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Following is a list of select schools and dates for the 2017 Spring Break season... 
 

Perdido Key Wine FestivalFebruary 21, 2017 - Perdido Key, FL (PKF) - The 8th annual Perdido Key Wine & Art Festival will be held at Villagio Town Center (13700 Perdido Key Drive) April 21-23, 2017. The festival is being co-produced by Perdido Key Events and its original host the Perdido Key Area Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored in part by The Meridian & Vista Del Mar. Guests will have the chance to taste a variety of wines from different regions while enjoying local cuisine, music and arts.
 
On both Friday and Saturday nights, April 21st and 22nd, from 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, we are bringing back the ever-popular “Taste of Perdido” for those wishing to enjoy a signature dish from local restaurants paired with an ideal wine. This classic Perdido event has sold out the past few years and by popular demand, a second night has been added. We anticipate having 6-8 local restaurants each night.

While any day is a good day to go to the beach, the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach is offering a great excuse to visit Pleasure Island in March — the 43rd annual Orange Beach Festival of Art is set for March 11 and 12. The festival will feature 100 booths of local and regional fine art, plus exciting acts on the Performing Arts and Music stages. Festival goers may also enjoy live visual arts demonstrations including hot glass and clay. They will also be able to savor tasty offerings from the Culinary Arts area and dive into fun hands-on experiences in the Kids Art Alley.

The festival is a fine arts, juried event held every second weekend in March on the joint grounds of the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach and Waterfront Park on Canal Road. Festival hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival is completely free with public parking located at the Event Center at The Wharf. Shuttle service provided by BRATS with an all day pass for $5. Bike riders can park at the Bicycle Village on the Arts Center grounds.

Orange Beach Seafood FestivalFebruary 14, 2017 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - The 2017 Orange Beach Seafood Festival is shaping up to be the biggest and best ever! Last year’s event saw a record crowd of around 15,000 people.
 
The Main Street at The Wharf location offers the perfect venue for the festival. Unlimited parking and access, space for a large Car Show and a great area for the Kids Zone have meant the festival can offer more for visitors to enjoy. Lee Rogers, Sports Association President noted, “we’ll have over 90 arts and crafts vendors, an expanded Car Show, eight food booths and entertainment from of our areas best performers...David Jones at 9:30 am, The Voice finalist Shelby Brown at 11:45 am, followed by Savannah Litton at 1:30 pm. There’s truly something for everyone”.

February 7, 2017 - Foley, AL (FA) – The 13th Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival presented by Tanger Outlets is set for May 5-6 in Foley, Alabama, and volunteers are needed. For many, the festival brings thoughts of brightly colored balloons gracing the skies, but the event also boasts a variety of other activities. The world-famous Disc-Connected K9’s Frisbee Dog Show is a festival favorite, and is back and better than ever. Watch the American Daredevil, Bubba Blackwell, perform death-defying feats during one of his much-anticipated motorcycle stunt shows. Live music will fill the stage at night, and the kids will be entertained with carnival rides such as The Zipper during the day.

February 2, 2017 - Gulf State Park (GSP) - A prescribed burn is planned in two locations within Gulf State Park between February 1 and March 10, 2017 – weather permitting. The prescribed burn is part of a forest management plan associated with longleaf pine restoration, wildfire fuel reduction and invasive species control.
 
The burn sites include 84 acres on the park’s east boundary and 40 acres north of the campground. The larger zone is part of an area managed for pitcher plants and remnant longleaf pine.

Foley Archery Pro/AMFebruary 1, 2017 - Foley, AL (FA) - This month thousands from all over the country will be descending on Foley, Alabama for the Hoyt Archery Pro/Am. A stop on the McKenzie Archery Shooters Association (ASA) Pro/Am Tour, the competition will likely bring more than 2,000 participants with an economic impact of more than a million dollars.
 
Thousands of participants, sponsors, spectators and supporters, are expected to head to Foley for the tournament running February 16- 19. Foley Sports Tourism, in partnership with the Graham Creek Nature Preserve, will have 14 competitive ranges, a practice range, and a known distance range to accommodate an event list that includes pro and novice competitions, team shoots and coaching clinics. Mike Tyrell, President of the ASA, said they are expecting an even larger turnout than last year’s 1,950 participants and the area can experience more than a million dollars in economic impact.

