Goodness, there are a lot of good events happening this weekend. I hope you are good at making decisions.
Kick off your weekend early with a visit to the Baldwin County Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale and get everything you need to beautify your yard. Friday is for the First Friday Art Walk in Fairhope. Stroll the downtown area, pop into galleries and shops with featured artists and visit the returning exhibits at the Eastern Shore Art Center. Saturday brings the delayed but much anticipated Ballyhoo Festival in Gulf Shores, Mudbugs & Margaritas in Foley, Sandpiper Spring in Summerdale and Discovery Day at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Finally, on Sunday help local organizations give the Fort Morgan peninsula a spring clean during the annual Fort Morgan Cleanup.
If our list missed the mark for you, visit our event calendar at www.GulfCoastMedia.com for more events happening this weekend or beyond. Search for events by distance from your home city or vacation spot.
Baldwin County Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale
- What: Herbs, annuals, perennials and more will be available for purchase at the Baldwin County Master Gardeners plant sale. Don't miss the trash-to-treasure table. For more information, visit www.baldwinmastergardeners.com.
- When: Thursday, April 4 – Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Where: 11404 Hwy. 98, Fairhope (West of Fish River Bridge across from Weeks Bay Reserve)
First Friday Art Walk
- What: The Eastern Shore Art Center (ESAC) will host the First Friday Art Walk in downtown Fairhope. Visitors to the ESAC can enjoy exhibits in the Members' Juried Show featuring the work of local artists. In addition to the Member's Juried Show the Mississippi Art Colony exhibit returns. The Mississippi Art Colony is recognized by the Smithsonian as "the country's oldest artist-run organization of its kind." The traveling works are comprised of work by artists who partake in bi-annual workshops at Lake Tiak-O'khata in Louisville, Mississippi.
- When: Friday, April 5, 6-8 p.m.
- Where: Eastern Shore Art Center, 401 Oak St., Fairhope
- Price: Free to attend
Ballyhoo Festival
- What: The Ballyhoo Festival is a fine arts festival and cultural exchange held annually. The Lake Shelby Picnic Area of Gulf State Park will fill with 120 artists from 15 states, live music, performances by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians and a fiddle and banjo competition. For more information, parking and shuttles, visit www.ballyhoofestival.org.
- When: Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Sunday, April 7, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Where: Gulf State Park Lake Shelby, 20115 State Hwy. 135, Gulf Shores
- Price: Free to attend
Sandpiper Sprint 2024
- What: The first-ever Sandpiper Spring 5K is a race with a purpose. The event supports the Alabama Audubon Coastal Bird Stewardship Program, which provides critical protection and monitoring for the 13 species of birds that depend on Alabama beaches for nesting and raising their chicks. For more information on the event or to register, visit www.alaudubon.org.
- When: Saturday, April 6, 8 – 11 a.m.
- Where: 110 E. Jackson Ave., Summerdale
- Price: Registration prices vary
Mudbugs & Margaritas
- What: Spend a day enjoying live entertainment, drinking margaritas and local craft beer while munching on crawfish. Mudbugs and Margaritas return to Heritage Park in Foley. The festival will have food and arts and crafts vendors and a large children's entertainment area. For more information, a schedule of events or to purchase tickets, visit www.beachlifeevents.com.
- When: Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Where: Heritage Park, 200 N. McKenzie St., Foley
- Price: Admission is $5
Discovery Day
- What: Spend the day exploring scientific laboratories, hands-on science lessons and learning about the coastal ecosystem we live in. For more information, visit www.disl.edu.
- When: Saturday, April 6, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Where: Dauphin Island Sea Lab, 102 Bienville Blvd., Dauphin Island
- Price: Thanks to Airbus admission is half price
Annual Fort Morgan Cleanup
- What: It's time to give the Fort Morgan peninsula a little spring cleaning. Join the Alabama Coastal Foundation, Fort Morgan Civic Association and other local organizations to clean up the beaches and roadside. For more information or to register, visit www.joinacf.org.
- When: Sunday, April 7, 1-4 p.m.
- Where: Fort Morgan Historic Site, 110 AL-180, Gulf Shores
- Price: Free to attend
