Fun Fall Things To Do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama

Fall can be the best time of the year to visit the Alabama Beaches! Gulf Shores and Orange Beach offer lots of fun activities and festivals to enjoy in the beautiful fall weather. Whether you are going for a girlfriends weekend, a family weekend getaway, or just want to enjoy the beach for the day, you can’t go wrong on the Alabama gulf coast! You can enjoy the relaxing cool weather, while still soaking up the sun and swimming in the warm gulf saltwater.

Sept 15-17, 2016 – Uncorked Food and Wine Festival – The Wharf will be hosting this weekend full of good food and competition between some of the best chefs in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, AL. In addition to great food and wine, there will be a luxury yacht walk, book signings and both live and silent auctions benefitting Make-A-Wish® Alabama.

September 17, 2016 –  The 29th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup – This event is part of an international effort led by the Ocean Conservancy to remove debris from coastal waters. From 8am to noon come out and show your support for the community. All supplies are provided, and volunteers who come out early will receive a free t-shirt.

October 1, 2016 – Shindig on the Sand Event  – The Flora-Bama will be hosting this great event that will feature 70 musical acts and over 200 musicians! Begins at noon and is open for all ages until sundown. Proceeds from this event help raise more money for Gulf Coast Musician’s Healthcare.

Oct 5, 2016 – Oct 8, 2016 – 13th Annual John L. Borom Alabama Coastal BirdFest – Whether you are new or an experienced birder, this is the event for bird lovers. Offering more than 30 expertly guided tours, evening dinner events, and workshops, you are sure to enjoy your experience. Many of the trips are by bus while the others allow participants to meet the bus or drive to the trip site. There is also a free Expo which includes displays, exhibits, raptor and snake shows, a touch tank, birdhouse build, and lots of hands-on fun for all ages.

Oct 13, 2016 – Oct 16, 2016 – 45th Annual National Shrimp Festival – This event offers 4 fantastic days of food, music, vendors and other activities.  You can enjoy 80 hours of musical entertainment  to entertain to satisfy any musical taste, including Blues, Motown, Southern Rock, Jazz, Zydeco and Country. Of course, food is the hightlight of the weekend! 200 pounds of shrimp per day will be prepared by some of the area’s best chefs using their award-winning recipes! Stop by for a sample, tasting times will be posted. New this year you can check out vendors in Outdoor World for fishing, boating, and hunting plus they will have fun activities. Also new, Shrimp Festival Idol! High school singers from seven local schools will compete in elimination rounds to find out who will become Shrimp Festival Idol. With a family sand sculpture contest, Children’s Activity Village, 10K and 5K races, and almost 200 booths of fine art and arts and crafts vendors there is something for everyone to enjoy at the National Shrimp Festival!

November 4, 2016 – November 5,2016 – 9th Annual Oyster Cook Off –  Located at the Hangout in Gulf Shores, the kickoff features 60 beers from more than 25 craft brewers to enjoy while you meet the chefs and brewers. The next day you will have the pleasure of enjoying chef prepared oysters at the Oyster Cook-Off.

These are just a few of the fun activities and festivals. To see the full list of fall events, read more details on each event, and find out where to purchase tickets, check out the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Calendar of Events.