Orange Beach’s fall calendar runs from a patriotic car show in September to a community Christmas production in December, with a coastal cleanup, a chili cook-off, a pet costume contest and a dog festival in between.
Here is what is coming up.
Sept. 19-20: Freedom Fest and Bama Coast Cruisin’
The 6th Annual Orange Beach Freedom Festival returns to The Wharf on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, alongside the Bama Coast Cruisin’ Car Show.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
The car show runs on Main Street, along with a Kids’ Zone and the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber’s beverage tent. In the west parking lot behind the movie theater, festival-goers will find arts and crafts booths, food vendors, adult beverages served by the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber, outdoor activity displays and the Flora-Bama/CoastAL music stage.
On Saturday, The Marshals Mardi Gras group holds a motorcycle and Jeep rally.
The nonprofit Gulf Coast Gun Collectors Association hosts its 3rd Annual Firearms Show at the Orange Beach Event Center both days, with an admission fee.
Sept. 19: 39th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup
The same Saturday brings the 39th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup, from 8 a.m. until noon.
Volunteer check-in locations in Orange Beach include:
- Boggy Point Boat Launch
- Cotton Bayou Public Beach
- Wind and Water Learning Center on Wolf Bay
- CoastAL beachfront restaurant
Shuttling to the islands is provided for anyone participating in the Boggy Point cleanup.
Other Orange Beach-area cleanup sites include the Flora-Bama, Ono Island and the Gulf State Park Beach Pavilion.
The morning schedule pairs well with Freedom Fest — a cleanup shift ends at noon, and the festival runs until 5 p.m.
Oct. 1: Smooth Jazz Under the Stars
The Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach hosts “An Evening of Smooth Jazz Under the Stars” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, under the art center’s bayfront tent.
The evening features Gino Rosaria on piano with special guest David Jones on trumpet.
Tickets are $20 general admission and are on sale now. Call 251-981-2787 or stop by the Coastal Arts Center.
Oct. 11: Baldwin Pops
A free Baldwin Pops concert is set for 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11, in the Coastal Arts Center courtyard.
For more information, contact the art center at 251-981-2787.
Oct. 22: Arts Afire Fall Festival
The Coastal Arts Center holds its annual Arts Afire Fall Festival from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22.
The free event includes hot glass demonstrations in The Hot Shop, Clay Studio pottery raku firings, kids’ fall games, music, crafts and treats. There is also face painting and a pet costume contest at 6 p.m.
Raku firing is worth arriving for if you have not seen it. Pieces are pulled from the kiln while glowing hot and placed in combustible material, producing metallic and crackled surfaces — a process that happens in the open and looks like it.
The event is sponsored by the City of Orange Beach and Friends of the Arts. The Coastal Arts Center is at 26389 Canal Road.
Oct. 28: 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off
The Orange Beach Senior Center hosts its 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, as senior-based organizations compete for the trophy.
Truman Holland provides live music, and Cheesy Grillers will be on site with free grilled cheese sandwiches.
Oct. 30: Treats on the Trail
The Orange Beach Coastal Resources Department and the Backcountry Trail Foundation host the annual Treats on the Trail from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the Orange Beach Sportsplex Trailhead.
The event includes trick-or-treating, games, s’mores and more.
Trail-based trick-or-treating is a practical alternative for families in an area where neighborhoods are spread out and door-to-door routes are limited.
Nov. 8: 2nd Annual Fido Fest
Orange Beach Parks & Recreation holds the 2nd Annual Fido Fest from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8, at Waterfront Park.
The public is invited for dog-friendly activities, vendors, live music, a kids and craft area, and the Mr. & Miss Fido Fest Pageant.
Additional parking is available at the Orange Beach Senior Center and Orange Beach Public Library. Residents are encouraged to use golf carts.
Nov. 11: Songwriters’ Concert Honoring Veterans
The Coastal Arts Center hosts a Frank Brown International Songwriters’ concert honoring veterans at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11 — Veterans Day.
Nashville songwriters Mark Nessler and Will Kimbrough will perform their own award-winning music alongside songs co-written with veterans through SongwritingWith:Soldiers.
That last detail is the heart of the evening. SongwritingWith:Soldiers pairs professional songwriters with service members and veterans to turn their own experiences into songs. What the audience hears is not a tribute written about veterans but material written with them.
Tickets are $15. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 251-981-2787.
Dec. 3-6: Visions of Christmas
Further out, the City of Orange Beach Expect Excellence Music Department presents the 6th Annual Visions of Christmas at the Orange Beach Performing Arts Center.
Performances are at 7 p.m. Dec. 3, 4 and 5, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6.
The variety show is a high-energy, community-led Christmas production and an established Orange Beach tradition.
General admission tickets are $5, available through the box office at 251-923-0043.
Planning Ahead
Several of these events are free — the Baldwin Pops concert, Arts Afire, Treats on the Trail and Fido Fest among them — and the ticketed ones top out at $20.
The Coastal Arts Center accounts for four of the dates on this list. Its phone number, 251-981-2787, covers jazz tickets, Baldwin Pops information and the veterans concert alike.