Ballyhoo Festival organizers are preparing to bring fine art, live music, and American heritage back to Gulf State Park this spring. The popular event draws both locals and visitors to the Alabama Gulf Coast for a weekend of culture and community. The festival also announced new support through recent state arts funding. Organizers say the focus remains on showcasing artists while celebrating Coastal Alabama's fun-loving spirit.​

The Ballyhoo Festival of Fine Art and Culture is scheduled for March 7 and 8, 2026, at Lake Shelby in the Gulf State Park. The event will be held at 20110 State Park Road, Highway 135, where the park’s trails and lakeside setting provide a natural backdrop for the art.​

Festival hours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event is described as “unique in its focus on fine art combined with cultural charm and the fun-loving spirit of residents of Coastal Alabama.”​

Festival leaders thanked the Alabama State Council on the Arts for awarding $21,000 in project and administration grants to support the 2026 event. The Ballyhoo Festival is a juried fine art show, and artists from across the region.

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Artist applications were due by November 15, 2025, and acceptance notifications were sent via email on November 30. Booth fees are $250 for a single booth and $475 for a double booth, plus a $25 nonrefundable jury fee and a $55 late fee after November 30. Booth spaces measure 12 by 12 feet and are designed for 10-by-10 tents. Booth fees are nonrefundable after January 15, 2026.

Visitors are encouraged to bike or walk the park’s trails when possible, but several parking options and shuttles will be available. Shuttle service will be available at Gulf State Pier and Gulf Shores Pavilion for $10 per vehicle, while Gulf Shores Elementary School will provide free parking. Shuttle buses will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and all parking operations will be handled by Gulf State Park rangers.​

Guests using ride-hailing or single-car drop-offs may be dropped off at the festival entrance, and handicapped parking will be available inside the festival grounds at no charge. Organizers note that parking fees are set by the State of Alabama and Gulf State Park, not by the festival or the Gulf Coast Arts Alliance.​

Because the festival site is located on state park property, all art and food vendors must follow State of Alabama rules, including passing a required background check submitted to state officials. Artists must also hold a Baldwin County business license, collect their own sales tax, and return city tax forms to festival staff by 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.​

Setup for artist vendors will take place Friday, March 6, with last names A through N assigned to a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. window and last names M through Z assigned to a 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. window; food vendors may set up from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. the same day. The festival provides overnight security at the site from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday, but requires all tents to be weighted with at least 80 pounds at each corner due to frequent wind near the beach.​

Organizers express appreciation for participating artists and note that an Artists’ Hospitality Tent will offer a light breakfast on Saturday, along with water, soft drinks, and snacks throughout the weekend. Each artist will receive a wristband granting access to the tent, and volunteers will be available as booth sitters and water carriers.

To highlight Americana music, the festival will again host a Fiddle and Banjo Competition open to all ages, with entries due by February 15, 2026. The contest will be held Sunday, March 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and each contestant must play two songs and may have one accompanist on a different instrument. Judges will score performances on rhythm and timing, authenticity and taste, creativity, execution, and overall expression.

A total of $4,000 in cash prizes will be awarded, with 2,000 dollars in the fiddle category and $2,000 in the banjo category. In each category, youth contestants ages 12 and under can win $100 for first place, $75 for second, and $50 for third, while junior contestants ages 13 to 18 can earn $200, $150, and $100. Adult contestants ages 19 and older will compete for $600, $425, and $300, and organizers say the judges' decisions will be final.​

For more information, visit theBallyhoo Festival website.