Every good thing deserves to be celebrated, and when it comes to seafood, no good creature of the sea should be forgotten. Whether they’re pink, white, brown or royal reds, no good shrimp is left behind.

From Oct. 10-13 the 42nd Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores will bring together 250,000 lovers of what Benjamin Buford Blue (“Bubba”) famously dubbed the “fruit of the sea.”

With more than 250,000 visitors, the National Shrimp Festival has a $46 million annual economic impact, making it one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s top rated events.

And this year, the Alabama Gulf Seafood and the Organized Seafood Association are yet again teaming up with Zatarain’s to bring a taste of Alabama’s Gulf shrimp to the masses. This year, we’ll be adding cooking demonstrations with some of the South’s best chefs. (Because why wouldn’t you pair quality crustaceans with quality chefs?)

We’ll have having a 30-foot-by-50-foot tent (south of the West Stage) to house daily cooking demos with chefs Carl Tilley, Martie Duncan, Stafford DeCambra and Ira Gallon. The demos will each feature one of the chef’s signature shrimp dishes, followed by tastings of Alabama gulf shrimp in low country boil fashion. Below are the demo times for the weekend:

Thursday, Oct. 10 – Carl Tilley, Kitchen on GeorgeDemo times: 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 11 — Martie Duncan, Martie Knows Parties/Next Food NetworkStarDemo times: 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 12 — Chef Stafford Decambra, Wind Creek Casino & Hotel, Creek Casino Montgomery, Creek Casino WetumpkaDemo times: 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 13 — Chef Ira Gallon, The HangoutDemo times: 11 a.m., 2 p.m.

In between demos, there will be dozens of bands playing on two stages. The weekend will also include other events such as a 5K and 10K run, and many exhibitors showing arts and crafts.

The National Shrimp Festival is free to the public throughout the weekend, but posters and t-shirts are available for purchase through the festival’s website.

Watch this video from last year’s festival to see why everyone loves Alabama Gulf Shrimp: