Where there are no traffic lights and life moves at its own leisurely pace…..

Our little piece of paradise is sugar white beaches and rolling dunes, with great fishing and boating. Explore history where it was made and acres of unspoiled nature. Sample tasty Gulf seafood and other Southern cuisine.

Discover Dauphin Island . . . it’s how real family vacations used to be.

Choose from a waterfront condo or beach home, a laid back campsite or family style motel with the nostalgic feel of days gone by . . . it’s all waiting for you here on beautiful Dauphin Island.

Click here to find the perfect condo or beach home for your overnight getaway to the Island!

Maybe you like sleeping beneath the stars . . . check out our scenic campground.

The Dauphin Island Campground   

May 11-13^th in beautiful South Mobile County

Mom and the whole family will enjoy a variety of activities all weekend long including kayak lessons, kayak marsh tours, birding and history boat tours, nature walks on the beach and forest, wildlife and raptor exhibitions and children’s activities. Rain or shine, Dauphin Island’s Historic Cadillac Square will host the 3^rd Annual Art in the Park Festival on Saturday and Sunday and a daylong Back to Nature Festival on Saturday. Admission to both festivals is free. A simple $20 registration fee gives you access to specialty tours and activities taking place all weekend all over the island.

READ MORE HERE

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Alabama leads the nation in food insecurity among the poor. Tickets are $25 per angler. Two-man teams fish for speckled trout, slot redfish, and flounder. A lunker speck jackpot offers an 80% payout. For more information  join the group’s facebook page for all the updates at Alabama Hunger Relief or visit www.alabamahungerrelief.com.

The purpose of Alabama Hunger Relief (AHR) is to educate, promote, and raise funds for the platform of Alabama hunger. Over the last three years, almost seven percent of Alabama households experienced hunger because they could not afford enough food. Another 8.2 percent of Alabamians had low food security. This means that the state of Alabama ranks among the highest in the country in levels of hunger and food poverty.

With the economic hardship affecting thousands of families throughout the state and our country, now is the time for us to come together and help each other through these hard times.  Our passion and desire is to support and provide for the hungry throughout the state of Alabama by providing for individuals and assisting other non-profit organizations in their endeavors.

AHR plans to hold fund raising events and be a catalyst to raise funds solely to be used to conquer hunger.  We plan on holding classes and speaking engagements with organizations about the importance of getting involved and helping with hunger poverty.  Our primary focus is going to be in the area of holding fund raisers and raising support.

View the official rules HERE.

Freestyle
1st OK Bicycle shop
2nd Lust spice company
3rd Dixie Bar association

Peoples choice- Jennifer Bodiford

Best decorated tent
Dauphin Island Real Estate

Most tickets sold
OK Bicycle Shop

There is really only one unpardonable sin when it comes to making gumbo.

That is, never, ever, burn the roux.

You can skimp on seafood or you can add too much okra. But to scorch the roux — the basis for any good gumbo — is to render your gumbo a bitter, acrid mess that can only be salvaged by tossing it out and starting over with fresh oil and flour.

As I’ve stated often in this space, making a pot of gumbo is more a function of art than science. The reason is simply that making gumbo is more dependent on a deft hand and a watchful eye than an attention to precise measurements and cooking times.

You can measure out each ingredient carefully, handpick the crab and de-vein each tiny shrimp with a dedicated eye and still your gumbo doesn’t measure up to past performances. It comes down to a matter of feel, and if you don’t feel it, you should just as soon quit and go back home.

This weekend on Dauphin Island, the art of gumbo making will be on display in the third annual Gumbo Festival and Cook-off.

The event will be a three-day celebration of the region’s signature one-pot dish that includes live music, tastings and a host of other fun stuff.

In years past, it has been a one-day affair, but this year organizers decided that there was simply too much fun to be compressed into a single day’s activities.

The centerpiece of the weekend will be the cook-off from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday that pits more than 20 teams in a head-to-head battle for gumbo supremacy. There are two categories this year: seafood and freestyle.

In addition to the cooking competition, the Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce and the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo have teamed up to cook more than 100 gallons of seafood gumbo for sampling. This new feature is partly in reaction to what happened last year: they ran out.

“We just didn’t have enough to go around,” said Gene Fox, president of the Dauphin Island Chamber of Commerce and one of the driving forces behind the festival. “This year we want to make sure that everybody who comes has an opportunity to sample and enjoy some Gulf seafood,” he said.

Another new wrinkle will be a sort of “progressive gumbo tasting” that will unfold over the three days of the event. Tickets for the tasting tour will be available on a limited basis, Fox said, and available from Dauphin Island Realtors.

“You might catch all of it or you might catch some of the offerings. It’s up to you,” Fox said. It will be hosted by various Island eateries throughout the weekend. Fox said the list of destinations was still being finalized as of presstime.

READ THE REST AND GET RECIPES

FRIDAY-

4:30 pm- Mack n DD’s Gift Emporium Gumbo cooking demonstration with Chef Stuart Reb Donald and live music with Jerry Smith. FREE!!!

