Top Five Things to Do in April

Presented by Chuck’s Fish, Mobile, and Dharma Blue, Pensacola

Chuck's Fish and Dharma Blue, restaurants created by Charles Morgan III, founder of Harbor Docks in Destin, Florida, are nestled respectively in the downtowns of Mobile and Pensacola. Both Gulf-to-Table establishments, featuring fresh seafood, hand-cut steaks, and traditional sushi bars, obtain Gulf seafood from their wholesale market in Destin, also owned by Morgan. 

Chuck's Fish is named after Morgan III's father Chuck Morgan, a prominent civil rights attorney whose career is heralded in many books detailing the turbulent days of the 1960s. The Mobile location opened in 2017 and will soon expand its footprint an additional 2,000 square feet along downtown's bustling Dauphin Street. 

Dharma Blue, across from Seville Square on the outskirts of a gorgeously revitalized downtown Pensacola, opened its doors in 1996. It has long since been established as one of the top restaurants in the area by both locals and visitors alike. 

Morgan's restaurants feature award-winning sushi bars curated by Chef Yoshie Eddings of Tokyo, Japan. Chef Yoshie, trained early by her father, comes from a line of successful family-owned restaurants throughout Tokyo. 

The product of Morgan's fresh seafood businesses combined with the masterful creations of Chef Yoshie have been unparalleled and continue to provide our Gulf Coast with two fantastic restaurants that you don't want to miss.

With Spring in full swing, it’s a great time to get out and enjoy all the natural beauty in the Scenic 98 Coastal area. Many festivals and other events are scheduled for April, both in our area and across the Gulf Coast region.  

In addition to the Top 5 Events below, we also want to highlight Hogs for the Cause on April 5 & 6 in New Orleans. This music festival and barbecue contest is going into its 16^th year, with all proceeds going to support families and fund research for those dealing with pediatric brain cancer. It is one of our favorite events of the year with great music and great food all going to support a great cause! If you would like to help us break the 2023 record ($3.6 million) you can Donate Here through our friends on the Moe's Original BBQ team.

Ballyhoo Festival: April 6 – 7 

Ballyhoo Festival, Gulf State Park Lake Shelby Picnic Area, Gulf Shores, AL

This exciting festival is unique in its focus on fine art, combined with cultural charm, and the fun-loving spirit of residents of Coastal Alabama! Enjoy vendors offering fine art from across the southeast and a variety of local seafood options. Live music will be running all day long both days of the festival and don’t miss the Banjo and Fiddle Competition on Sunday where the top 3 scores in each age bracket win a cash prize!

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41^st Annual Pensacola Jazz Fest: April 6 – 7

Pensacola JazzFest, Seville Square, Pensacola, FL

The Pensacola JazzFest is an annual two-day music festival presented by Jazz Pensacola. This free music festival includes local school bands, regional acts, and national headliners. With its beautiful live oaks and historic surroundings, Seville Square and the gazebo stage offer a perfect springtime setting for Pensacola JazzFest. In addition to a great music lineup, food by local vendors, wine/beer, soft drinks, arts and crafts and jazz merchandise are available— including JazzFest posters, a variety of jazzy shirts, and memorabilia. All jazz merchandise sales help support the festival and keep it free for our loyal fans

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4^th Annual Kites Over Mobile: April 13 - 14

Kites Over Mobile, USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, Mobile, AL

The 4^th annual Kites Over Mobile festival will be held over two days at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. The festivities include live music, professional kite flying demonstrations, show kite displays, kites for sale on-site, face painting, and more family fun activities!

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Pensacola Crawfish Festival: April 26 – 28

Pensacola Crawfish Festival, Seville Square, Pensacola, FL

The Pensacola Crawfish features thousands of pounds of boiled crawfish, fresh from Louisiana, brought to you by Pensacola locals, Cordova Crawfish Company. Cajun fare includes boudin, jambalaya, etouffee, fresh and fried seafood, gumbo, and much more! The festival will offer live music for you to enjoy all three days with a wide range of local arts and crafts vendors. Adult admission is only $5 per day, $2 per day for kids aged 6 – 12, and kids aged 5 and under enter Free! 

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Flora-Bama Interstate Mullet Toss: April 26 – 28

Flora -Bama Interstate Mullet Toss, Flora-Bama Lounge, Perdido Key

The Interstate Mullet Toss is a well-known, annual event held the last full week of April with contestants throwing a mullet across the FL/AL state line. Proceeds from the mullet toss event go to local youth charities. Thousands of onlookers show up to enjoy the festivities including live music and other activities all weekend long.