Seldom will you find a two-day festival with such variety—variety of entertainment, variety of educational and historical exhibits, variety of cultures, variety of time periods, variety of edible delights. But that’s exactly what you and your family will be treated to at the 11^th Annual Heritage Harbor Days on November 5 and 6, 2011.

Huge variety of fun! Heritage Harbor Days in Foley, Alabama, November 5 and 6, 2011.

At Heritage Park in Foley (corner of Highways 59 and 98), discover antique tractors from family farms, take a ride on the L&N Depot event train, and thrill the children with a photo opportunity with Thomas the Tank Engine (Saturday only, 10:00, 11:30 and 2:00). Hear stories of the wagon-train days as you sample food prepared in a chuckwagon by cowboy poet/humorist/cook Kent Rollins. Watch for Davy Crockett, who will share tales of his adventures as he walks about the festival grounds.

Visit the many “buildings” of Heritage Village, an open replica of early 20^th-century Foley. Explore a school, doctor’s office, home, general store, sewing shop and candle maker’s work area. Gather in the town square for music of the era and storytelling about Foley’s yesteryear.

Stage acts are scheduled non-stop on two main stages plus the Children’s Village. Banjos, bodhrins, fiddles and spoons share the stage with the Mexican Folkloric Dancers and Native American Dancers. Bluegrass and folk songs are interspersed with popular music of today, including Broadway, and the Navy Band will highlight patriotic music. Sunday’s Children’s Village stage line-up brings storytellers, dancers, martial arts, pageantry and batons. Check out the full entertainment line-up at the festival website.

Watch the experts shuck oysters and teach you how to eat them. Once you’ve mastered that skill, round out mealtime with favorite yummies such as gyros, po-boys, kabobs, corn dogs, funnel cakes, lemonade, waffle-cone ice cream treats, kettle corn, pork rinds and much more.

Experience the history of Foley at Heritage Village during Heritage Harbor Days.

Many local arts and crafts experts will be offering their handiwork, so be prepared to make at least a couple of trips back to your car with gifts for yourself, your friends and your family. And just when you think you’ve experienced all there is at the festival, the organizers toss one more popular family activity your way: Fireworks at dusk on Sunday create a perfect, timeless way to close out the experience-packed weekend.

Stay informed of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Vacation Rentals on Facebook and Twitter.

Yes! Bring the kids to the Shrimp Festival October 13–16, 2011!

Bring the kids and enjoy loads of family fun during Shrimp Fest, October 13–16, 2011, in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are encouraged to bring the younger set to enjoy this hugely popular event in Gulf Shores, Alabama. There is an entire section of the grounds dedicated to making the children’s days at the festival just as fun as the adults’ experience.

Free snacks of snow cones and popcorn will keep the kids fueled between meals. Many free events and activities will be provided, including sports inflatables, arts & crafts, video games, Build-a-Bear coloring books, jet ski simulator, face painting, make-your-own T-shirts, safety lessons and ID tags from the Alabama Marine Police. You’ll also find H2O Ballz, outdoor family adventures, and children’s clothing and accessories.

A full slate of live stage acts by or for children is offered throughout the four-day festival. Babin House of Party will supply free all-day entertainment on Thursday and Friday, October 13 and 14 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.), plus shorter stage segments Saturday and Sunday (see schedule below).

Local and regional acts fill out the weekend days:

Saturday
10–11 a.m.       South Baldwin Dance Center
11–11:30           Melange Dance Company of Pascagoula, MS
11:30–noon     Alabama International Girl Youth Development
Noon–12:30    Flip City
12:30–1:00      Babin House of Party
1:00–1:30        Southern Edge Dance
1:30–2:00        Wheeles Karate Academy
2:00–2:30        Southern Edge Dance
2:30–3:00        Babin House of Party
3:00–3:30        Flip City—Gulf Coast Little Princess Pageant Crowning
3:30–4:00        Gulf Coast Tae Kwon Do
4:00–5:00        Babin House of Party

Sunday
10:30–11 a.m. Alabama Entertainers Music Theater Group
11–11:30           Babin House of Party
11:30–noon     International Miss Youth Development
Noon–12:30    Brandy Brown Studio
12:30–1:00      Miss Seafood Queens
1:00–1:30         kbDanz
1:30–2:00         Babin House of Party
2:00–2:30        Alabama Entertainers Music Theater Group
2:30–3:00        Alligator Alley
3:00–3:30        Alabama Entertainers Music Theater Group
3:30–4:00        –
4:00–5:00        Babin House of Party Grand Finale

Although not directly a part of Children’s Activity Village, the Sand Sculpture Contest on Saturday (11 a.m.–3 p.m.) offers a creative opportunity for age groups starting as young as 5 years.

So pack up the entire family for fun, fun, fun at the 2011 Shrimp Festival!

While at the festival, you won’t want to miss the wide variety of musical acts at both ends of the festival grounds. Take a look at the full line-up, including links to many of the performers, on our Shrimp Fest—East Stage and Shrimp Fest—West Stage pages.

Stay informed of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Vacation Rentals on Facebook and Twitter.

The 40^th Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama is known not only for our favorite crustacean served any way you can imagine, but also juried art and arts & crafts booths, and two stages filled with live music throughout all four days.

Put your creative skills on display during the Shrimp Fest Sand Sculpture Contest on Saturday, October 15, 2011.

One of the lesser-known attractions of Shrimp Fest, though, comes by way of the beach. The white-sand setting of the festival makes it a perfect venue for a sand sculpture contest—and you are invited to participate.

Registration and building of masterpieces will begin Saturday, October 15, at 11:00 a.m., with judging starting at 3:00 p.m.