January 31, 2017 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - A structure fire broke out this morning around 5:22 am at the Orange Beach Baptist Church. Fire crews from Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Foley and Escambia County Florida are on the scene. 
 
While Canal Road is open, traffic is backed up. Expect about an hour delay if you're traveling on Canal Road.  
 

Boating Safety Course Orange BeachJanuary 26, 2017 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - Flotilla 3-10 of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary will present five (5) “About Boating Safely” classes at the Orange Beach Community Center this year. The course will be offered March 25th, April 22nd, May 13th, June 10th, and August 5th . The course will be 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Upon completion of this 8 hour boat safety course you will receive a boating safety education certificate that satisfies the Alabama and adjacent state’s requirements for a boating license. The course provides instruction in types of boats, boating law, boat safety equipment, boat handling, and navigation. The course is open to ages 12 and above at a cost of $35.00 per student or $50.00 for two family members sharing a book. The cost includes a textbook, instructional materials, and lunch.

Shrimp Fest 2014January 24, 2017 - Gulf Shores, AL (GSA) - The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber is now accepting poster designs for the 46th Annual National Shrimp Festival.
 
This contest is an tradition and the winning artist receives a cash award of $1,000. The poster becomes the property of the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber and is used as the official artwork for the 46th Annual National Shrimp Festival merchandise at the event.
 
Artwork submitted must incorporate certain themes in order to be eligible for judging. Artwork criteria and contest rules may be found at the Shrimp Festival's official website at www.myshrimpfest.com. Entries must be submitted to the Chamber office at 3150 Gulf Shores Parkway, Gulf Shores, AL 36542.
 
Deadline to submit artwork is Monday, March 6, 2017.

Journey in Orange BeachJanuary 23, 2017 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - Journey has set a concert in Orange Beach at the The Wharf Amphitheater on July 6th, performing all their classic hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Faithfully,” “Wheel In The Sky,” “Separate Ways,” and more. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, January 27th at 10am CST.

Journey VIP Packages will be available, including premium seats, exclusive merchandise and more. For more information, visit www.journeymusic.com.

Christina Christian Debut AlbumJanuary 16, 2017 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - Christina Christian along with her producer, Justin Sable Fobes are proud to present Christina’s Single Release “Quirky Little Thing” campaign party on Friday, February 10th from 8:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M. The “Silent Sea” Pre-Order Campaign Party takes place at The Hot Spot Music and Grub located at the Wharf in Orange Beach, AL at 4780 Wharf Parkway.

Americana/Country Artist, singer, songwriter Christina Christian and veteran Gulf Coast musicians join together on “Silent Sea” to produce ballads, a witty song about modern life, a sweet melody on mandolin and guitar, a jazzy R&B number, and then reaches deep for a soulful expression of values in a troubled world. She tops it all with her new single “Quirky Little Thing”. Christina’s all original and skillfully developed sounds blend into a seamless flow of powerful lyrics and modern but traditional sounds. Her debut album “Silent Sea” is due out this Spring of 2017. One fan said, “It's music from the heart that hits you right between the eyes.”

eCycling event at Gulf State Park PavilionJanuary 16, 2017 Gulf Shores, AL - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber is pleased to announce our annual free electronic recycling event to be held on Saturday, January 21, 2017 from 8:00 am - Noon in the Alabama State Park Pavilion parking lot. The Conservation & Natural Resources Council, the City of Gulf Shores, and the City of Orange Beach work together each year to accept electronics and documents for paper shredding.

City of Orange BeachJanuary 11, 2017 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - The City of Orange Beach will be closing Highway 182 (Perdido Beach Boulevard) within the city limits of Orange Beach, Alabama to vehicular traffic on Friday, February 24, 2017, and Saturday, February 25, 2017, from as early as 5:00 P.M. until as late as 8:30 P.M. and again on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, from as early as 1:30 P.M. until as late as 4:00 P.M. for Mardi Gras parades.
 
For further information call City Hall at 251-981-6979 or visit www.cityoforangebeach.com.

by The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber
 
January 10, 2016 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - The Coastal Alabama Business Chamber recently presented its Island Spirit Award for December 2016 to Linda Shelby of the Beach Express.
 
