Fall Festivals in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, Alabama include great food, live music, and beach events. There is always something to do on Alabama's Beaches.
Fall Festivals & Events in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
Fall if the perfect time to visit Alabama's Beaches! We have so many amazing festivals, events, concerts, and reasons to visit.
A huge thank you for Visit Alabama's Beaches for partnering with us to share all of these great events with you.
There is a Fall event, festival, or holiday for everyone in the family to enjoy. Whether you are looking for rodeo thrills at Bulls on the Beach, great food at the Annual Shrimp Festival or Experience the Oyster Events, Live music at Meeting of the Minds, or The Frank Brown Songwriters Festival.
As a local livng in Gulf Shores the moment Fall hits we know that our schedule is about to be full of fun! While I love living here year round there is just something so special about Fall on Alabama's Beaches.
The weather is gorgeous, the humidity is down, and everyone is ready to get out and have a great time!
Mark your calendars, book a flight down to Gulf Shores Airport, hop in the car...whatever it takes to get down to Alabama's Beaches and enjoy one of these fun Fall Events and Festivals!
Bulls on the Beach
Date - September - Normally the 2nd full weekend
Location - Flora Bama
Flora-Bama's Bulls on the Beach is three days of thrilling rodeo fun right next to the world-famous bar. Make sure to get tickets early because this is one of the most popular Fall events in Orange Beach.
Every night has a different theme so you can dress up to match the theme if you feel like it. After the event head inside for live music and a great bushwacker.
Orange Beach Freedom Fest
Date: September 19 & 20, 2026
Location: The Wharf
The 6th Annual Orange Beach Freedom Fest will be at The Wharf featuring Bama Coast Cruisin Car Show, Motorcycle & Jeep Rally, kids zone, Patriotic Booths and displays, arts and crafts vendors, as well as food vendors.
Bama Coast Crusin
Date: September 19 & 20, 2026
Location: The Wharf
The Fall Bama Coast Cruisin event will be held during the Orange Beach Freedom Fest. There are no restrictions to the vehicle that can be entered in the show. There will be a parade to the beach on Sunday at 3 pm.
Harvest Moon Festival
Date: September 26, 2026
Location: Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
Experience the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo after dark during the Harvest Moon Festival. Enjoy after hours access to the entire zoo, nocturnal animal activities, interactive hay maze, Animal ambassador meet & greets, s'mores station, bounce houses, and a DJ glow party!
This is a fantastic Fall Family-Friendly thing to do in Gulf Shores.
Annual National Shrimp Festival
Date: October 8-11, 2026
Location: Gulf Place, Gulf Shores
The Annual National Shrimp Festival is 4 days of great food, live music, and fun shopping. This is a great free fall festival next to the beach!
Come hungry because there are a ton of vendors selling Gulf Shrimp, bring a chair to relax and watch the live music, bring a bag to hold all of the great crafts and fun souvenirs you find, and get ready for a long weekend of fun!
Oktoberfest
Date: October 11, 24, 31
Location: Flora Bama, Tee Off at The Wharf, and More
This year, there are multiple Oktoberfest events spread throughout October. If you love German beer, polka music, German sausages, and fun, you are going to love all of these great events.
Beer & Bourbon Fest
Date: October 17, 2026
Location: Tiki & Raw Bar
$25 admission includes samples from all participating vendors, plus a souvenir sampling glass to take home! Enjoy great food, sampling from a lineup of breweries and distilleries including Jim Beam, Eagle Rare, Elijah Craig, Bulleit, and more.
Parrot Heads Meeting of the Minds
Date: October 21-25, 2026
Location: Hangout Gulf Shores, LuLu's Gulf Shores, and the Flora-Bama
Parrot Heads in Paradise Meeting of the Minds is 5 days of live music, fun, and great food. There is a Jimmy Buffett tribue show, Celebrity Drink & Putt at Shrimpy's Grill & Golf, multiple stages of music and events, the Skippin' n Sippin Fun Run at LuLu's just to name a few things happening during this great Fall event.
Halloween
Date: October 31 but events are througout the month of October
Location: Various Locations
There are a ton of great Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Halloween events including pumpkin sand castle classes, Boo at the Zoo, Haunted Hustle, Witches Ride, Trek or Treat, Halloween Storytime, and so much more!
Frank Brown Songwriters Festival
Date: November 5 - 15, 2026
Location: Various Locations in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
The Frank Brown Songwriters Festival showcases amazing songwriters from around the country. The festival is held at the Flora-Bama along with other great stages aroudn town. There can be 200+ songwriters featured during the festival.
Experience the Oyster
Date: November 6-7, 2026
Location: The Hangout Gulf Shores
Experience the Oyster is a two day event at The Hangout in Gulf Shores. The event showcases the South's best chefs and oyster farms. Every chef brings their own spin to how they prepare oysters.
Check out our Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Fall Bucket List
Coastal Alabama Food Truck Festival
Date: November 7 & 8, 2026
Location: Gulf Place
The Coastal Alabama Food Truck Festival is a great opportunity to enjoy delicious food and drinks next to the beach. Food trucks are surround the Gulf Place Lawn so you can pick which ones you want to try and enjoy relaxing on the lawn with live music.
Annual Gumbo Festival
Date: November 7
Location: CoastAL Orange Beach
Chefs from around the country show off their best Gumbo Recipes at CoastAL in Orange Beach. Enjoy live music, delicious gumbo, great driks, and gorgeous views.
Veterans Day
- Date: November 11, 2026
- Location - Various around town
There are multiple events on Veterans Day in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach including the Annual Veterans Day program at the Orange Beach Veterans Memorial.
Thanksgiving
Date: November 26
Location: Various Locations around town
Thanksgiving on the beach is always a great idea! Start the day with a walk on the beach before enjoying an amazing meal at a local Gulf Shores or Orange Beach Restaurant.
Fall is the perfect time to visit Gulf Shores & Orange Beach! There is so much to do with great events, festivals, concerts, and more!
Check out our January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December Event Guides to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach!
To help plan visits during the rest of the year!
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tours
These are some of our favorite tours available in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama.
Dolphin Tours - Book a dolphin cruise here
Check out our experiences on Hammock Time Tiki Tours, Explorer Dolphin Cruise, Southern Rose Dolphin cruise, Cruise OB (Orange Beach), Sail Wild Hearts, Sunset Sail and Dolphin Tour, and the Sunny Lady Dolphin Cruise.
Slingshot Rentals - Use code GULFJOURNEY To save 10% off a Slingshot Rental with Gulf Coast Rental Co in Orange Beach
Pontoon Boat Rentals - Enjoy cruising the waters of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on a Pontoon. Check out the pontoon boats with slides for extra fun. Book your Boat Rental Here
Parasailing - Check out the epic views as you parasail in the Gulf of Mexico. Look for wildlife and you float high above the water. Book your Parasailing Trip Here
Jet Ski Rentals - Jet Ski Tours and rentals are a great way to explore the back bays of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Book your Jet Ski Rental Here
Click here to see all of the top rated tours and activities available in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Lodging
If you are visiting and need to book accommodations, here are our recommendations. We have personally stayed at each of these lodging options (except Margaritaville, coming 2027!):
Use code GULFJOURNEY at checkout with Spectrum Resorts and Beachball Properties and Lucky Bird Vacations for an exclusive discount!
🏖️ Beachball Properties - Vacation houses and condos throughout Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Use Code GULFJOURNEY for a discount. Book with Beachball Properties
🏖️ The Beach Club Resort and Spa (Fort Morgan) - Beachfront condos with amazing amenities, a spa, and the incredible Coast Restaurant on-site. Use Code GULFJOURNEY for a discount with Spectrum Resorts. Book The Beach Club
🏖️ Turquoise Place (Orange Beach) - Our favorite resort in the area! Luxury amenities, epic Gulf-front views, and stunning condos. Truly unforgettable. Use Code GULFJOURNEY for a discount with Spectrum Resorts. Book Turquoise Place
🏨 The Tides Hotel (Orange Beach) - Gorgeous beachfront hotel with a great breakfast buffet, outdoor pool, and top-notch customer service. Book The Tides
🏨 Island House Hotel (Orange Beach) - Right on the beach with epic views from every room. Book Island House
⛺ Timberline Glamping (Orange Beach) - Stay in an amazing glamping tent with a private bathroom, right next to Gulf State Park. Book Timberline
🏨 The Lodge at Gulf State Park - Beachfront Hilton hotel in Gulf State Park offering epic views, sustainable practices, and great on-site restaurants. Book The Lodge
🏨 Springhill Suites Orange Beach - Located next to The Wharf with a gorgeous pool. Perfect location for shopping and dining. Book Springhill Suites
🔜 Margaritaville Resort Orange Beach (Coming 2027) - The highly anticipated Margaritaville resort is coming to Orange Beach! The first phase opens in 2027 and will include beachfront cottages, bungalows, condos, pickleball courts, and an entertainment district.
The map below shows the current hotels and vacation rentals available in the area. You can select the dates you are visiting to see current availability.
Marquita Wright
Ooh! We’ll be there for shrimp festival! Can’t wait!
Marquita Wright
Oooh, we'll be there during Shrimp Festival! I hope the rain doesn't stop the fun.