After two years of interruptions, the Coast is back to doing what it does best – having fun! Festival season is upon us, and your favorite events have returned to the schedule. Here’s your complete calendar so you don’t miss any of the revelry!
APRIL
Art in the Pass
April 2-3
passmainstreet.com/events/artinthepass
(228) 452-3315
Memorial Park, Corner of Scenic Drive and Fleitas Avenue, Pass Christian
10am-5pm,
Free admission
This vetted fine arts festival attracts about 100 artists from 10 states and approximately 10,000 visitors from Pensacola to Baton Rouge. The Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival is held concurrently this year with an added science component.
Black Spring Break
April 8-10
www.facebook.com/BlackSpringBreak
Since this highly anticipated event started in April 2010, thousands come to the Mississippi Gulf Coast each year for a spring break weekend featuring vendors, food, drinks, shopping, celebrity guests, concerts and more.
Crawfish Music Festival
April 20-24
www.mscoastcoliseum.com/p/crawfishmusicfestival
(800) 726-2781 or (228) 594-3700
Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi
Thursday-Friday, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday 1-11 p.m.; Sunday 1-8 p.m.
Tickets start at $10
Each night of the festival promises fun, excitement and a little something new! Guests will enjoy headline entertainment, hot boiled crawfish and exciting midway rides.
C & R’s Annual Crawfish Cookoff
April 23
www.facebook.com/C-Rs-Annual-Crawfish-Cook-off-143042632423451
C & R’s Bar, 312 Coleman Ave., Waveland
10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
$25 adults, $10 kids 9-12, under 8 is free
Participants will be cooking for charity, as this year’s event will benefit Hancock County Resources.
MAY
Rock-N-Roll Open Car, Jeep, Truck and Bike Show
May 7
Point Cadet Plaza, 121 Cadet St., Biloxi
11 a.m.-6 p.m.
(228) 860-5015
Enjoy hundreds of cars, Jeeps, bikes, trucks, live entertainment, food, automotive, arts and craft vendors, cold beverages, kids’ activities including a fishing rodeo and more.
Taste of Ocean Springs Food & Wine Festival
oceanspringschamber.com/festivals
May 12
Downtown Ocean Springs
6-8 p.m.
(228) 875-4424
Sip and savor some of the Coast’s best food and drink. There will be cooking demonstrations, live music and more.
Chandfest 2022
May 14 (Rain date May 15)
Chandeleur Brewing Company, Gulfport
12-7 p.m.
(228) 701-9985
Chandfest features live music, a bed race, beer releases and activities for the whole family, dog- and kid-friendly and kid friendly. Free viewing, $100 registration fee.
Annual Pirate Day in The Bay
mkotsh.com/pirate-day-in-the-bay
May 20-21
Friday, 4-11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
Downtown Bay St Louis, South Beach Boulevard and Court Street
Festivities start Friday evening with the opening of “Krewe Central,” featuring music and carnival rides. Friday is the pub crawl, with advance registration suggested. Many events are free; check website for current pricing.
Annual Arts Alive
May 21
Old Town Bay St Louis
10 a.m.-5 p.m.
There will be 45 artist tents, children’s activities, three performance stages, a culinary competition and more. Admission is free, or a $5 donation is suggested.
St. Clare Seafood Festival
www.facebook.com/St-Clare-Seafood-Festival-613311279113673
May 27-29
St. Clare Catholic Church, Waveland
Friday, 5-10 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, noon-10 p.m.
(228) 467-9275
Festival features fantastic food of all kinds, fresh seafood, craft vendors, rides for the kids and live music. Proceeds benefit St. Clare Catholic Church.
Mississippi Memorial Day Blowout
May 27-30
Gulfport Dragway, 17085 Racetrack Road, Gulfport
Gates open at noon
(228) 863-4408
Annual event offering a wide array of events. This all-adult venue will feature exciting parties, races, live music, motorcycle vendors, cold beer, good eats and
much more. Admission is $40 per person for the entire weekend.
Budweiser Downtown Ocean Springs Crawfish Cook-Off
www.downtownoceansprings.com/events
May 28
Pleasant’s Bar-B-Q, 1415 Government St., Ocean Springs
12-6 p.m.
(228) 209-4344
Presented by Desportes Seafood, this event will feature endless pounds of crawfish boiled by more than 25 teams competing for the title of “Best Crawfish in Downtown Ocean Springs.” Blankets, folding/festival chairs and small umbrellas are permitted. Don’t forget your dancing shoes, sunscreen and favorite festing hat. Limited seating is provided, but bringing your own chair is recommended. Admission for ages 13 and up is $20 in advance, $25 at the gate. Children 12 and under are admitted free.
Annual Blessing of the Fleet
www.facebook.com/biloxiblessingms
May 29
Point Cadet Plaza Pavilion, 121 Cadet St., Biloxi, Free,
Wreath dropping 2 p.m.
