Brought to you by Chuck’s Fish in Mobile and Dharma Blue in Pensacola

With May Day upon us, we have lots in store. This week’s Top Five Things to Do in May is front-loaded for the first half of the month. Keep up with each week’s entertaining things to do throughout the Scenic 98 Coastal area featured in Tidbits and Best Bets in Wednesday’s newsletter and on our website at scenic98coastal.com. Thank you to the good folks at Chuck’s Fish and Dharma Blue for sponsoring Top Five each month!

Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival: Apr 30 – May 2

Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival, OWA Parks & Resort, Foley, AL 

Named the 2021 Event of the Year by the Alabama Department of Tourism, the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival is the spot for high-flying adventure and family fun. Enjoy the entertainment, arts and crafts displays, and more at the festival site daily. Balloon flights, glows, and tethered rides (weather permitting) add to the fun at dawn and dusk. Admission is FREE!

VIP Packages are available for purchase. Click Here to find out more!

Gulf Coast Classic Fly Fishing Festival: May 1 - 2

Gulf Coast Classic Fly Fishing Festival, Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL

The 4^th Annual Gulf Coast Classic fly-fishing festival at the Learning Campus of Gulf State Park will feature seminars on locations, tactics, species, conservation programs, fly tying, as well as the Mixed Bag Challenge, which is free with Classic registration. Guide services, fly tackle suppliers, two fly fishing publications, local & regional artists, as well as several fly fishing & conservation organizations from across the region will feature exhibits. Many of the region’s top fly tiers will also be on hand, demonstrating their favourite patterns.

Registration is ongoing. Click Here to find out more. 

Fairhope Rotary Steak Cookoff: May 9

Fairhope Rotary Steak Cookoff, Fairhope Avenue, Fairhope, AL

The 2026 Fairhope Rotary Steak Cookoff, also known as “Fairhope’s Premier Street Party!”, will see 40 Cook Teams compete for a variety of awards, including the People’s Choice Awards selected by the annual 3,000+ in attendance. Booth by booth, teams will be grilling up Piggly Wiggly steaks for you to sample and enjoy along with live music and a fantastic family atmosphere. Kids 12 and under get in free!

Passes are still available. Click Here to find out more. 

Orange Beach Billfish Classic: May 12 - 16

Orange Beach Billfish Classic, The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL 

The Orange Beach Billfish Classic was formed in 1996 and quickly became a top event on the Gulf Coast, serving as a major fundraiser for The Billfish Foundation. Since its inception, the OBBC has donated over $1,050,000 to TBF and other qualified conservation organizations. The OBBC includes tuna, wahoo, and dolphin (mahi) in its optional cash categories but is primarily a blue marlin tournament and traditionally attracts first-rate, competitive fishing teams with a passion for sportfishing from across the Gulf of Mexico. Prize money, not including optional cash categories, pays out to landed blue marlin and catch-and-release billfish.

Registration is still open. Click Here to find out more.

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening: May 8

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, Saenger Theatre, Mobile, AL

With the latest run of dates playing to packed houses and earning rave reviews from fans across the country, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening (JBLZE) is set to return to the road for another round of must-see performances celebrating the legendary catalog of Led Zeppelin.

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening (JBLZE) was founded in 2010, packing venues coast-to-coast and supporting everyone from Heart to Kid Rock. A spectacle of top-flight musicianship, Rolling Stone hailed its “set of Led Zep gems that were strikingly faithful to the originals.”

Tickets are still available. Click Here for more information.