Here are the best things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in May! The weather is warming up, and it is the perfect time to explore the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in May
May Events in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
There are so many great events for May 2024! The beach will be hopping with live music, hot air balloons to start the month at OWA, and tons of concerts at the Wharf Amphitheater.
Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival 2025
Date - May 1 -3, 2025
Location - OWA
Balloons fly early in the morning (around dawn) and late in the afternoon (around dusk). All flights are weather-dependent.
Pilots are scheduled to fly on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings between 6 AM & 8 AM.
2026 dates - April 30th - May 2, 2026
Teddy Swims Concert
Date - May 12th, 2025
Location - The Wharf Amphitheater
Teddy Swims has announced his I've Tried Everything but Therapy tour will stop at The Wharf Amphitheater.
Morgan Wallen presents Sand in My Boots
Date - May 16-18th, 2025
Location - Gulf Place Beach
Morgan Walle and the Hangout Festival announced they will bring a new Sand in My Boots music festival to Gulf Shores!!! Mark your calendars for May 16-18, 2025!
The festival lineup is amazing! So many great acts are coming to Gulf Shores!
- Laci Kaye Booth
- Morgan Wallen
- Post Malone
- Brooks & Done
- Hardy
- Riley Green
- Bailey Zimmerman
- T-Pain
- Diplo
- Wiz Khalifa
- The War on Drugs
- 2 Chainz
- Chase Rice
- Three 6 Mafia
- 3 Doors Down
- Paul Cauthen
- Future Islands
- Ernest
- Ian Munsick
- Nate Smith
- Moneybagg Yo
- Treaty Oak Revival
- Ella Langley
- Kameron Marlowe
- 49 Winchester
- Josh Ross
- Morgan Wade
- Hailey Whitters
- Ole 60
- Bigxthaplug
- Real Estate
- Lauren Watkins
- Wild Nothing
- John Morgan
LuLu's Paradise Boat Show at Homeport Marina
Dates - To be announced
Location - Homeport Marina next to LuLu's Gulf Shores
Check out LuLu's annual Paradise Boat Show at the Homeport Marina. Paradise Marina will have boats in the water and on land for visitors to check out.
Trash Pick Up - Gulf Place Beach
Date - To be announced
Location - Gulf Place Beach/The Hangout
Join Eco Clean Marine for a trash pick up at Gulf Place Beach. Eco Clean Marine will provide gloves and buckets to help facilitate the beach clean up.
10th Annual Alabama Seafood Cook-Off
Date - T0 be announced
Location - The Wharf, Marlin Circle
Watch some of the best Alabama chefs compete live in a cooking competition featuring Alabama Gulf Seafood.
The winner of the event will go on to represent Alabama at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off in New Orleans.
Sandcastle Shindig
Dates - To be announced
Location - Flora-Bama Lounge
Check out this great event where local businesses compete to win with their custom sand sculptures. Proceeds from the event benefit the Pleasure Island Junior Woman's Club.
Visitors can purchase a tethered balloon ride and rise 35 feet up into the air.
Art in the Park
Date - To be announced
Location - Foley Heritage Park
The Art in the Park has been held every Mother's Day weekend since 1971. Over 100 artists showcase their unique hand crafted work.
Orange Beach Billfish Classic
Date - TBD
Location - The Wharf
The Orange Beach Billfish Classic is the first billfish tournament of the Eastern Gulf tournament circuit and the start of the Gulf Coast Triple Crown Series.
Foley Music and a Movie
Dates - To be announced
Location - Foley Heritage Park
Check out the Heritage Park Marketplace from 4 pm to 7 pm. The marketplace has arts and crafts, plants, produce, and more.
There will be live entertainment starting at 7 pm followed by a movie at dusk.
Gulf Coasts Masters
Date - To be announced
Location - Orange Beach Marina
Mobile Big Game Fishing Club's Gulf Coast Masters fishing tournament and events.
S'mores on the Shore
Date - To be announced
Location - Gulf Place
S'mores on the Shore takes place at Gulf Place with campfires, s'mores, and music! This family friendly event includes a free smores packet, live DJ, Balloon artist, face painting, and more!
Pirates and Princess Adventure at The Hangout Gulf Shores
Dates - To be announced
Location - The Hangout Gulf Shores
Enjoy an all-you-can-eat breakfast dance party at The Hangout’s World-Famous Pirates and Princesses Live Adventure Show.
All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast includes a platter of Biscuits & Gravy, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, & Breakfast Potatoes.
Make sure to make a reservation to guarantee you have a seat at this fun breakfast adventure.
Aloha Summer Kickoff at OWA
Dates - To be announced
Location - OWA Parks & Resort, Foley
Enjoy live music, kid's activities, fireworks, and more to kick off summer!
Saturday night there will be a fireworks show at 8:50 pm.
LuLuPalooza
Date - To be announced
Location - LuLu's Gulf Shores
Kick off summer with live music all day at LuLu's in Gulf Shores!
Radical Raptors of Gulf State Park
Date - To be announced
Location - Gulf State Park Nature Center
Learn about the silent birds of prey including hawks and owls! Great for all ages!
Slice of Summer Event at The Wharf
Date - To be announced
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 camel, get your face painted, and play in the glow bubbles from the official Bubble Truck.
FREE admission + parking; Camel rides + face painting: $10
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
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 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.
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.
Additional May Events along the Gulf Coast
Blue Angels Practice
Dates - To be announced
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 visit the National Naval Aviation Museum after practice.
May Things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
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 May
The weather in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach continues to warm up in May.
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach enjoy amazing Spring and early summer weather in May with temperatures ranging from 70 degrees to 85 degrees.
Daylight hours increase in May with the shortest day of the month is May 1, with 13 hours, 22 minutes of daylight and the longest day is May 31, with 13 hours, 58 minutes of daylight.
The earliest sunset is 7:28 PM on May 1, and the latest sunset is 19 minutes later at 7:47 PM on May 31.
The latest sunrise of the month in Gulf Shores is 6:07 AM on May 1 and the earliest sunrise is 17 minutes earlier at 5:49 AM on May 31.
Water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico continue to rise by 7 degrees. Going from 73°F to 80°F, over the course of the month.
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
Top breakfast restaurants in Gulf Shores - The best places to grab breakfast in Gulf Shores.
Donut Shops in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach - The best places to grab a doughnut!
Coffee Shops in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach - The best places to grab a cup of coffee, lattes, or tea in town.
Best Pizza in Gulf Shores - Check out all of the epic pizza in Gulf Shores.
Great Bars in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach - the best bars in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, that we think have great drinks, a fun atmosphere, and live music.
Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Restaurants on the Beach - All of the epic places you can enjoy a meal with a gorgeous view!
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.
Leave a Reply