Orange Beach City Schools will welcome the new academic year with its annual Makos on Main Parade, a free community celebration set for Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at The Wharf in Orange Beach. The event, open to the public, brings together students, teachers and families for a festive send-off before classes resume.
The parade steps off at 6 p.m., with students asked to arrive by 5:30 p.m. and line up on the west side of the Marlin Statue. Organizers will post signs marking assigned spots for each grade level, helping Pre-K through 12th-grade students and their classmates find their place in the lineup before marching together down Main Street.
Younger children and their families can arrive early for extra activities at a Kids’ Zone near the Ferris Wheel, running from 5 to 7 p.m. The Orange Beach Police Department is sponsoring and staffing the area, giving families a chance to enjoy some pre-parade fun before the procession begins.
Once the parade reaches Portside on Main, the celebration shifts into a pep rally-style finale. The Orange Beach City Schools band and cheerleading squad are set to perform on the Portside stage, with the venue arranging seating by grade level. Orange Beach Middle and High School students, along with parents and guests, will have designated sections close to the stage for the performances.
Families looking to extend the evening can head to Tee Off at The Wharf afterward for dinner. Children 12 and under eat free with the purchase of an adult entree, and Orange Beach City Schools staff can show a valid school ID for 10% off their meal, giving the community an easy way to wrap up the night together.
The Wharf, a well-known entertainment and shopping complex on the Intracoastal Waterway in Orange Beach, regularly hosts community gatherings, and the Makos on Main Parade has become a back-to-school tradition for the district and the wider Orange Beach community.