National Shrimp Festival Brings Fall Fun to Gulf Shores
If you love the beach, and you love fresh-caught Gulf shrimp, you’re certain to have a great time combining the two. One of the most popular events on the Alabama Gulf returns in the fall of 2022, bringing lots of fun along with it. Scheduled for October 6-9, the 49th annual National Shrimp Festival is already slated to draw more than a quarter million beach-loving visitors to the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area.
Founded in 1971, the National Shrimp Festival was originally orchestrated to lure tourists to Alabama beaches during the off-season and continues to do just that, growing each year with hundreds of thousands now attending the annual festival of fun. The National Shrimp Festival has even been voted a top-fifty outdoor festival in the Southeast by Southern Living magazine, as well as garnering numerous accolades by other travel media sites and publications.
Festival activities include an array of events open to participation, including the Restaurant Challenge, the festival’s Golf Tournament for Education, a cool sand-sculpting contest, an annual festival 5K and 10K run or walk, a Singing for Scholarships talent contest made up of school age vocalists, in a singing competition similar to The Voice.
As part of the Restaurant Challenge, Gulf Coast area chefs compete for awards in best and most creative recipes, then the chosen winners prepare dishes and share their culinary skills over the four days of the shrimp festival, giving those attending the opportunity to try their specialties.
On opening day, October 6th, more than 320 festival vendors begin the four day event, selling everything from fine art to hats, T-shirts and other souvenir items. There’s also live music featuring an array of rock, country, jazz and more.
The National Shrimp Festival is held at the public beach access, where Highway 59 intersects with Highway 182 in Gulf Shores. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.
Where to stay for the National Shrimp Festival
Check out our Gulf Shores Vacation Rentals and Orange Beach Vacation Rentals for some great places to stay while you’re visiting the Alabama Gulf Coast. This is a busy weekend on the coast, so make your reservations early to avoid disappointment. Book your accommodations today online, or by phone at 888-404-2602.
