Ahhh, October on the Gulf Coast…
The sky turns pink at sunrise and sunset
and the sun sparkles on the water like no other time of year
It’s also the time for the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama source
You never know what you’ll see source
This event started 43 years ago as a simple food event honoring Alabama gulf shrimp source
Now it is a showcase for arts, crafts, and food that attracts over 250,000 visitors source
Music is the highlight for many, and bands play from morning to night source
Charities and other local causes are well represented
The pink pick-up catches everyone’s attention for breast cancer awareness
HH and I arrived early last Friday, hoping to beat the crowds, and the place was already abuzz with activity
Lots of healthy, nutritious food 😮 Deep fried Oreos, really?
HH vowed to try Alligator on a Stick…he says this every year
But when we stepped up to the booth, he couldn’t do it…we both looked at each other and shook our heads…
That’s it, front and center, huge hunks of grilled meat on skewers…they say it tastes just like chicken…
The ice trucks were busy, it was already 85 degrees at 10:30am, the sun was bright and beer was flowing
A Crustacean Celebration!
There were tons of T shirts and silly souvenirs to browse
Bama was well represented
Just about any food you can think of was there for the asking
This “tablescape” was pretty rough, but I loved the pirate sign~
“I’m on a Captain Morgan [rum] diet and so far I’ve lost three days!
Obviously shrimp are a big part of the festival bearing their name
An artist’s interpretation of shrimp cocktails~ looks like a rollicking good time!
This is a photo of a winning dish in the restaurant chef cooking competition source
Last year’s winner of the sand castle competition source
We didn’t stay too long, as it was HOT, we headed back to catch a swim and the porch breeze
I do love fall and cooler weather, but winter not so much…so I am holding on to my summer memories to keep me warm this winter!
I have a feeling you might be craving shrimp by now, so if you want a great and simple shrimp recipe for anytime of year, see New Orleans BBQ Shrimp here~
See this recipe from local chef Brody Olive, Grilled Shrimp Tapenade Crostini click here source
For a tutorial on how to paint shrimp, Shrimp Bucket click here
Thanks so much for soaking up some local color with me!
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I will be joining the fabulous parties and blogs on my side bar and: