When the warm weather blows in and millions of vacationers hit the Gulf Coast, fresh Gulf seafood is always on the menu.

But Alabama Gulf Seafood doesn’t hibernate. The fall and winter bring some excellent eating to Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

In fact, October is National Seafood Month!

If you’re in the mood to celebrate (and you should be), there are some excellent events happening throughout the state. Here’s a rundown of what you’re in store for.

Alabama Festival of Flavor – Foley, AL – October 3

The streets of downtown Foley will be alive the first weekend of the month as the annual Alabama Festival of Flavor rolls around. Join us for a celebration of local food, beer, and wine that’ll be plenty full of Alabama Gulf Seafood.

44th Annual National Shrimp Festival – Gulf Shores, AL – October 8-11

The National Shrimp Festival is one of the largest seafood events in the world, and with so much fresh, delicious shrimp found in Alabama’s Gulf Coast, it ain’t a surprise. Head down to the public access beaches of Gulf Shores for four days of live music, arts and crafts, family activities, and all the fresh, delicious Alabama Gulf Shrimp you can eat, cooked up all sorts of ways.

The Taste of Southside – Birmingham, AL – October 9

Alabama Gulf Seafood is proud to be part of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership coalition, and we’ll be kicking things off with The Taste of Southside at Glen Iris Elementary School. There’ll be food trucks and vendors, cooking demos from Tim Hughes of Snapper Grabbers, and much more. Plus, proceeds will go toward a new outdoor kitchen for Glen Iris.

Southern Living’s Oyster Cook-Off Giveaway – Gulf Shores, AL – Ends October 15

Want to win a weekend getaway to The Hangout Oyster Cook-Off & Craft Beer Weekend? Thanks to our friends at Southern Living, all you have to do is upload a photo of Alabama Gulf Seafood to their contest page, or just post it to Instagram and tag it with #ALSeafood. The contest runs through October 15, so get out there and eat up!

Blueberry Jam Sessions – Fairhope, AL – October 18

If you’re headed to Fairhope’s Blueberry Jam Sessions at Weeks Bay Plantation (and you should be), make sure you get there early for their inaugural Oyster Roast! It all kicks off at noon, and we’ll be sponsoring with some fresh Gulf oysters that’ll be fired up by Chef Randall Baldwin of Dyron’s Lowcountry.

Alabama Seafood Summit – Birmingham, AL – October 26

Our annual Alabama Seafood Summit has moved from spring to fall and from Mobile to Birmingham! We’ll have more information for you soon enough, but for now, you might want to go ahead and mark your calendars.

Seafood Restaurant Week – Birmingham, AL – October 26-30

As part of our teaming up with the Seafood Nutrition Partnership, we’ll be debuting the inaugural Seafood Restaurant Week in Birmingham! Local restaurants like El Barrio, Hot and Hot Fish Club, and Bettola will be serving up special Alabama Gulf Seafood dishes all week, and you won’t want to miss it.

Hope we see y’all out and about this month!

Can’t make it to any of our events? That doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate with us. Find a local Gulf seafood shop in your area, or try a new recipe in your own kitchen.

Happy eating, Alabama Gulf Seafood fans!