The best things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in July! Summer weather is here, and it is the perfect time to explore the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in July
July is a great time to be on the Alabama Gulf Coast! The summer weather has kicked in, the Gulf waters are warm, and there are so many things to do and see in town.
The beautiful white-sand beaches are the perfect place for a summer vacation. There are plenty of attractions, festivals, and entertainment options to choose from.
July Events in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
Summer events are a great time to get out and enjoy the area! There are so many fun things to do along the Gulf Coast of Alabama.
We continually update this list of events as we hear about them.
Red Clay Strays
Date - Thursday July 3, 2025, and Friday July 4th, 2025
Location - The Wharf Amphitheater
The Red Clay Strays, with special guests Muscadine Bloodline and Justin Jeansonne, are coming to The Wharf Amphitheater on July 3 and 4 as part of the 2025 C Spire Concert Series!
Slice of Summer Event at The Wharf
Date - July TBD
Location - The Wharf
Every Monday night during the summer season you can celebrate a Slice of Summer at The Wharf. There will be magicians, stilt walkers, and balloon artists. Plus opportunities to ride a came, get your face painted, and play in the glow bubbles from the official Bubble Truck.
Wild Wild Wharf
Date - To be announced
Location - The Wharf
Enjoy a wild western night with DJ Matt. Check out the mechanical bull, face painting, and so much fun! Dress in your best Western Wear Costume and possibly win a prize.
Cost: FREE admission + parking; Some activities range $5-10
Independence Day Street Party at The Wharf
Date - TBD
Location - The Wharf Main Street
Enjoy entertainment with the bubble truck, camel rides, face painting, a bounce house, and more. There will also be a stilt walker, balloon artist, juggler, reptile bus, DC Matt and so much more fun. AND FIREWORKS!
Check out all of the fun ways to celebrate 4th of July in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, AL
Shark Run 5K
Date - TBD
Location - The Wharf near the main entrance fountain
Join the 11th annual Shark Run 5k. Enjoy cold beverages for all participants at SandShaker.
City of Gulf Shores Independence Day Celebration
Date - July 4, 9 pm
Location - Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier
The City of Gulf Shores will celebrate the Fourth of July with a stunning fireworks display shot from the Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier.
I am really hoping the Gulf State Park Pier renovations are completed, and we can enjoy it this summer.
Wiki Wiki Wharf
Date - To be announced
Location - The Wharf
Cool off with the water slide and water bouncy. Check out the surfboard simulator or have your face painting during this fun event.
Tacky Jacks Summer of Fun Events
This summer Tacky Jacks is celebrating with fun hands on habitat events, art classes, beach games, and more at their Gulf Shores and Orange Beach locations!
Events are held at 11 am on specific days. RSVP is required to attend.
The Art al Fresco classes have a fee for supplies and include a $10 lunch gift card. Beach Games at the Gulf Shores Tacky Jacks are themed for kids ages 6 to 12. The games include a free participant lunch.
Flora Bama 4th of July Party
Dates - July 4th
Location - Flora-Bama
Enjoy an epic beach day at the Flora-Bama followed by fireworks on the beach at 9 pm.
Flora-Bama Freedom Run
Dates - July 6th
Location - Flora-Bama
Participate in a 4-mile run/walk or 1-mile fun run/walk. Break out your best red, white, and blue attire and show it off.
Blue Marlin Grand Championship of the Gulf
Dates - July 12 at 5 pm and July 13th at 8 pm
Location - The Wharf
The Blue Marlin Grand Championship is the finale of the acclaimed Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series. This event benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Pepsi Treasure Hunt for Hunger
Date - To be announced
Location - The Wharf
Pepsi Treasure Hunt for Hunger benefitting Secret Meals for Hungry Children every Wednesday throughout the summer.
Grab a treasure map at the Pepsi tent and then start your quest. Find the items on the map then return to X marks the spot and collect your gold.
For each kid that completes the hunt, The Wharf will donate $5 to Alabama Credit Union’s Secret Meals for Hungry Children program.
