Sept. 28 - Oct. 3, Pensacola Beach, FL
Don't miss this opportunity to hear the songs as they were written and performed by the songwriters themselves in their purest form. Get the stories behind the songs as you enjoy beautiful Pensacola Beach in the fall. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal to the music you know and love. More than 80 songwriters will perform on 18 stages. www.pensacolabeachsongfest.com
NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis
Sept. 30, Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA
In the spirit of the CAC's "Dew Drop Inn Revisited" shows in the early 80s, Ellis Marsalis and his band will perform and many special musical guests will sit in throughout the evening. www.cacno.org
3rd Annual MustangFest See our story on MustangFest in Port Aransas, TX
Sept. 30 - Oct. 2, Port Aransas, TX
From Mustang, Oklahoma to Mustang Island, Texas! Get ready for round-up time! This fall, Mustang owners will "Take Another Road", as Jimmy Buffett says, and take their ponies to the shore. It's MustangFest. Proud possessors of America's car, the Ford Mustang, will gather in Mustang, Oklahoma and ride south to Port Aransas, Texas for a weekend of fun and muscle car fellowship. www.mustangfest.org
33rd Annual Destin Seafood Festival See our story on Destin, FL - here.
Sept. 30 - Oct. 2, Destin Harbor, Destin, FL
Delicious seafood, arts and crafts, family fun and lots of music along the harbor in Destin! Running concurrently with the Destin Fishing Rodeo, the Festival will light up the harborfront. There will be 15 stages total along Destin Harbor that will feature, in addition to the great local entertainment, 15 songwriters from Nashville performing throughout the festival courtesy of BMI and FRLA (Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association). There will be 2 main-stages - HarborWalk Village main-stage located in HarborWalk Village and Fisherman's Wharf main-stage located by Dewey Destin Harborside and Fisherman's Wharf Seafood House. The rest of the stages will be located inside of restaurants along the harbor. Free Admission. www.destinseafoodfestival.org
15th Annual Cruisin' the Coast
Oct. 2 - 9, Highway 90 along entire MS Gulf Coast
"Calling ALL car enthusiasts...Cruisin' the Coast is the event for YOU!" Thousands of classic cars converge on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for an entire week of rock 'n' roll, drag races, sock hops, swap meets, headline entertainment, and FUN...all along the Gulf Coast! Car enthusiasts parade their antique, classic, hot rods & custom vehicles up & down Highway 90 with entertainment provided at designated stops in Biloxi, D'Iberville, Gulfport, Long Beach, Bay St. Louis, Ocean Springs & Pascagoula. Since its inception in 1996, Cruisin' the Coast has grown from 374 cars to over 4,000 annually! www.cruisinthecoast.com
6th annual Fort Myers Beach Pirate Fest - Have no Fear, Pirate Fest Draws Near! Old San Carlos Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931, Columbus Day Weekend, Oct. 7, 8, 9 & 10, 2011 The Pirate Fest draws adventurers from far and near to enjoy Columbus weekend activities with historical re-enactments, period correct encampments, black powder demonstrations, Sea Shanties and more. This year's expanded event will include more interactive entertainment and encompasses a larger area, including themed vendors and live performances under the Matanzas Bridge from 1st Street to 3rd Street. Be sure to "troll" under the shaded canopy of the bridge more ...
Tex-Mex Festival on the Bay
Oct. 7 - 9, Downtown Waterfront, Corpus Christi, TX
Bringing the community together in a family friendly atmosphere with the emphasis on the unique culture found in Corpus Christi. The event will be located at the site of the Memorial Coliseum and is expected to see an estimated attendance of around 15,000. This three day event will feature in-water and onshore entertainment. This is not a concert and this is not a carnival, it is a family oriented festival and events will reflect that. In-water event plans include tri-hull powerboat racing off the seawall, paddleboard racing, and the "Battle of the Badges", which pits "hometown heroes" from the Corpus Christi Police, Fire and Coast Guard against each other for bragging rights in a series of fun in-water competitions. Onshore events will include a variety of South Texas Country and Tejano bands, plus a BBQ and Chili Cook-Off, a display of Baja off-road race trucks, plenty of local arts and crafts, a classic car display and vendors selling a wide selection of products and services. 561-842-8808.
