Alabama–Florida line, where people literally throw fish across the state line. Equal parts absurd and iconic.
- Hangout Music Festival (mid-May) — the big one: a major music festival staged right on the Gulf Shores public beach, with national headliners and tens of thousands of fans. The surrounding weeks are lively; book far ahead if you want to be here for it.
- Spring art & food festivals — the season fills with art walks, seafood cook-offs and hot-air-balloon events across Baldwin County. Great weather, smaller crowds than summer.
Summer · June to August
Summer trades big single festivals for a steady drumbeat of family fun — weekly fireworks, live music and the fullest dining calendar of the year.
- Fourth of July fireworks — displays over the Gulf in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, plus at The Wharf. A beachfront porch is the best seat in town.
- Live music, all summer — The Hangout, The Wharf and the Flora-Bama run near-nightly music through the season.
- Sea-turtle nesting season (May–October) — not an event so much as a rhythm: volunteers with Share the Beach monitor nests all summer. Fill in holes, take your gear, and turn beachfront lights off at night so hatchlings find the water.
Fall · September to November
Ask a local for their favorite season and most say fall — warm water, thin crowds, and the coast's signature festival.
- National Shrimp Festival (October) — traditionally the second full weekend of October on the Gulf Shores public beach. Four free days of Gulf seafood, arts & crafts, and live music that draw hundreds of thousands. The single most-Googled event on this coast — plan and book early.
- Frank Brown International Songwriters' Festival (November) — a beloved, low-key festival centered on the Flora-Bama, where the writers behind the songs play them in the round.
- Coastal Christmas kickoff (late November) — light displays begin at The Wharf and OWA as the snowbird season opens.
Fall books quietly, then fast
Shrimp Festival weekend and the warm-water shoulder weeks around it are some of the first to sell out. If fall is your window, lock your dates now.
See What's OpenWinter · December to February
Winter is quieter and mild — snowbird season — but far from empty.
- Coastal Christmas (December) — holiday light shows, tree lightings and markets at The Wharf, OWA and around Gulf Shores.
- Snowbird socials (January–February) — the long-stay winter community brings dances, potlucks, markets and jam sessions all over the area.
- Mardi Gras (late winter) — yes, Alabama's Gulf Coast has real Mardi Gras. Family-friendly parades roll through Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in the weeks before Lent, throwing beads, moon pies and fun.
FAQ
What is the biggest event in Gulf Shores?
The Hangout Music Festival each May and the National Shrimp Festival each October are the two largest. Hangout is a major beachfront music festival; the Shrimp Festival is a free four-day food, art and music event that draws hundreds of thousands.
When is the National Shrimp Festival?
It's held on the Gulf Shores public beach in October, traditionally the second full weekend of the month, and it's free to attend. Confirm the exact dates each year before planning around it.
Are there events in Gulf Shores in the winter?
Yes — snowbird socials and markets, coastal Christmas light displays at The Wharf and OWA in November and December, Mardi Gras parades in late winter, and the Frank Brown International Songwriters' Festival in November.