Megan Smith, VP of Business Development for the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber, cited Shelby's dedication to her job and the Coastal Alabama area. The person who nominated Ms. Shelby had this to say about her, "She is a ray of sunshine!

Orange Beach Mardi Grasby Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

 

January 10, 2017 - Orange Beach, AL -(OBA) - Mardi Gras parades kick off event lineup from February through May

Mardi Gras, which originated across Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama, takes on a family-friendly vibe in Alabama’s beach destination as the Carnival season kicks off a dynamic spring event lineup. The following major events take place in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach from late February through May 2017:

 

Mystical Order of Mirams Mardi Gras Parade

Date: Feb. 24

Time: 6:30 p.m.

Location: Orange Beach; begins on Perdido Beach Boulevard at Wintzell’s Oyster House (24131 Perdido Beach Blvd.) and ends at Highway 161

 

Mystics of Pleasure Mardi Gras Parade

Date: Feb. 25

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Orange Beach; begins at Wintzell’s Oyster House (24131 Perdido Beach Blvd.) and ends at Perdido Dunes (27070 Perdido Beach Blvd.)

Coast Guard Rescues Two People Near Fort MorganJanuary 7, 2017 - Fort Morgan, AL (FMA) - The Coast Guard rescued two people from a vessel taking on water approximately 2 miles offshore Fort Morgan, Alabama, Friday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report at approximately 10:20 p.m. that a 24-foot pleasure craft with two people on board was taking on water approximately 2 miles offshore Fort Morgan.

New Gulf Shores HotelJanuary 6, 2017 - Gulf Shores, AL (GSA) - The City of Gulf Shores announced today that it has joined with a private development partner to apply to team with an international hotel brand to construct a 240-room full service hotel, spa and meeting facility on city-owned property located at the corner of West Beach Boulevard and West 1st Street.  

If approved, the hotel will serve as an anchor on the two acre site for a proposed mixed-use development that will include a restaurant, street level retail and a third floor pool deck overlooking the public beach.  The estimated $80 million project is being proposed by a development team led by Birmingham-based developer Ron Durham and architect Mack McKinney in response to a Request for Proposals issued by the City in the spring of 2015.

Wind damage at the WharfJanuary 3, 2016 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - Below is the information statement from the National Weater Service in Mobile for yesterday's storms. 
 
Public Information Statement from National Weather Service Mobile AL
416 PM CST Tue Jan 3 2017 NWS Damage Survey For the 01/02/17 Gulf Shores Alabama Thunderstorm Wind Event...
 
OVERVIEW: The National Weather Service in Mobile conducted a survey of the damage in Gulf Shores produced by a severe thunderstorm on the afternoon of January 2nd, 2017. The survey focused on the area of greatest damage south of Fort Morgan Road along the Highway 59 corridor south to Highway 182. Below is detailed information regarding the area surveyed.
 
Gulf Shores Thunderstorm Wind Event...
Peak Wind: 70-80 mph
Path Length /statute/: 1 mile
Path Width /maximum/: 650 yards
Fatalities: 0
Injuries: 1
Start Date: January 2nd, 2017
Start Time: 2:47 pm CST
Start Location: Near intersection of Hwy 59 & Hwy 182
End Date: January 2nd, 2017
End Time: 2:48 pm CST
End Location: Just East of Hwy 59 & South of Hwy 180

Merry Christmas from the OBA Community Website
Christmas Photos from around the Oragne Beach Area (OBA) 

Dollar General donates $5,000 to Gulf Shores ElementaryDecember 1, 2016 - Gulf Shores, AL (GSA) - In recognition of strong support to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, based in Goodlettsville Tennessee, through in-store collections at check-out at Dollar General stores in Gulf Shores, the organization recently awarded $5,000 to Gulf Shores Elementary to support the school’s literacy and education efforts. 
 
“We are proud to support Gulf Shores Elementary School’s literacy initiatives,” said Denine Torr, Dollar General’s senior director of community initiatives. “We are grateful for the local community’s support of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and hope this grant has a meaningful impact.”

