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Events Calendar

3nd Annual Baldwin County Veterans Appreciation Day

11/21/2009

The celebration will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the opening of historical war exhibits, re-enactments and 1940s Big Band Music by Bob Jennings and The Classics. A special Korean War Veterans recognition ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. to honor the brave men and women who served abroad and at home during the Korean War. This part of the celebration will close at 4:00 p.m. The Coliseum doors will reopen to begin seating at 6:00 p.m. for the United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note Concert that will begin at 7:00 p.m. (Seating is not reserved - first come, first seated). The Airmen of Note is one of eight performing units of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., and is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. Originally created in 1950 to carry on the tradition of Glenn Miller’s Army Air Corps dance band, the Airmen of Note is one of today’s few touring big bands, and has attracted 18 of the finest musicians in the country, As a result, it has earned an international reputation as one of the finest and most versatile big bands of its kind in the world. All events throughout the day are FREE to the public.

3rd Annual Baldwin County Veterans Appreciation Day

11/21/2009

The celebration will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the opening of historical war exhibits, re-enactments and 1940s Big Band Music by Bob Jennings and The Classics. A special Korean War Veterans recognition ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. to honor the brave men and women who served abroad and at home during the Korean War. This part of the celebration will close at 4:00 p.m. The Coliseum doors will reopen to begin seating at 6:00 p.m. for the United States Air Force Band Airmen of Note Concert that will begin at 7:00 p.m. (Seating is not reserved - first come, first seated). The Airmen of Note is one of eight performing units of the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C., and is the premier jazz ensemble of the United States Air Force. Originally created in 1950 to carry on the tradition of Glenn Miller’s Army Air Corps dance band, the Airmen of Note is one of today’s few touring big bands, and has attracted 18 of the finest musicians in the country, As a result, it has earned an international reputation as one of the finest and most versatile big bands of its kind in the world. All events throughout the day are FREE to the public.

Digital Photography Workshop

11/21/2009

9:00 AM to 3:00 PM This workshop is for experienced photographers with digital SLR cameras. There will be a lecture, discussion and lots of time to take photos throughout the Gardens while the Mums are at their peak! Reservations required, call 251.973.2217. Class size is limited … so please call early.

Lighting of the Island Christmas Tree at The Wharf

11/21/2009

6:00 p.m. Merchants at The Wharf will have holiday activities and sales all day. The Christmas Tree on Main Street The Wharf Orange Beach, AL FREE pictures with Santa from 7-9pm, following the lighting.

Free Area Activities & Events

Beaches

  • Cotton Bayou (Orange Beach)
  • Florida Point (Orange Beach)
  • Gulf Shores Public Beach (Gulf Shores) – Note: A small parking fee is charged.
  • Gulf Shores 2nd Street Public Access (Gulf Shores)
  • Gulf Shores 4th Street Public Access (Gulf Shores)
  • Gulf Shores 5th & 6th Street Public Access (Gulf Shores)
  • Gulf Shores 13th Street Public Access (Gulf Shores)
  • Lagoon Park (Gulf Shores)
  • Romar Beach (Orange Beach)

Birding

Boat Launches

  • Boggy Point Launch (end of Marina Road, east off Hwy. 161, Orange Beach)
  • Canal Park Boat Launch (West Canal Road, Gulf Shores)
  • Canoe Trails (10 designated trails in Orange Beach)
  • Cotton Bayou Launch (intersection of Hwy. 161 & Hwy. 182, Orange Beach)
  • Fort Morgan (51 Hwy. 180 West, Gulf Shores)
  • Mo's Landing (17595 Fort Morgan Road, Gulf Shores)

Festivals & Events

Miscellaneous

  • Battle of Mobile Bay Civil War Trail stretches from the Gulf of Mexico over 90 miles to north Mobile County and documents the military movements and way of life from 1864 to 1865. A series of interpretive signs are available at over a dozen locations chronicling the historic events.
  • Blue Angels, the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, are based at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola and can be viewed at practice on weekdays throughout the year. In July they perform at Pensacola Beach and in November their homecoming show is at the Naval Air Station.
  • Sweet Home Cheese Farm in Elberta is a family-owned working dairy producing over 15 varieties of naturally aged cheese with no preservatives.

Museums

  • Baldwin County Heritage Museum in Elberta resembles turn-of-the-century barns with a working windmill and several outdoor agricultural exhibits and indoor exhibits designed to preserve the area's rural heritage.
  • City of Foley Museum Archives represents the 1950s era when the rail lines were in transition from steam to diesel fuel.
  • Gulf Shores Museum features a video entitled Hurricane Hunters and exhibits including Fishing the Lagoon: A Way of Life.
  • Historic Fort Conde in Mobile is a partially reconstructed 1724-1735 French fort featuring workable reproductions of 1740s naval cannons and muskets.
  • Holmes Medical Museum in Foley is housed in the county's first hospital (1936) and recreates an operating room, X-ray, pharmacy and patient rooms using medical antiques.
  • L & N Train Depot and Miniature Train Display is a railroad museum located at the City of Foley Museum Archives. Model train exhibit open Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday.
  • National Naval Aviation Museum is one of the world's largest aviation museums with nearly 300,000 square feet of displays and over 150 restored aircraft. Note: Admission charge for optional IMAX films.
  • Orange Beach Indian and Sea Museum houses local artifacts and memorabilia relating to our Native American and fishing heritage.
  • Phoenix Fire Museum in Mobile houses turn-of-the-century horse-drawn steam engines and early motorized vehicles of the Phoenix Volunteer Fire Company No. 6.
  • The American Sport Art Museum and Archives located in Daphne is dedicated to the preservation of sports history, art and literature.

Nature

  • Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, named one of the 10 natural wonders of Alabama, features six miles of hiking trails and beach access and a wildlife exhibit in a 7,000-acre refuge on the Fort Morgan peninsula.
  • Gulf State Park features 3.5 miles of beach in a 6,150-acre park. Note: There are fees for parking at the beach pavilion, fishing at the pier and golf.
  • Hugh S. Branyon Back Country Trail features multi-purpose trails through extraordinary habitats. Trailheads are located at Hwy. 161, the Orange Beach Sportsplex (off Hwy.180) and County Road 2 in the Gulf State Park.
  • Claude Peteet Mariculture Center/Marine Resources Division conducts studies and research that enhance our understanding of the life history of red snapper, various finfish and shrimp. It is located roughly halfway between Bon Secour Bay and Wolf Bay on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway in Gulf Shores
  • Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve protects 3,000 acres of coastal habitats and wetlands including an estuary. The Interpretive Center, off Hwy. 98 West, houses indoor exhibits and a live animal room.
  • Gulf Island National Seashore at Johnson Beach in Perdido Key, Florida is available during the day for swimming, boating, hiking and fishing fun. Note: A parking fee is charged.

Parks

  • Gulf Shores Kids Park (2008 West 3rd Street, Gulf Shores)
  • Gulf Shores Wetlands Nature Park (19025 Oak Road West, Gulf Shores)
  • Meyer Park (400 East 22nd Avenue, Gulf Shores)
  • Orange Beach Kids Park (26425 Canal Road, Orange Beach)
  • Orange Beach Waterfront Park (26425 Canal Road, Orange Beach)
  • Robinson Island and Bird Island Park (Orange Beach)
  • Sims Park (2008 West 3rd Street, Gulf Shores)
  • Skateboard Park (400 East 22nd Avenue, Gulf Shores)
  • Wade Ward Nature Park (500 Gulf Shores Parkway)












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