Blue Angels Pensacola Beach Air Show
Dates - July 10-13
Location - Pensacola Beach
Enjoy not only the Blue Angels but other epic planes including Redline, Carol Pilon and Third Strike Wing walking, Veterans Flight, Julian MacQueen, Kevin Coleman, Red Bull Air Force Team with pilot Aaron Fitzgerald, and Patty Wagstaff.
July 10th - Breakfast with the Blues starting approximately 7:30 a.m.
July 11th - Practice Show – Blue Angels begin approximately 2 p.m.
July 12th - Civilian acts begin at noon
Blue Angels – 2 p.m.
July 13th - Civilian acts begin at noon
Blue Angels – 2 p.m.
Palooza in the Park
Date - TBD
Location - Meyer Park
Join the Gulf Shores Recreation Department in celebrating National Parks and Recreation Month with live music from the Smokey Otis Band. There will be food by Beachin' Eats Food Truck and Kidzapalooza fun with games, face painting, crafts, and a water balloon toss.
Teen Arts Workshop
Date - TBD
Location - Coastal Art Center of Orange Beach
6th Annual Teen Arts Workshop is July 15-19th from 1-4pm! Participants must register for classes here.
Students will work with hot glass, cool clay and paints of all sorts. This workshop includes a touch of photography and a dash of culinary, with a huge helping of creativity, collaboration and fun!
Maritime Forest Hike on Gul Oak Ridge Trail (Gulf State Park)
Date - TBD
Location - Gulf Oak Ridge Trail in Gulf State Park
Join the park naturalist on a stroll through different habitats including maritime forest and wetlands. The hike will be about 2 miles and include learning about birds, wildlife, and the trees/vegetation of the area.
Wear comfortable shoes and bring bug spray and a bottle of water.
Parker McCollum Concert with Corey Kent
Dates - July 19, 7 pm
Location - The Wharf Amphitheater
Parker McCollum Burn it Down Tour with special guest Corey Kent, is coming to The Wharf Amphitheater on Friday, July 19 as part of the 2024 C Spire Concert Series.
Music at Meyer Park
Date - TBD
Location - Meyer Park in Gulf Shores
Additional July Events along the Gulf Coast
Blue Angels Practice
Dates -TBD
Location - Pensacola Naval Air Station
Gates open at 9:30 am
The Blue Angels are scheduled to take off at 10:30 am
The dates with a * includes an autograph day in the museum following the Blue Angels Practice.
Practices last approximately 55 minutes. There are open bleacher seats for 500 people. You can also rent a chair for $6 (there are limited quantities of chairs).
Please note that backpacks, daypacks, luggage, or similar items are NOT allowed on the flight line during Blue Angel practice air shows.
You will need to have your ID to enter onto the Naval Air Station. Public access to NAS Pensacola is available only from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. through the West Gate on Blue Angel Parkway.
Make sure to plan time to explore the National Naval Aviation Museum after practice. It is one of the best museums we have visited.
Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo
Dates - TBD
Location - Dauphin Island
The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, a Project of the Mobile Jaycees, is the largest fishing tournament in the world.
Over 3,500 people participate with over 75,000 spectators.
July Things to Do
July is the perfect time to be out on the water! There are a ton of great deep sea fishing tours, kayak tours, jet ski tours and rentals, and so much more.
It is always a good idea to plan a dolphin cruise to see the amazing Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins found in the waters surrounding Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama.
The gorgeous weather is perfect for taking a Segway tour, biking, taking a sunset cruise, enjoying the amazing animal encounters at the zoo, and visiting one of the local water parks.
Take a ride on the Wharf Ferris Wheel, meet alligators at Alligator Alley, or plan a unique adventure perfect for the entire family.
Dolphin Cruises
Head out on the water and check out the local Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins that play in the back bays and Gulf.
Book a dolphin cruise here
Check out our experiences on Hammock Time Tiki Tours, Explorer Dolphin Cruise, and the Sunny Lady Dolphin Cruise.