(228) 435-6339
Celebrating Biloxi’s seafood culture, heritage, and legacy, this event began in 1929. The Blessing of the Fleet ceremony marks the beginning of the fishing season for shrimp fishermen and invokes safety and prosperity. Boats will line up in the west end of the Biloxi Channel south of the Biloxi Small Craft Harbor and then parade east in the Biloxi Channel.
JUNE
Jeepin the Coast
June 1-5
Coastwide
(228) 697-7347
Jeepin the Coast invites jeepers to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to enjoy and cruise its 26 mile long beach with soft sand and beautiful views. Multiple events are set up across the coast for jeepers to either stay together or branch off into their own adventures.
Red, White & Blueberry Festival
June 4
L&N Depot Plaza, 1000 Washington Ave., Ocean Springs
10 a.m.-2 p.m. (fresh market opens 9 a.m.)
(228) 875-4424
This vent offers an assortment of antiques, crafts, fresh produce, plenty of blueberry products, open houses for downtown businesses and much more. Enjoy free vanilla ice cream topped with blueberries or strawberries provided by the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce – Main Street – Tourism Bureau and sample some great blueberry dishes, share blueberry recipes, purchase blueberry bushes, watch cooking demonstrations and more.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic
June 6-12
Point Cadet Marina, 119 Beach Blvd., Biloxi
(228) 239-2575
Hundreds of anglers converge on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the Billfish Classic. Vessels ply the billfish-rich waters off the coast to compete for over $2,000,000 in cash and prizes. The weeklong event features nightly dock parties, a captain’s banquet, a golf outing and live entertainment for the spectators at the weigh scales Friday and Saturday evenings. See website for complete details.
Scrapin’ the Coast
www.facebook.com/ScrapintheCoastshow/events
June 24-26
Mississippi Coast Coliseum, 2350 Beach Blvd, Biloxi
Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
(228) 832-2688 or (228) 832-4683
Hundreds of hotrods come to the Coast for a fun time. Events include a car and truck show, vendors, live bands, a hydro and airbag competition, a cornhole tournament, a burnout contest, a bikini contest, a stereo competition and more. The cost is $20 for spectators.
JULY
Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo
www.mississippideepseafishingrodeo.com
July 1-4
Jones Park Barksdale Pavilion, Highway 90 and Highway 49, Gulfport
Gates open at noon daily
(228) 697-4113
Billed as the largest family-friendly fishing rodeo in the world, this successful yearly event includes fun for the entire family. The event features fireworks, fishing and vendors. Contestants fish the Gulf waters for days, competing for cash and prizes in 30 categories of both saltwater and freshwater fish. In previous years, records for tuna, shark and flounder have been broken at the rodeo, which attracts an average of 50,000 people every year. Admission is $5 per person per day, children 5 and under free.
Coastfest
www.visitbeauvoir.org/coastfest
July 16
Beauvoir, The Jefferson Davis Home and Presidential Library, 2244 Beach Blvd., Biloxi
8 a.m.-3 p.m.
(228) 388-4400
All makes, models and years are welcome. Over 20 classes will be featured and multiple trophies awarded for categories including best of class and people’s choice. Car registration is $25; admission is $12.50 for adults, $10 for seniors, $7.50 for 6-18 years; 5 and under are free,
SEPTEMBER
Ocean Springs Artwalk
www.oceanspringschamber.com/festivals
Sept. 3
Downtown Ocean Springs
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
(228) 875-4424
This annual event held over Labor Day weekend showcases a mixture of potters, painters, sculptors and others as they exhibit on the sidewalks of downtown boutiques, galleries and restaurants. Artists partner with local businesses to bring together creative commerce.
Biloxi Seafood Festival
www.facebook.com/biloxiseafoodfestival
Sept. 10-11
Biloxi Town Green, 710 Beach Blvd., Biloxi,
Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
(228) 604-0014
At this annual celebration of seafood heritage, attendees will enjoy live entertainment, arts and crafts, kids’ activities and the best seafood on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Admission is $5, children 12 and under free.
Annual Mississippi Songwriters’ Festival
mssongwritersfestival.com/schedules
Sept. 15-18
Various locations, Ocean Springs to Pascagoula
(228) 217-0155, (228) 826-9457
This event features over 100 national and regional songwriters at venues across coastal Mississippi. Details coming, check website for full schedule.
Gulf Coast Shrimp Tasting Festival
clearvisionent.net/gulf-coast-shrimp-tasting/
Sept. 24
Point Cadet Plaza, 121 Cadet St., Biloxi
11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Savor the taste of wild-caught shrimp from your own backyard! This second-annual festival will showcase the talents and tastes of our local chefs and restaurants. Guests will enjoy plenty of food, live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, and more. All ages are welcome.