It’s no coincidence that one of the largest seafood festivals in the country is also one of our favorite times of the year.

The 45th Annual National Shrimp Festival, a free event for folks of all ages, happens October 13-16 on the public access beaches of Gulf Shores. And as you can imagine, there’ll be all kinds of fresh Gulf shrimp to enjoy throughout the weekend during one of the biggest seafood feasts you’ll ever witness.

We’re proud to be a sponsor yet again this year. As in past years, we’ll be co-sponsoring the Seafood Sampling Tent alongside Zatarain’s and the Organized Seafood Association of Alabama.

Wanna know what’s on the menu? We’re glad you asked.

We’ll be hosting cooking demonstrations all four days of the festival, with different chefs and recipes on the agenda for each day. We’re thrilled to have Chef Brandon Thrash of the Gulf Coast Culinary Institute at Faulkner State as the emcee for all four events as well. And of course, after each demonstration, you’ll be able to sample the fresh-cooked goodness.

Here’s what we’ve got in store for each day:

Thursday, October 13 (11am, 2pm, 4pm)

Chef Chris Kelly (of Ronin Sushi & Steak at The Warf) – Wild Shrimp Over Fried Green Tomatoes w/ Spinach Bacon Sauté & Red Pepper Remoulade

Friday, October 14 (11am, 2pm, 4pm)

Chef Chris Rolin & Chef Peter D’Andrea (of Windcreek Atmore Grill Express) – Pan Fried Shrimp Cakes

Saturday, October 15 (11am, 2pm, 4pm)

Chef Edwin Vega (of The Ruby Slipper Café) – Shrimp Cortez w/ Creamy Corn Fritters

Sunday, October 16 (11am, 2pm)

TBD

Thanks to OSAA, we’ll have plenty of fresh Alabama Gulf Shrimp on hand each day to pass out, so there’ll be plenty of good eatin’ to go around.

We’ll have lots of goodies and giveaways as well, so don’t be a stranger if you pass by our tent in between demos!

To learn more about the 45th Annual National Shrimp Festival, visit MyShrimpFest.com.