Sunset Dolphin Sail
May is the perfect time to enjoy a sunset dolphin sail on the back bays of Orange Beach. This sailing tour leaves from the Wharf making it really easy to get to.
You can relax with a cold drink while watching dolphins frolicking nearby. As the sun goes down you can savor the warm weather and epic views from the sailboat.
This is one of our favorite date night activities on the water. It is so relaxing and the views are amazing.
Rent a Polaris Slingshot
Drive around town in style with a sleek three wheeled Slingshot! The perfect way to cruise the beach and enjoy the gorgeous weather!
Manual or automatic transmission vehicles are available. Rent for a day or the week.
Check out the Slingshot Rentals
Parasailing
See the beach and Gulf Coast from a new perspective! Why not try Parasailing while on your Gulf Coast Vacation.
You can Parasail in both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach! Check out these great Parasailing Options.
Rent a Pontoon Boat
Captain your own pontoon boat and enjoy the waters of Orange Beach! Grab your friends and family and plan a day out on the water.
Some of the pontoon boats have slides so you can slide right into the cool waters of the Gulf. Cruise the scenic Orange Beach islands of Bird Island, Robinson Island, and Rabbit Island.
Check out great Pontoon Boat Rentals
Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Weather in July
The weather in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach continues to warm up in July.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach enjoy summer weather in July with temperatures ranging from 75 degrees to 94 degrees.
Daylight hours start to decrease in July with the shortest day of the month is July 31, with 13 hours, 36 minutes of daylight and the longest day is July 1, with 14 hours, 4 minutes of daylight.
The earliest sunrise of the month in Gulf Shores is 5:52 AM on July 1 and the latest sunrise is 16 minutes later at 6:09 AM on July 31.
The latest sunset is 7:56 PM on July 1 and the earliest sunset is 12 minutes earlier at 7:44 PM on July 31.
Water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico stays pretty consistent in July at 84°F.
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Lodging
If you are visiting and need to book accommodations, here are our recommendations. We have stayed at each of these lodging options:
The Beach Club Resort and Spa (Fort Morgan): This resort offers beachfront condos with amazing amenities and a great spa. Don't miss dinner at Coast Restaurant.
Use Code - GULFJOURNEY for a discount when booking with Spectrum Resort.
Turquoise Place Luxury Vacation Rentals (Orange Beach): This is our favorite resort in the area! It offers luxury amenities, epic beachfront views, and unbelievable condos.
Use Code - GULFJOURNEY for a discount when booking with Spectrum Resort.
Springhill Suites Orange Beach: Located next to The Wharf, it is an excellent location near shopping and dining. We enjoyed their gorgeous pool.
The Lodge at Gulf State Park: Located on the beach in Gulf State Park, this Hilton Hotel offers epic beach views, a sustainable hotel experience, and great restaurants.
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.
Additional Gulf Coast Travel Guides
Moving to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach - What we learned moving to the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Free things to do in Gulf Shores, AL - Fun places to visit in town that don't cost a ton.
Best Burgers in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach - Check out the best burgers you can enjoy along the Gulf Coast of Alabama
Best Ice cream Shops in Orange Beach, AL - The Best Ice Cream Orange Beach, Alabama, has to offer! From ice cream cones to banana splits, these are the best ice cream shops to visit.
Kid Friendly Restaurants in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach - Our favorite places to bring kids that the entire family will love.
Things to do in Fort Morgan, AL - All of the fun adventures to do while visiting Fort Morgan including beaches, spa, history, and more.
Dauphin Island Ferry - Take a quick ferry ride from Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island on the Mobile Bay Ferry. Explore a great southern island of Alabama
Looking ahead make sure to check out our January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December Guides to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach!
Don't miss our other Gulf Coast destinations, including Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Dauphin Island, Fairhope, Fort Morgan, Foley, Mobile, Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and so many more!
We also have articles on the Emerald Coast of Florida, including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Panama City Beach, Perdido Key, Pensacola, and more.
Keep an eye out for articles on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida!
Check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages for more great ideas for the Gulf Coast.
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