5:30 pm- The Sandbox/ Blu revival surf shop Gumbo cooking demonstration with Ward Williams and live music with Bruce Williams. FREE!!

6:30 pm- ACP REAL ESTATE Gumbo cooking demonstration with Gene Fox and live music with Bruce Jones. FREE!!

5-8 pm Free Gumbo samples at the Dauphin Island Chevron

5-8 pm Free Seafood samples at The Bienville Bar & Grill

SATURDAY-
Join us for the 3rd Annual Dauphin Island Gumbo cook off! More than a dozen teams will compete for prizes and bragging rights. The Chamber will also host a hospitality tent featuring more than 100 gallons of gumbo and hot dogs for the kids.

Children under 12 get in free and we are proud to sponsor a children’s activity area featuring a bounce house and an appearance by our favorite clown “The Dancing Fool”!

The Music will start at 11am with Fat Man Squeeze. Stay and dance to the Swamp rhythms of THE SAUCE BOSS. Bill “The Sauce Boss” Wharton who is famous cooking gumbo live on stage while playing great music. At the end of the show he feeds the gumbo to the crowd!

11 am-3 pm Free Crab Dip Sample at The Lighthouse Bakery

5-8 pm Free Seafood Sample at the Beinville Bar

Sunday-

12-3 pm Free Baja Shrimp sample at The Cruisin’ Taco Truck

2-4 pm Free Shrimp Kabob sample at the Isle Dauphine

Join us for a pool party at the Isle Dauphine Country Club from 12-7pm! $6 adults/ $4 kids

Advance tickets are only $10 for the Gumbo cook off/ $15 day of the event. Tickets are available at all Bay Bank Locations, The OK Bicycle shop (661 Dauphin Street), The Dauphin Island Welcome Center, and ACP Real Estate on the Island.

Mother’s Day Weekend May 11-13^th

in beautiful South Mobile County

Mom and the whole family will enjoy a variety of activities all weekend long including kayak lessons, kayak marsh tours, birding and
history boat tours, nature walks on the beach and forrest, wildlife and raptor exhibitions and children’s activities. Rain or shine, Dauphin Island’s
Historic Cadillac Square will host the 3rd Annual Art in the Park Festival on Saturday and Sunday and a daylong Back to Nature Festival on Saturday. Admission to both festivals and all children’s activities are free.

A simple $20 registration fee gives you access to specialty tours and activities taking place all weekend all over the island.

$20 registration includes
• Free pass to the Estuarium (good until may 20th)
• Shuttle service on Double Decker Bus Between activities

AND

2 activities- choose from:
• Guided Nature walk at the beach or Audubon bird sanctuary (Saturday various times)
• Kayak Lessons (Saturday various times)
• Sand Island excursion on board the Duke or Escape (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
• Marsh and birding tour with Dauphin Island Eco Tours (Saturday various times)

To register for events please visit the Dauphin Island Estuarium any time on Friday or the registration tent in Cadillac Square on Saturday. Space is limited for some activities! We will make every effort to accommodate your group.

If you would like to pre-register please contact us at 251-607- 8145 or by email southmobiletourism@gmail.c​om. All pre-registrations must check with the registration desk and pay the registration fee one hour prior to the first scheduled activity.

ART and NATURE Event Schedule

Friday, May 11^th

8:00am-9:00pm Early registration for Nature festival events at The Estuarium.

7:00–9:00pm “Discover Dolphins and Manatees” presentation at the Estuarium. Includes food sampling!!!

 6:00-8:00pm Sunset Cruise aboard “the Duke” **

 5:00-7:30pm Kayak Lessons at the Isle Dauphine Beach

Saturday, May 12th

9:00-4:00- Art in the Park – a juried art show under the oaks in historic Cadillac Square (free).

9:00-4:00 Back to Nature – nature and wildlife exhibits also in Cadillac Square (free).

Throughout the day: Kayak Marsh Tours, Sand Island Lighthouse excursion on board the Duke, Kayak Lessons, Sea Turtle nesting walks, Nature of the maritime forest tours, Nature of the beach and dunes tours.

12:00pm & 2:00pm Bellingrath Gardens – river cruise with Alabama Cruises ($20 separate ticket required at the dock).

Sunday, May 13^th

9:00-4:00 Art in the Park – a juried art show under the oaks in historic Cadillac Square (free).

Throughout the day: Sand Island Lighthouse excursions on board the Escape**

Mother’s Day Flower Show and concert at Bellingrath Gardens (separate ticket required at the gate).

Bellingrath Gardens – river cruise with Alabama Cruises ($20 separate ticket required at the dock).
** Denotes activities requiring registration

Mom and the whole family will enjoy a variety of activities all weekend long including kayak lessons, kayak marsh tours, birding and history boat tours, nature walks on the beach and forest, wildlife and raptor exhibitions and children’s activities. Rain or shine, Dauphin Island’s Historic Cadillac Square will host the 3^rd Annual Art in the Park Festival on Saturday and Sunday and a daylong Back to Nature Festival on Saturday. Admission to both festivals is free. A simple $20 registration fee gives you access to specialty tours and activities taking place all weekend all over the island.