Families across Bay Minette will have a chance to stock up on free school supplies and connect with local resources this weekend, as The Chosen Youth Outreach Ministry hosts its eighth annual Back-to-School Bash on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
The free community event runs from 10 a.m. to noon at Lyle Underwood Stadium and is open to all students and families, regardless of where they attend school. There is no admission fee, and organizers say the event is designed to remove barriers for families heading into a new school year.
The ministry is partnering with the City of Bay Minette, area schools, churches, and other community organizations to pull off the event, which has grown over eight years into one of the city’s more anticipated late-summer gatherings. According to organizers, the mission behind the bash goes well beyond handing out backpacks. “Preparing a child for school takes more than a backpack,” organizers said, pointing to the reality that many families also need help accessing nutritious food, clothing, educational support, and healthcare resources before the first day of class.
To that end, Saturday’s event will feature free school supplies while they last, along with a lineup of community resource vendors on hand to connect families with services beyond the school-supply table. Organizers are also planning free entertainment and refreshments to keep the atmosphere festive, and food trucks will be on site for families who want to grab a meal, with those purchases made directly through the vendors.
Bay Minette, the seat of Baldwin County, has a long tradition of civic and church groups banding together for back-to-school outreach, and this event has become a fixture on that calendar. Lyle Underwood Stadium, the event’s host site, is a familiar gathering spot for the community and offers ample space for the vendor booths, food trucks, and foot traffic the bash typically draws.
Organizers are encouraging families to arrive early, since school supplies are distributed on a while-supplies-last basis. With no registration or admission fee required, the event is designed to be as accessible as possible for families across Bay Minette and the surrounding Baldwin County communities as they prepare for the upcoming school year.
Update (Aug. 1, 2026):
According to organizers, this year’s event marks the ministry’s ninth annual back-to-school bash — an update from earlier references to it as the eighth annual gathering. Chantelle and A’niah McPherson, representing The Chosen Youth Outreach Ministry, confirmed the milestone and previewed Saturday’s lineup at Lyle Underwood Stadium.
Beyond the free school supplies and community resource vendors already planned, organizers say families can also expect live entertainment and free snacks throughout the event, running from 10 a.m. to noon.