Rea Schuessler Gulf Shores Golf ProDecember 1, 2016 - Gulf Shores, AL (GSA) - Rea Schuessler was one of thirty-five fellow PGA of America section qualifiers from throughout the United States to advance to the 78th KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship to be held May 25-28, 2017 at Trump National Golf Club, Washington D.C., in Potomac Falls, VA.  Founded in 1937, the prestigious Senior PGA Championship is the most historic major championship in senior golf with a list of winners including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gene Sarazen, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Hale Irwin, Gary Player, and Sam Snead.  Schuessler will be one of only 156 players from throughout the country competing for the infamous Albert S. Bourne Trophy and title of 2017 Senior PGA Champion. The tournament will consist of four rounds of stroke play with the first two broadcast on the Golf Channel and the final two championship rounds aired on NBC.   Specific air times will be determined as the event draws closer with tee times generally running from early morning through mid-afternoon.

Elf The MusicalNovember 29, 2016 - Gulf Shores, AL (GSA) - The South Baldwin Community Theatre in Gulf Shores will present Elf The Musical Dec. 2- 3 & Dec. 9-10 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 4 & Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. The play is the first of three Young Artist Series (YAS) plays for the 2016-2017 season, and the director is Jan Hinnen. Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole.
 
The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth.

Flora-Bama Polar Bear DipNovember 22, 2016- Perdido Key, FL (PKF) - The Flora-Bama might be the place you think about for fun in the sun — swimming in the salty Gulf, basking in warm rays, feeling the sand slip between your toes and sipping on their famous Bushwackers, but the Southern landmark offers plenty of cold-weather events to keep your calendar, and your Christmas season filled with joy.
 
THANKSGIVING POTLUCK - The first event of autumn is the Thanksgiving Potluck at 1pm to 3pm in the Flora-Bama tent on Thursday, Nov. 24. The Flora-Bama Yacht Club will provide delicious turkey and ham while guests are asked to come early and bring side dishes and desserts.

Benefit Concert at the Orange Beach Event CenterNovember 21, 2016 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - A benefit concert and live auction will be held in the Orange Beach Event Center at The Wharf, Orange Beach on Feb. 16, 2017.  All proceeds go towards completing construction of Melissa's Place, an orphanage being built in Haiti for girls 5 to 16 years old.  In addition to the music of The Coachmen, and Wojamm travelling here for this event, Gulf Coast locals Lisa Christian, Mac Walter and Shelby Brown (recently seen on The Voice) will perform for the event.  

US Japan RelationsNovember 15, 2016 – Pensacola NAS -  Honoring past and present service members, families and government civilians who have served in Japan, the second annual Japan U.S. Military Program (JUMP) event held recently at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola celebrated the solid alliance between the U.S. and Japan.
 
The event was sponsored by the Consulate General of Japan in Miami along with Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, the National Association of Japan-America Societies, the Santa Rosa County Economic Development Council and the Japan-America Society of Northwest Florida. 

November 7, 2016 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - Sandy Shores Village in Orange BeachSandy Shores Village Luxury Apartments, Orange Beach recently held 2 Official Ribbon Cuttings last month, with the Perdido Key Area Chamber and the Coastal Alabama Chamber. Opening their doors just a few short months ago, Sandy Shores Village offers luxury apartment living just minutes from the beautiful white sandy beaches in Orange Beach, Alabama.

OWA LogoThe complex is projected to bring 1 million new visitors to Alabama a year and features an amusement park, a Marriott Hotel and is in close proximity to the new Foley Sports Complex.

November 2, 2016 - Foley, AL (FA) - The Poarch Band of Creek Indians today unveiled detailed plans for its first-class, family-friendly tourist destination currently under construction near Alabama's most popular beaches.

The development's name, Owa, means "big water" in the Muscogee Creek language. Owa "big water" refers to the 14-acre lake at the center of the unique project that features a themed amusement park, a 150-room Marriott Town Place Suites hotel, and a wide selection of restaurant and shopping opportunities.  

October 31, 2016 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - Jack Robinson along with the owners of the Flora-Bama shaved their heads Saturday night to benefit Mary's Shelter. Mary's Shelter was founded to address the needs of homeless pregnant women who are experiencing an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy. For more information visit their website.

October 31, 2016 - Orange Beach, AL (OBA) - Photos from the Island Halloween Party held at Luna's Eat & Drink in Cosmo's Courtyard.