Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores hosted its Coastal Christmas Kickoff Party this holiday season, giving Baldwin County families a chance to visit with Santa Claus while also supporting local foster children through a holiday gift drive.
The event, held at the park’s beach pavilion, ran in the early evening and paired a visit from Santa with warm-weather holiday staples like gumbo, roasted marshmallows and hot chocolate served fireside. Music came courtesy of the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Elementary Ensemble along with the University of Mobile’s RamCorps, adding a community-performance element to the celebration.
Alongside the festivities, Gulf State Park ran a gift drive for roughly 40 foster children in Baldwin County. Photos of the children were hung on a tree inside the park’s lobby, and visitors were invited to select a child’s photo and bring back an unwrapped gift marked with the child’s age and gender. Organizers said the goal was to make sure every child on the tree had at least one gift waiting under it by Christmas.
“There are dozens of foster children in Baldwin County,” said Gulf State Park Superintendent Lisa Laraway in a statement announcing the drive. “Gulf State Park hopes to brighten these children’s Christmas with a few gifts from folks in our community, and we look forward to celebrating with everyone who participates at the pavilion.”
The Coastal Christmas Kickoff was part of a broader slate of 75th-anniversary programming the Alabama State Parks system rolled out in 2014, and organizers hope it becomes an annual fixture in Gulf Shores. Residents who could not attend in person but wanted to contribute to the foster care gift drive were encouraged to contact the park directly to coordinate a donation.
Park officials say the combination of a free community event and a tangible charitable cause reflects Gulf State Park’s broader push to serve as a year-round gathering spot for Baldwin County families, not just a summer beach destination.