FRI 8/21
Goo Goo Dolls: The Wharf Amphitheater
The Wharf Amphitheater · Orange Beach
This open-air amphitheatre on the Intracoastal has ten thousand seats and a band whose whole catalogue is a singalong.
8:00 PM
Orange Beach & Gulf Shores
Everything checked within reach of Orange Beach & Gulf Shores.
Orange Beach & Gulf Shores
14 events and 18 places here
Saturdays thru SAT 10/10
Coastal Alabama Farmers & Fishermens Market
Coastal Alabama Market · Foley
The county's largest market sells fresh Gulf seafood straight from the boats plus produce and makers.
9 AM-2 PM
SAT 8/22
OWA Community Safety Day
Downtown OWA, Foley
First responders, K-9 demos, and trucks to climb fill OWA's free district, big for both big kids, and the fountain show follows at 6.
2:00-6:00 PM
SAT 8/22
Goo Goo Dolls: Wharf Amphitheater
The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach
"Iris" plays under the open sky, 90s/2000s nostalgia built for a 32-year-old couple.
Evening (time TBA)
Tuesdays and Saturdays thru SAT 10/31
The Brandon Styles Variety Show
Brandon Styles Theater at OWA · Foley
Celebrity impressions, comedy, and magic play a purpose-built theatre at OWA, twice a week.
7:00 PM
WED 8/26
Jack Johnson: The Wharf Amphitheater
The Wharf Amphitheater · Orange Beach
The most on-brand booking the Gulf Coast will get all summer, outdoors on the Intracoastal.
7:30 PM
THU 8/27
Jack Johnson: Wharf Amphitheater
The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach
Mellow acoustic surf-rock plays at sunset, about as low-key and clean as a big-venue date gets.
Evening (time TBA)
SAT 8/29
Jason Aldean: Wharf Amphitheater
The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach
Aldean headlines the Wharf's C Spire series about 40 minutes west, a clean country date night with openers Chase Matthew, Mackenzie Carpenter, and Dee Jay Silver.
Time TBA
SAT 9/12
Ty Myers: The Legal Tour
The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach
Rising country and soul singer-songwriter Ty Myers plays under the stars at The Wharf, a warm-night date about 50 minutes west.
Evening
SAT 9/19
Use Your Illusion: Guns N' Roses Experience
OWA Theater · Foley
This GnR tribute plays OWA, a loud classic-rock date about an hour west.
Evening
SAT 10/3
“Weird Al” Yankovic: Wharf Amphitheater
The Wharf Amphitheater, Orange Beach
The cleanest big show of the fall offers pure absurd fun and October air.
8:00 PM
SAT 10/3
“Weird Al” Yankovic: The Wharf Amphitheater
The Wharf Amphitheater · Orange Beach
One of the few arena-scale acts a nine-year-old and two adults will all genuinely want to see.
Showtime not published by the venue
THU 10/8–SUN 10/11
53rd National Shrimp Festival: Gulf Shores
Gulf Shores Public Beach
The Gulf Coast's giant beach festival brings a Children's Activity Village, a sand-sculpture contest, three music stages, and more than 250 vendors.
10 AM-10 PM · Sun 10 AM-5 PM
THU 11/12
Tab Benoit with Jesse Dayton
OWA Theater · Foley
Louisiana swamp-blues plays at OWA, a soulful, clean, grown-up night.
Evening
Mon-Thu & Sun
OWA / Tropic Falls
Foley, AL
A theme park pairs with an indoor and outdoor water park, with big slides for the 9-year-old, splash zones for the 6-year-old, and an indoor option when storms hit.
10 AM-8 PM · Fri-Sat 10 AM-10 PM
Nightly
SPECTRA Laser Show: The Wharf (nightly, free)
Orange Beach, AL
A free laser-and-music show lights up Main Street every night at 7:30, 8:00 and 8:30 (different soundtrack each).
