Fall For These Traditions on Alabama's Gulf Coast

Media Contact:

Faith Henley • Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism
[email protected] •
1-800-745-SAND • 251-968-9338 (direct) • 615-342-9908 (cell)

GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA. – Summer may be wrapping up, but the good times keep rolling throughout the fall on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Whether you’re a foodie or looking to get active before the holidays, this fall there is an event happening for you, including crowd favorites such as the National Shrimp Festival (Oct. 10-13), the Brett/Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon (Sept. 7), or The Hangout’s Oyster Cook-off and Craft Beer Festival (Nov. 1-2) in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Bulls on the Beach Professional Live Bull Riding
Date: Sept. 5-7
Time: 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Location: Flora-Bama Lounge and Oyster Bar (17401 Perdido Key Drive, Pensacola)
Website: FloraBama.com
Phone: 850-492-0611
Admission: $25 for adults 18 and up per night; $15 for children 7-17 per night; $40 for adults for both nights; $20 for children 7-17 for both nights; free for children 6 and under.
Details: Exhilarating family-friendly professional bull riding event on the beach.

Brett/Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon
Date: Sept. 7
Location: Gulf Shores Public Beach (101 Gulf Shores Parkway)
Registration: https://www.team-magic.com/events/154
Details: Triathlon features a 1.5K swim in the Gulf of Mexico, 40K bike ride and 10K scenic run with stunning views of Gulf Shores and Gulf State Park; a beginner friendly “tri-it-on” event will also take place with a 300-yard swim, 10-mile bike ride and 2-mile run; pre- and post-race activities will take place at The Hangout.

Alabama Coastal Cleanup
Date: Sept. 21
Location: Various check-in points throughout Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan
Website: AlabamaCoastalCleanup.com
Phone: 251-928-9792
Admission: Free
Details: “Get the trash out of the splash” by volunteering to collect litter invading Alabama’s beaches and waterways.

Coastal Alabama Couples Classic
Date: Sept. 26-29
Location: Peninsula Golf and Racquet Club (20 Peninsula Blvd., Gulf Shores)
Website: GolfAlabamaBeach.com/Coastal-Alabama-Couples-Classic
Phone: 251-968-5339
Details: This all-inclusive tournament includes 3 days of golf (plus practice rounds for a cart fee), breakfast and lunch daily, a welcome reception, a sunset cruise, two drink tickets per day and prizes! Courses include Craft Farms, Peninsula Golf & Racquet Club, and Rock Creek Golf Club.

C Spire Concert Series presents: Lynyrd Skynyrd “Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour” with Special Guest, Cody Jinks
Date: Sept. 28
Location: The Amphitheater at The Wharf (23325 Amphitheater Drive, Orange Beach)
Website: ALWharf.com/Amphitheater.php
Phone: 800-745-3000
Admission: Tickets start at $44.50.
Details: Lynyrd Skynyrd brings their farewell tour to The Wharf Amphitheater along with special guest, Cody Jinks.

16th Annual John L. Borom Alabama Coastal Birdfest
Date: Oct. 2-5
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Headquartered at Fairhope Campus of Coastal Alabama Community College (450 Fairhope Ave.)
Website: AlabamaCoastalBirdFest.com
Admission: Free (additional fees may apply for excursions)
Details: Educational event with programs for children; displays and exhibits from conservation organizations, vendors, artists and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; expert-guided trips by foot and boat to prime birding locations on the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail.

Luna’s Oktoberfest
Date: Oct. 6
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Cosmo’s Courtyard at Luna’s Eat & Drink (25753 Canal Road, Orange Beach)
Website: LunasEatandDrink.com
Phone: 251-980-5862
Admission: $10 (includes beer mug)
Details: German food, polka music, stein hoisting, and games will take place with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Orange Beach Animal Care & Control Program.

48th Annual National Shrimp Festival
Date: Oct. 10-13
Time: 10 a.m.
Location: Gulf Shores Public Beach (101 Gulf Shores Parkway)
Website: MyShrimpFest.com
Phone: 251-968-7200
Admission: Free
Details: Free, four-day event featuring 200 arts and crafts vendors, more than 200 pounds of Gulf shrimp prepared per day, 50 local and regional food vendors, the Second Annual Little Miss Shrimp Festival Pageant, Singing for Scholarships, Outdoor World, Children’s Activity Village, 5K and 10K runs, sand sculpture contest and live music.

