Mississippi Gulf Coast Harbor Fest

Come enjoy the first Annual Harbor Fest on Saturday, March 16, in Gulfport! A can’t-miss FREE admission day of fun for the whole family. Over 100 arts and crafts vendors gather under the Pavilion in Jones Park, the spacious outdoor festival venue in the Gulfport Harbor.

Bring Fido and Fluffy, too, as this is a pet-friendly festival, with the Humane Society of South Mississippi sponsoring a pet parade! You can dress up your furry friends or they can come as they are. Sign up to participate in the parade at www.hssm.org/petparade. Proceeds from the event benefit the Humane Society’s Second Chance Ward, an isolation ward for sick pets in the shelter. Or if you’d like to add a new member to your family, area rescue and adoption centers will have plenty of four-legged pals from which to choose. But keep an eye on those dogs! The Easter Bunny will be hopping along the bunny trail as he hosts an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids. Face painting, games and plenty of activity to keep the little ones entertained.

Smell BBQ wafting in the air? That’s because there’s also the first Harbor Fest BBQ Cookoff! Teams will compete in the categories of best BBQ chicken, pork ribs, beef brisket and pork shoulder/butt. Local celebrity judges award cash prizes and trophies at a 5:00 p.m. ceremony.

Festival hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Saturday, March 16. Experience the Mississippi Gulf Coast Harbor Fest during the day, then stay the night to play on! Check out www.visitmscoast.org for accommodations. For more information about Harbor Fest, go to www.ronmeyersproductions.com.