Amtrak Adds One-Weekend Ocean Springs Stop So Mobile Riders Can Train to Peter Anderson Festival

MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile-area residents headed to one of the Gulf Coast’s biggest arts festivals next month will have a new way to get there. For one weekend only, Nov. 7-8, Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Service will make a temporary Amtrak Ocean Springs stop, giving riders a direct train connection to the 48th annual Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

The festival draws approximately 100,000 people each year to the city’s historic downtown. Although the Mobile-to-New Orleans rail route passes directly through downtown Ocean Springs, Amtrak has never before established a stop there.

The Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce-Main Street-Tourism Bureau announced the temporary stop on Friday, Oct. 16, following months of lobbying by Ocean Springs representatives who have pushed for their city to be added to the route.

Fares and schedule from Mobile

Tickets are sold directly through Amtrak. According to the fares listed with the announcement, tickets from Mobile to the festival break down as follows:

• Saturday, Nov. 7: $62 for a coach seat or $92 for business class
• Sunday, Nov. 8, early morning: $24 for coach or $47 for business class
• Sunday, Nov. 8, afternoon: $46 for coach or $69 for business class

Amtrak fares can change based on demand, so travelers should confirm current prices and departure times when booking through Amtrak’s website, mobile app or customer service line. Because the stop is temporary, riders should pay close attention to the specific trains that are scheduled to serve Ocean Springs that weekend.

Riding the train offers festivalgoers a way to avoid one of the event’s biggest challenges: traffic and parking in a compact downtown that swells with tens of thousands of visitors over two days.

Officials celebrate a first for the city

Local leaders described the stop as a long-sought win for the city and a convenience for visitors.

“We’re excited to offer festivalgoers another convenient way to get to the Peter Anderson Festival this year,” said Cynthia Sutton, CEO of the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce-Main Street-Tourism Bureau. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to help more visitors take part in the festival and enjoy all that Ocean Springs has to offer.”

Ocean Springs Mayor Bobby Cox said the city is eager to welcome rail passengers.

“There’s no better way to arrive in Ocean Springs than by train during festival season,” Cox said. “We’re grateful that Amtrak sees our city as an important stop and gateway to one of the Southeast’s premier outdoor festivals.”

Cox added that visitors stepping off the train will find a community ready to greet them with Southern hospitality, saying the city is “rolling out the red carpet.”

According to the chamber, the temporary stop was the result of “diligent work” by Amtrak representatives, the City of Ocean Springs, state and federal elected officials and other partners.

Mississippi state Rep. Hank Zuber, R-Ocean Springs, called the arrangement an example of teamwork and expressed hope that it will lead to more.

“Making this temporary festival stop possible is a great example of teamwork and what we can accomplish when we work together for Ocean Springs,” Zuber said. “I appreciate the effort that went into finding a solution that helps keep this important event moving forward. I look forward to additional stops so the rest of the world can experience what we have here in Ocean Springs.”

How the Mardi Gras Service came to be

The Mardi Gras Service began regular operations on Aug. 18, 2025, restoring passenger rail along the Gulf Coast for the first time in two decades. The train makes two round trips daily between Mobile and New Orleans, with intermediate stops in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

Passenger service along the coast ended after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, when the storm destroyed major bridges and heavily damaged track on the line then used by Amtrak’s Sunset Limited. Freight service returned within months, but passenger trains did not.

Restoring the route took years of planning and negotiation. The Southern Rail Commission, an interstate body representing Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, began working on a restoration proposal in 2014. The Federal Railroad Administration awarded a $33 million grant for the project in 2019, matched by Louisiana, Mississippi and the City of Mobile, and additional federal money followed through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. After lengthy talks with the freight railroads that own the tracks, the Mobile City Council approved the final agreement for the city’s participation in August 2024, clearing the way for service to begin the following year.

For Mobile, the Mardi Gras Service has opened easy day-trip options to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans. The temporary Ocean Springs stop adds one more destination, at least for a weekend.

About the Peter Anderson Festival

The Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival began in 1978 with just 56 booths set up in the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce parking lot. It was created largely to give local artists a place to show and sell their work. Today it fills the streets of downtown Ocean Springs with artists, craftspeople and food vendors from across the region, drawing visitors from across the Gulf South.

The festival is named for Peter Anderson, a master potter who founded Shearwater Pottery in Ocean Springs in 1928. It was renamed in his honor after he died in 1984. Shearwater Pottery remains in operation and is still associated with the Anderson family. Peter Anderson’s brother, the painter Walter Inglis Anderson, became one of the best-known artists of the Gulf Coast, and his work is showcased at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs.

Ocean Springs, in Jackson County, is known for its arts community, walkable historic downtown, live oaks and close proximity to both the Gulf and neighboring Biloxi. The city traces its history to 1699, when French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville established Fort Maurepas nearby, one of the earliest European settlements on the Gulf Coast.

Tips for festival travelers

• Book early. With roughly 100,000 people expected over the weekend and limited seating on each train, tickets may sell out.
• Check the schedule carefully. Make sure the specific train you book is one that will stop in Ocean Springs, and note the return departure time.
• Travel light. Plan for how you will carry any art or crafts purchased at the festival on the train ride home.
• Dress for walking. The festival spreads across downtown streets, and comfortable shoes are a must.

Whether the temporary stop leads to a permanent one remains to be seen. For now, local leaders such as Zuber have made clear they would like to see more stops in Ocean Springs in the future.