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Biloxi Sun Herald
It’s a one in a million Labor Day weekend in South MS, with fun & events, rain or shine
By Mary Perez,
4 hours ago
Labor Day Weekend is the unofficial end of summer and kickoff to fall festivals in South Mississippi, and this year the forecast is for a little rain and a lot of fun.
One lucky person on Saturday will become the one millionth visitor since Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport opened in 2020. That person will be revealed at around 9:45 a.m., during the start of The Changing Tides Festival that celebrates the anniversary of the aquarium and salutes the Coast for its growth since Hurricane Katrina.
“Entertaining and educating one million guests is such an amazing accomplishment and it’s so special that it lined up perfectly with our fourth anniversary,” said Patrick Pearson, vice president of sales and marketing.
The one millionth person will receive an ultimate prize package, and the first 500 people who arrive Saturday will get a free commemorative water bottle.First responders and military personnel will get free aquarium admission through Monday, Sept 2.
First day visitors enjoy the Mississippi Aquarium opening four years ago. On Saturday, the one millionth visitor will go through the doors to see the dolphins, penguins and other aquatic life.
While the sun is shining, South Mississippi has fishing, golf, boating, waterparks, go-karts and ziplines to try.
The weather forecast is for rain part of the weekend, so the shops and indoor attractions also will be busy offering locals and visitors fun reasons to get out of the house and hotel rooms.
Boats, trains, rockets and planes
Rain or shine, Coast attractions will educate and entertain those who live in South Mississippi and those who’ve come for a visit. Here’s a sample:
Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi, (Open Monday-Saturday 9-4:30, Sunday Noon-4), tells the story of the days when Biloxi was known as “the seafood capital of the world.”
TrainTastic, the worlds largest model train museum, offers family fun in Gulfport. Hannah Ruhoff/Sun Herald
TrainTastic in Gulfport (Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Open Labor Day) is fun for generations who rode the rails or played with trains and Legos.
Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum is just down the street from Traintastic in Gulfport (Open Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 12:30-5 p.m.), and delights visitors with the tales of the Brown Condor and other adventures
A father and son point to the rockets that await inside Infinity Science Center in Hancock County. The center has many Apollo displays, including the Apollo 4 capsule, the massive Saturn V rocket and Biloxi astronaut Fred Haise’s spacesuit from Apollo 13. Mary Perez/meperez@sunherald.com
Infinity Science Center at Exit 2 of I-10 in Hancock County (Open Thursday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.) shows adults and kids South Mississippi’s part in the race to the race to the moon and now beyond.
Lynn Meadows Discovery Center in Gulfport (Open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-5) delights small kids with hands-on fun.
Riders react as they ride the Puddle Jumper ride at Paradise Pier amusement park at Margaritaville Resort Biloxi. Hannah Ruhoff/hruhoff@sunherald.com
Other ideas for daytime, nighttime and rainy day fun in South Mississippi are trampoline parks, roller skating, movies and bowling. If rain chases kids from the rides at Paradise Pier Amusement Park at Margaritaville Resort Biloxi, they can Escape inside the video arcade with with games, a climbing wall and other fun.
Adults can go wine tasting or beer sampling at one of the Coast breweries before heading to the casinos, concerts and other nightlife.
Here are the highlights for Labor Day Weekend:
Weekend Events
Friday-Sunday — Gulfport Dragway , King of the Coast Bracket Series racing. The following weekend is Gulfport Dragway’s Inaugural No Prep September Showdown Sept. 6-7.
Nightly thru Sept. 1 — Biloxi Shuckers vs. Montgomery Biscuits Minor League Baseball game at Keesler Federal Park, 105 Caillavet St., Biloxi. Fireworks after the game Friday night. Tickets start at $15
Aug. 30-Sept. 1 — Booker Music Fest at 100 Men Hall, 303 Union St., Bay St. Louis. 6p.m. Tickets start at $30.
Friday
Friday at the Fort , 499 Front Beach, Ocean Springs, 6-9 p.m. Music, food trucks, craft vendors at the beach. Free admission.
Blue Mother Tupelo entertains starting at 6 p.m. at The Shed Barbecue & Blues Joint, 7501 Highway 57, Ocean Springs. Free admission
Sam Forshey Blues Band at Ground Zero Blues Club, 814 Howard Ave., Biloxi, 7-10 p.m. Tickets start at $17.50.
Sunday
Tequila Sundays Pool Party at Hard Rock Casino Biloxi, for ages 21 and older. Noon-7 p.m. Admission $30, or free to hotel guests.
Margaritaville Night at the Park . Biloxi Shuckers will honor Coast native Jimmy Buffett with custom jerseys with a Biloxi twist, Margaritas and Buffet-inspired food, happy hour and music. First pitch at 5:05 p..m. at Keesler Federal Park, Biloxi.
Coastal Mississippi website lists more events this weekend and into the fall.
Save these dates
Labor Day kicks off the fall festival season in South Mississippi. Here are the dates for the big upcoming events:
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