Presented by Chuck’s Fish, Mobile, and Dharma Blue, Pensacola
Summer 2024 is officially in the rearview with October bringing visions of Fall, Festivals, and Football. Dramatic sunsets paint vivid hues of red, orange, yellow, pink, and sometimes purple across the sky, as Autumn days grow shorter and the sun sinks lower. Sun rays have a larger distance to travel before reaching our eye, interacting with more air molecules, while the dryer, cooler fall air allows more of these colors to pass without being scattered by water molecules.
With that fun fact out of the way, it’s time to set our sights on October events. This month’s theme is festivals of all kinds from Dragon Boats to Shrimp to Fungi, including one brand-new festival for 2024!
In addition to the Top 5 below, we have linked other October Events on our radar at the end of this article. Don’t miss our breakdown of events happening across the Scenic 98 Coastal Area over the weekend in the newsletter’s Tidbits and Best Bets section every Wednesday morning. The Tidbits and Best Bets calendar is also hosted on the Scenic98Coastal.com homepage for easy access all weekend long!
10th Annual Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival: October 12
Dragon Boat Festival, Bayview Park, Pensacola, FL
The Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival returns for its 10th anniversary, with 40 teams competing throughout the day on a 250-meter-long course. A dragon boat is a long, narrow canoe with 10 rows, 20 paddlers, a steer person in the stern, and a drummer by the dragon’s head at the bow. Dragon boating originated in Hong Kong in 1976, but its historical roots date to more than 2,000 years ago in China. The event attracts over 7,500 spectators and participants with a full day of races, athlete’s village festivities, arts & craft vendors, and food vendors.
Registration deadline is Thursday, October 3rd, 2024. Click Here for more information
Gulf Coast Fungi Fest: October 18 – 20
Gulf Coast Fungi Fest, Weeks Bay Plantation, Fairhope, AL
The Gulf Coast Fungi Fest returns for a weekend of mushroom-centric festivities exploring the unique, vibrant world of fungi. The inaugural festival at Weeks Bay Plantation in 2023 saw nearly 700 experts, enthusiasts, musicians, and foodies from across the region and beyond. The three-day event includes speakers, live music, workshops, contests, foraging activities, overnight camping, and much more!
Tickets are still available. Click Here for more information.
The Great Bellingrath Harvest Festival: Ends October 31
The Great Bellingrath Harvest, Bellingrath Gardens & Home, Theodore, AL
The Great Bellingrath Harvest is a brand-new festival for 2024, kicking off in late September with the Harvest Market and the ongoing display of Scarecrows in the Garden. This fresh fall celebration starting the second week of October, will see Bellingrath Gardens transform into a vibrant autumn wonderland, with over 5,000 pumpkins displayed throughout the grounds Get ready for a season brimming with fun, festivities, and family-friendly events scheduled all month long.
Click Here for more information on the scheduled events and activities.
36th Annual Jubilee Festival of Arts: October 19 – 20
Jubilee Festival of Arts, W.O. Lott Park, Daphne, AL
Art, music & local cuisine meet southern charm at this annual festival set along the oak-lined streets of Olde Towne Daphne. The Jubilee Festival of Art features more than 140 local and regional artists, delicious food, local musicians, FREE Kids Art, High School Art Exhibits, and a Tailgater Area streaming football games all weekend long. The Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce and City of Daphne host the Jubilee Festival of Arts each year supporting tourism, and the arts and spotlighting the beauty of Olde Towne Daphne.
Click Here to find out more.
51st Annual National Shrimp Festival: October 10 – 13
Annual National Shrimp Festival, 101 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores, AL
For over 50 years, this volunteer-driven event has been a tradition on the beautiful beaches of Coastal Alabama. Four days of music from local and national acts, food, shopping, fine art, craft workshops and so much more make up an action-packed weekend with nearly 250,000 of your closest friends. The festival also hosts a sand sculpture contest, the Miss Shrimp Festival Pageant, and the Shrimp Festival 5k/10k run. The Annual National Shrimp Festival is a family affair with tons of excitement and supervised arts, crafts, games, and other activities for the little ones.
Admission is Free! Click Here for more information.
Honorable Mentions:
Trombone Shorty w/ Orleans Ave. Pensacola, FL: October 4
Freedom Fest & Bama Coast Cruisin’, Orange Beach, AL: October 4–5
Alabama Coastal Birdfest, Spanish Fort, AL: October 4 – 6
Pensacola Symphony Orchestra: Opening Night!, Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL: October 5
Dauphin Street Beer Festival, Mobile, AL – October 5
OWA Oktoberfest, Foley, AL – October 5
Foley Witches Ride, Foley, AL – October 28
The Original Wailers, Halstead Amphitheater, Fairhope, AL: October 11
Black Jacket Symphony “Madman Across the Water”, Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL: October 12
Marshall Tucker Band, Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL: October 24
Post Malone in Concert, The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL: October 17
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