Find Good Food and Live Music on the Gulf in October

September is wrapping up and October is right around the corner—a wonderful time of year on the Gulf! With this time of year being so close at hand, it’s time to start thinking about one of the biggest Gulf Shores & Orange Beach events of the year: the National Shrimp Festival (October 11th-14th).

This popular event brings four days of fine art and crafts vendors, live music, and lots of fresh Gulf seafood. It also inspires several of the area’s sports events—such as the Shrimp Fest Volleyball Invitational and the Shrimp Fest 10K Run. It’s definitely not an event to be missed.

But, of course, not everyone will be able to attend, and if you find that you simply can’t make it to the Shrimp Fest weekend, no worries—it’s still possible to enjoy the good food and music that Gulf Shores & Orange Beach has to offer. The area is home to a variety of restaurants serving delicious seafood, and live concerts are a common part of the local nightlife. Or you can find it all in one place by visiting a Gulf restaurant like Tacky Jacks—a Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission sponsor.

This is an excellent restaurant choice if you’re looking for a good variety of seafood to enjoy from a water-front view. You’ll also find plenty of entertainment: live music, karaoke, and bingo are some of the regularly scheduled events at Tacky Jacks. And with three locations in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, it’s easy to find something fun scheduled almost nightly.

Ride for a Good Cause, Then Head for the Pool

You’ve just finished 150 miles of bike riding over the course of two days. What’s the first thing you want to do to recover? If you’re staying at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Orange Beach (a sponsor of the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission), you might head straight for a refreshing dip in this Gulf-front hotel’s pool.

After all, it’s this very hotel you’ll end up at (as well as start from) if you participate in the upcoming MS Ride-Tour de Beach, taking place September 22nd and 23rd. This event is an excellent opportunity to both challenge your cycling skills and raise money for a good cause (working toward ridding the world of MS). Plus it’s a chance to ride along scenic roads and communities in Alabama’s Gulf Coast region.

And since this event begins and ends at the Hampton Inn & Suites Orange Beach, you might consider booking a room there. In addition to the hotel pool, you’ll have access to the private white-sand beach and a modern fitness center (if the bike ride isn’t enough of a workout!). The Hampton Inn also offers a free hot breakfast with every stay.

Guests also have the option of staying in a spacious hotel suite, complete with a private balcony, separate living area, and a microwave and refrigerator.

If bike riding isn’t the sport for you, no worries—plenty of other sports events are taking place in September alone, including softball, soccer, volleyball, and tennis tournaments. Just visit the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission website for more information. Then plan to come down and watch!