17th Annual BayFest Music Festival
Oct. 7 - 9, Downtown, Mobile, AL
More than 225,000 people are expected to jam the streets of Mobile to hear more than 125 live musical acts on nine stages. BayFest offers continuous performances for every taste, including country, classic and modern rock, alternative, pop, jazz, R&B, rap and gospel. One of the festival stages, the Launching Pad, will spotlight local and regional talent. The event also includes a fun and popular family activity area. Lineup includes Blake Shelton, Ludacris, Korn, 3 Doors Down, and Toby Keith. www.bayfest.com
40th Annual National Shrimp Festival
Oct. 13-16, Main Public Beach, Gulf Shores, AL
Savor fresh from the gulf seafood at the 40th Annual National Shrimp Festival during this four-day event that attracts over 300,000 people. Peruse through the wares of 300-plus vendors showcasing their fine art and crafts, and kick back to the continuous tunes from the two musical stages that will feature major National Recording artists as well as local favorites. Little ones will love the Children's Activity Village. Admission: Free to public. www.nationalshrimpfestival.com
Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival
Oct 14 - 16, Lafayette Square Park, 530 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA
Shreveport guitar shredder Kenny Wayne Shepherd, legendary soul singer Bettye LaVette, R&B soul man Mel Waiters, Louisiana blues activist Tab Benoit, honky tonk piano queen Marcia Ball, sacred steel heroes The Campbell Brothers, roots supergroup the South Memphis String Band and Mississippi blues original Super Chikan are among the headline performers at the 2011 Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival. Friday, Oct: 14: 5:30-7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 15 & Sunday, Oct. 16: 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Admission: Free! www.jazzandheritage.org/blues-fest
5th Annual Port Aransas Art Walk - AKA - PA ARTABOUT
Oct. 15 4-8 pm, Port Aransas, TX
This art walk is planned to encourage and promote art and culture and let everyone know Port A is Port Arty! Starting in Old Town and winding out HWY 361, this is a self guided tour - start your tour at any point and follow the map, which will be available at all locations. This is a great opportunity to get out and walk, bike, or take a cart, and learn more about the art culture in this community. These 15 different venues are all free and open to the public, meet a variety of folks, mingle, have refreshments at each location and meet others who share a passion for art, or encourage a friend or neighbor more ...
14th annual ARToberFEST
Oct. 15-16, Downtown, Galveston, TX
Thousands gather amid the relaxing charm of historic downtown Galveston for this weekend of exquisite art each year. This juried fine arts festival will feature over 125 artists with a wide array of original works, as well as music and food, all in the great outdoors. But this event isn't just about beautiful pieces of art. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the AIDS Coalition of Coastal Texas and the Galveston Island Humane Society. The festival also offers booth space to student artists at no charge, allowing them to gain experience in marketing and selling their works. www.artoberfest.com
11th Annual Wavefest (New Gulf Coast Parrothead and Trop Rock Column - here)
Oct. 15, Garfield Ladner Municipal Pier, Beach Blvd & Coleman Ave, Waveland, MS
Arrrgh Matey! Calling all Parrot Heads and Jamaican rumrunners come join in the FUN for this family festival! This year's theme is "The Pirates of the Mississippi Sound" and features the Caribbean sounds of regional Tropical Rock, Parrot Head, and island rhythm bands from along the Coconut Telegraph line from Florida to New Orleans - live music all day! Enjoy a Caribbean flavored menu as you stroll among the many food vendors, arts & crafts and business booths, and do not forget to enter the contest for the best pirate costume, along with a children's treasure hunt. It is all about the Music, the Sand, and the Sea! Ahoy! Come aboard, put on those flip-flops, grab that shaker of salt, board your galleon, batten down the hatches, and weigh anchor for a voyage that will shiver your timbers with joy until the sun returns to the sea! 11am-8pm. Admission: Free! 228-467-0855
Texas may be in the throes of a record drought, but that hasn't stopped a Rainforest from springing up! Rising ten stories above the beach at Moody Gardens resort complex is the new, $25 million Rainforest Pyramid, a tropical oasis with over 1,000 species of exotic plants and animals from rainforests all over the world. The glassed in Pyramid is a marvel of engineering. It allows in the tropical sunlight and contains the moisture that powers the rainforest while keeping things nice and cool for visitors as they explore the numerous exhibits.