Oktoberfest at Flora-Bama
Date: Oct. 13
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Flora-Bama Lounge and Oyster Bar (17401 Perdido Key Drive, Pensacola)
Website: FloraBama.com
Phone: 850-492-0611
Admission: Free
Details: Stein hoisting sponsored by Samuel Adams, live German music, German buffet and complimentary stein for the first 100 guests.

Wild and Wicked Beach Bash
Date: Oct. 18
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Gulf Shores Main Public Beach (101 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores)
Website: GulfShoresAL.gov/WildWickedBeachBash
Phone: 251-968-9824
Admission: Free to attend, participation fees for events
Details: The Second Annual Beach Bash features free live music, the Haunted Hustle 5K, and Witches on Wheels bike parade.

BooLu’s
Date: Oct. 26
Time: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: LuLu’s (200 E. 25th Ave., Gulf Shores)
Website: LuLuBuffet.com
Phone: 251-967-5858
Admission: Free
Details: Trunk-or-treat, costume contest by age category, pumpkin decorating, crafts, inflatables and live music.

The Original German Sausage Festival
Date: Oct. 26
Time: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Elberta Town Park (13052 Main St.)
Website: ElbertaFire.com
Admission: Free
Details: German music, traditional German cuisine (including 7,000 pounds of secret recipe sausage) and approximately 250 arts and crafts vendors; benefiting the Town of Elberta Fire Department.

Oyster Cook-Off and Craft Beer Weekend
Date: Nov. 1-2
Location: The Hangout (101 E. Beach Blvd., Gulf Shores)
Website: HangoutCookOff.com
Phone: 251-948-3030
Admission: $40 for Friday night’s Craft Beer Festival tasting tickets; $10 for Saturday general admission for adults and free for children 12 and under, plus $30 for 15 oyster tasting tickets in advance;
Details: Craft Beer Festival on Friday showcasing dozens of local and regional craft beers; Oyster Cook-Off competition, North American Oyster Showcase (raw oysters), oyster tastings, shucking competition, cooking demos with celebrity chefs and live music on Saturday.

SEC Women’s Soccer National Championship
Date: Nov. 3-10
Location: Orange Beach Sportsplex (4389 William Silvers Parkway)
Website: SECSports.com
Phone: 205-458-3000
Admission: Adult tickets are $5 per game and children (K-12) are $2 per day. 
Details: Ten ladies’ teams will compete to be crowned the SEC Women's Soccer Champions.

Frank Brown International Songwriters’ Festival
Date: Nov. 7-17
Location: Live music venues throughout Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Ala. and Perdido Key and Pensacola, Fla.
Website: FBISF.com
Phone: 850-492-0611
Admission: Free at most venues; modest cover at the door at a few locations
Details: Headquartered at the Flora-Bama on the Alabama-Florida line, nearly 200 renowned songwriters will perform in live music hotspots where the intimate shows allow for stories behind the songs to be told by the songwriters themselves.

Kaiser Realty by Wyndham Vacation Rentals Coastal Half-Marathon, 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run
Date: Nov. 30
Location: Orange Beach Sportsplex (4389 William Silvers Parkway)
Register: team-magic.com/events/155/contents/register
Details: Shed the turkey with family and fitness this Thanksgiving with a half-marathon, 5K or 1-mile fun run through the paved, scenic Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail in Gulf State Park; post-race party at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.

NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship
Date: Dec. 2-7
Location: Orange Beach Sportsplex (4389 William Silvers Parkway)
Website: NAIA.org
Phone: 816-595-8153
Admission: TBA
Details: Cheer on some of the best collegiate soccer teams from around the country during the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women’s Soccer National Championship.

For a full event schedule, visit https://www.gulfshores.com/events-calendar/concerts/.

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Photos:

Download: https://gsob.co/ShrimpFestphoto01
Caption: At the Annual National Shrimp Festival attendees from across the nation gather for art, music and fresh Gulf Coast Shrimp.
Credit: Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

Download: https://gsob.co/BRtriathlonphoto01
Caption: Bike, run and swim your way across Alabama’s beautiful beaches during the Brett/Robinson Coastal Triathlon.
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.