Competition is grouped into age categories: 5–10 years, 11–15 years, 16 years and older, or Family (mixed ages). Each group will compete for trophies and ribbons, and all participants will receive a sand bucket. The contest is sponsored by Ike’s Beach Service, Inc.

From basic shapes molded by buckets or by hand to complex artistic renderings, let your creativity shine as you enjoy a picture-perfect day at the beach and at Shrimp Fest 2011. Festival hours are Thursday–Saturday, October 13–15, 10–10 and Sunday, October 16, 10–5.

If you are bringing the entire family to Shrimp Fest—and we hope you are!–you’ll want to know what there is for the kids during the festival. Check out another page on this blog to learn about the Children’s Activity Village, including the kids’ stage schedule of entertainment.

While at the festival, you won’t want to miss the wide variety of musical acts at both ends of the festival grounds. Take a look at the full line-up, including links to many of the performers, on our Shrimp Fest—East Stage and Shrimp Fest—West Stage pages.

Stay informed of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Vacation Rentals on Facebook and Twitter.

The 40^th Annual National Shrimp Festival is here, filled with great food, live music on two stages, amazing fine arts and arts & crafts vendors, Children’s Village and more—all with a backdrop of our gorgeous white-sand beaches.

Save the parking hassle and fees—ride the shuttle to and from the Shrimp Festival.

As with any large public gathering, parking can be tricky. But the festival folks have made it easier to get around with the help of the Baldwin Rural Area Transit System (BRATS).

The transportation service will run Thursday–Saturday, October 13–15, between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., and Sunday, October 16, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. A one-way ride is just $2 per person.

Multiple stops allow you to park away from the site and ride to the main entrance. The buses will run a continuous loop, so you won’t be waiting long at any pick-up point:

Running north/south along Hwy. 59 in Gulf Shores
Winn-Dixie
Bruno’s
Walmart

Running east of the main beach through Orange Beach
Gulf State Park Campground
Gulf State Park Pavilion (you MUST return BEFORE 10 p.m., as the pavilion lot is locked at 10 p.m.)
Winn-Dixie
Walmart Market
Flora-Bama
Publix

Running west of the main beach in Gulf Shores
Pier 33

Let BRATS take care of your transportation so you can soak up all the Shrimp Fest fun without the parking hassle.

Don’t forget to take time to hear some top-notch live music while at the festival. Take a look at the full line-up, including links to many of the performers, on our Shrimp Fest—East Stage and Shrimp Fest—West Stage pages.

Stay informed of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Vacation Rentals on Facebook and Twitter.

Paula Deen’s son Bobby is ready to share some Deen family cooking secrets Friday, June 17, right here in Gulf Shores, Alabama!

Cooking demonstration, signed cookbooks and more with Bobby Deen at LuLu's in Gulf Shores on Friday, June 17.

Brothers Jamie and Bobby have published a new cookbook that focuses on the great American pastime of grilling. Titled The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up: Grilling, Tailgating, Picnicking, and More, this cookbook includes much more than “just” delectable Southern recipes. A bit of family interaction, pictures of many of the dishes, and tips on adjusting from stove to grill are a few of the extras included between the book’s covers.

Bobby will appear at LuLu’s at Homeport Marina from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m., signing cookbooks, sharing stories, and showing his skills via live demonstration. The event is free, but if you choose to purchase two copies of Get Fired Up, you will also receive a free copy of Recipes from the Road.

Stay informed of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Real Estate Vacation Rentals on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.

Bright patches of color float across the sky at sunrise and again at sunset. After dark, they create a beautiful glowing presence while tethered to the ground.

Watch the balloons take off, fly, land and glow during Foley's Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival over Father's Day Weekend.

While the old-fashioned aircraft act as bookends to each day of fun, the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival fills the daytime with even more to do.

But first is the pre-event kickoff at Tanger Outlets in Foley. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 16, the balloon glow will be accompanied by children’s activities including a tower of bubbles and butterflies on stilts, plus Mom and Dad could win gift cards to the Tanger Outlet stores.

The official event begins at 8:00 a.m. Friday, June 17, at the Foley Soccer Complex grounds on West Hwy. 98. Don’t worry if you aren’t sure exactly where that is, or where to park; shuttle buses will run 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., with stops at Heritage Park (corner of Hwys. 59 and 98), Foley Elementary School and the Tanger Outlet Center. Admission is free; parking on the grounds is available for $5.

Scheduled for nine performances throughout the weekend is Disc-Connected K9’s World Famous Frisbee Dogs, an amazing and amusing show enjoyed by all ages. Antique tractors will be on display and 15 food vendors will tempt you with their specialties that include Pot Roast Sundae and fried pickles. Children’s games and activities, live musical entertainment—including Rising Stars talent winners and Saturday evening’s “Almost McGraw,” the nation’s top Tim McGraw Tribute Show at 8:00 p.m.—and still more help to round out this well-planned event. View the Balloon Festival schedule for further information.

Hot air balloons, arts and crafts booths, food vendors, antique tractor display, live entertainment and more. Bring Dad for a special Father's Day Weekend treat!

Start a new tradition for your Father’s Day Weekend by attending the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival. Hours are Friday 8 a.m.–10 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m.–10 p.m., and Sunday 6 a.m.–10:30 a.m.

**NOTE: Please leave your pets, coolers and cigarettes/cigars/pipes at home.

Stay informed of Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area activities, vacation rental specials and more by subscribing to this Discover Alabama Beaches blog and Meyer Muse, and by following Meyer Real Estate Vacation Rentals on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace.