Gulf Shores Shrimp Festival drives boost in Baldwin County tourism

GULF SHORES, Ala ( WKRG ) — The 51st annual Shrimp Festival is right around the corner and vendors and event organizers are getting ready for what officials say is one of the busiest weekends in Gulf Shores.

The Shrimp Festival brings hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the country down to the coast every year.

“This is going to be our busiest weekend of the fall for sure,” Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism Public Relations Specialist, Easton Colvin said.

City officials explained that the Shrimp Festival is extremely beneficial for the city’s economy after peak beach tourism season.

“It’s a celebration of something that comes from our waters and really supports our local economy as well, all the way from the restaurants down to the guys out there fishing for them,” Colvin said.

Colvin said that despite lodging rates being up compared to last year, they’re expecting last-minute bookings before the festival begins.

Paul Luczynski told News 5 that he has been a vendor at the Shrimp Festival since the festival first started. He said with Hurricane Milton inching closer to shore in Florida, he thinks the festival will be busier than ever with people evacuating.

“Coming down I-10 it was bumper to bumper heading away from Clearwater and Tampa area,” Luczynski said. “I expect huge turnouts here at the National Shrimp Festival.”

The festival kicks off Thursday and it’ll be in town through Sunday with free admission to the festival grounds.

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