7:30, 8:00 & 8:30 PM
Daily
Waterville USA (military rate covers the family)
Gulf Shores, AL
A waterpark pairs with rides, including a wave pool, lazy river, and the Wa-Wa World kiddie area for the toddler.
10 AM-6 PM (in season)
Open
The Wharf & Ferris Wheel
Orange Beach, AL
This features a 112-ft Ferris wheel, fountains, and shops, and now a stacked free-event week (see Sunset Sounds, Movie Monday, Pepsi kids' Wednesdays, plus nightly SPECTRA).
Retail Mon-Sat 10-9, Sun 12-6; wheel seasonal
Open
Graham Creek Nature Preserve
Foley, AL
This offers free trails, four disc-golf courses, an archery range and a kayak launch on Wolf Bay.
Dawn · dusk (nature ctr M · F 10-4, Sat 10-2)
Daily
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
Gulf Shores, AL
The "little zoo that could" offers hands-on animal encounters and feedings, a fun Tier-3 day when you want a change from Gulf Breeze.
9 AM-4 PM
Trails/beach sunrise
Gulf State Park: pier, beach & trails
Gulf Shores, AL
A long Gulf-front fishing pier, a wide beach, and 28 miles of the Backcountry Trail fill a whole day for $3 on a veteran's pass.
Sunset · Pier open 24 hrs
Mon-Sat
Foley Railroad Museum + Model Train
Foley, AL
A free railroad museum fills a restored depot with a big model-train layout and the kids' Charles Ebert Express II ride, flat, single-level, and ADA-friendly.
10 AM-3 PM (train exhibit Tue/Thu/Sat)
Mon-Thu
The Gulf Bowl
Foley, AL
A big Foley entertainment center offers bowling, laser tag, a ropes course, and an arcade.
9 AM-12 AM · Fri-Sat 9 AM-1 AM · Sun 11 AM-12 AM
Daily
Creekside Family Fun Center
Foley, AL
Go-karts, mini-golf, batting cages, and an arcade make this a classic outdoor family-fun stop.
10 AM-10 PM
Mon-Sat
Holmes Medical Museum
Foley, AL
Baldwin County's first hospital (1936-1958) is now a free little museum with recreated patient rooms and an operating room.
10 AM-3 PM · closed Sun
Wed
The Factory: Gulf Shores
Gulf Shores, AL
This indoor trampoline, climbing, ninja, and rope-swing park is a big rainy-day or heat burn-off on the AL beach side.
11 AM-8 PM · Fri-Sat 11 AM-9 PM · Sun 11 AM-7 PM
Daily
Adventure Island (Orange Beach)
Orange Beach, AL
This open-air amusement stop on the AL side has mini-golf, go-karts, kiddie rides, glow golf, and an arcade, open late 7 days.
9:30 AM-11 PM
Trails daily sunrise
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
Gulf Shores, AL
This free coastal wildlife refuge has dune-and-beach trails on the Fort Morgan peninsula.
Sunset
Open
Fort Morgan State Historic Site
Gulf Shores, AL
This star-shaped Civil War fort guards the mouth of Mobile Bay.
Grounds 8 AM-5 PM · Museum 9 AM-4 PM
Tue & Thu
Orange Beach History Museum
Orange Beach, AL
This free little history museum, the old Indian & Sea Museum, sits in a former schoolhouse with fishing heritage and local artifacts, open Mon-Thu.
9 AM-1 PM
Sun-Thu
Tee Off at The Wharf
Orange Beach, AL
Topgolf-style Swing Suites at The Wharf offer climate-controlled golf-sim bays with games the whole crew can play, plus food and drinks.
11 AM-9 PM, Fri-Sat 11 AM-11 PM
Mon-Thu
Half Shell Oyster House (Foley)
Downtown Foley, AL
Char-grilled oysters and New Orleans-style Gulf seafood are served in the restored historic Foley Bakery building.
11 AM-9 PM · Fri 11 AM-10 PM · Sat 10 AM-10 PM · Sun 10 AM-9 PM