No foaling around: Horses deserve a holiday as much as we do. New Orleans’ Human Horse Races leave the horses in the stalls to chillax while the humans are saddled with racing duties. Yes, it’s a real event. Every Thanksgiving. Via NOLA Vie offers this history of the event. The story is from 2021, and some details within may pertain to just that year, so be sure to check the event listing. Bottom line: if you seek a spur-of-the-moment holiday trip, trot on down to this mane event.   – Editor

Have you ever dreamed of waking up and instantly falling under the spell of a man wearing a horse’s head, as did the Fairy Queen Titania in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream? Or, like a child, dreamily circling a carousel in the saddle of a steed, grasping its reins? Even perhaps galloping ’round a golden meadow with a colorfully painted horse’s head atop a pogo stick?

Well, then, Human Horse Races may rouse your vivid imagination. Human Horse Races is a community event intended to support injured or retired horses while having a jolly good time.

Makeup artist Ingrid Anderson came up with the novel concept for an alternative Thanksgiving outing so participants can still have an opportunity to show off their finery and fabulous chapeaux while leaving the horses to relax in their stalls.

The post ⚜️ Stirrup Some Fun This Thanksgiving at NOLA’s Human Horse Races appeared first on Go Gulf States.

When the first French colonists arrived in 1699 to what they would call Billocsi after the local Native America tribe they found there, the area now known as Biloxi, Mississippi, has always been a popular landing spot for explorers and fishermen alike.

The sleepy little Mississippi port really didn’t come into its own, however, until the early 19th century, and even then there were few Mississippians that lived along the coast. Those that did live there eked out a living as fisherman, supplying the local population with some of the most succulent shrimp and plumpest oysters that mankind had ever tasted.

Still, no matter how succulent the shrimp and plump the oysters, fishermen still made little money because they couldn’t ship their catches very far without fear of it spoiling. Three things would change all that by the mid-1800s: the coming of the railroad, the invention of artificial ice, and the acumen of a few local Biloxi businessmen.

Mississippi’s Cannery Row

In 1872 the L&N Railroad established Biloxi as a flag stop on its line that ran the Gulf Coast from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana. Around the same time, machines were invented that would make artificial ice for refrigeration and keep food from spoiling so quickly.

Seeing this as an opportunity, Biloxi businessmen Lazaro Lopez, F. William Elmer, W. K. M. Dukate, William Gorenflo, and James Maycock collectively brought together $8,000 and opened the first oyster packing business in Biloxi – Lopez, Elmer & Company – in 1881. Located on Back Bay Biloxi’s Reynoir Street, they canned not only oysters, but also shrimp, and even sold raw oysters in bulk, all supplied by the abundant waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Biloxi Bohemians

After taking a trip to Baltimore, Maryland to learn more about the seafood industry, W. K. M. Dukate was impressed by the work ethic of the Bohemian immigrants working in the industry there. As a result, Dukate and his partners worked out a way to transport some of the Bohemian workers from Baltimore to Biloxi, and the first workers arrived on January 11, 1890. The workers lived in rows of little shotgun shacks built for them by Biloxi factory owners. Though they weren’t paid much, the Bohemians would continue to migrate to Biloxi for the next 28 years and become a great benefit to the Biloxi seafood industry.

When the Bohemians first arrived in there in 1890, Biloxi canneries were processing two million pounds of oysters and 614,000 pounds of shrimp a year. Those numbers would triple just two years later with a dozen canneries reporting a combined catch of nearly six million pounds of oysters and 4.5 million pounds of shrimp. With a population of around 8,000 people, Biloxi was processing so much seafood in 1903 that it became known as the “The Seafood Capital of the World.”

By 1930, Biloxi’s canneries reported that 20,000,000 cans of oysters and shrimp and 17,000 gallons of raw oysters had been shipped out of the city that year. That same year, local citizens got together and created the Seafood Festival to honor the importance of the industry to Biloxi and the vital part it played in the economy of the Mississippi Gulf Coast economy as well as the cultural fabric of Biloxi.

 

Biloxi Today

When the state legalized casino gambling in the 1990s, it seemed that the high-rise, high-rolling resorts would begin to overshadow the seafood industry. In fact, with the influx of construction crews, hospitality workers, and tourist gamblers, the new gold rush instead helped to stabilize the seafood business, with casino kitchens understanding the value of this fresh, local food source. Although it may no longer be the Seafood Capital of the World it was 100 years ago, the seafood industry still plays a big part in Biloxi today.

While shifting industries, populations, and hurricanes have all had an impact on Biloxi’s seafood production, the most consistent champion for the business has been the presence of local families devoted to the cause. Local history museums are loaded with stories of generations of these families involved in seafood.

Surnames as diverse as Lesso, Mavar, Rosetti, Gallott (responsible for ushering in the area’s Vietnamese fisherfolk), and Desporte stretch way back, some to the mid-1800s and are still essential players in harvesting, packaging, shipping, retail, and restaurants today. Thanks to this solid family backbone, Biloxi’s seafood processors are some of the largest in the country, with clients spread across the globe.

Plus, the annual Biloxi Seafood Festival continues to celebrate the city’s rich culture, heritage, and connection to the seafood industry. The event is held every year on the second weekend of September, and attendees come from all over to enjoy live entertainment, arts & crafts, kids activities, and some of the best seafood on the Gulf Coast.

See ’Em at the Museum

So by now you’re probably wondering how I know all of this stuff about Biloxi. Well, I learned it by exploring the 300 years of history, heritage, and culture that you can find at Biloxi’s Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum.

Over six galleries at the museum take you from the diverse environment of the Mississippi coastal wetlands, to an exhibit on canning factories, to a giant hall filled with some of the most beautiful wooden boats and schooners to ever sail Mississippi’s abundant Gulf waters.

If you’re feeling a little more “hands-on,” then it’s all hands on deck at the museum which offers chartered cruises aboard local schooners for up to 44 people. For the landlubbers among you, they also offer “Walk on Sail” tours, where weekly Sea & Sail Adventure summer camps are also available for your little mariners aged 6 to 12 to learn about sailing a schooner, boating safety, and the rules of the sea. 🌊

More of a roadtripper than a seafarer, Stephanie Stuckey is the CEO of Stuckey’s, the iconic roadside stop that’s been selling pecans and pecan treats since 1937.

If You’re Going, Go! Gulf States & Stuckey’s

Are you planning a road trip to Coastal Mississippi or just passing through? Then check out more fun things to see and do along America’s Third Coast at Go! Gulf States.

No matter where you’re going in the Gulf States this season, be sure to take Stuckey’s along with you. We’ve got all of your favorite road trip snacks like our iconic Stuckey’s Pecan Log Rolls and Pecan Pralines.

If it’s along America’s third coast, let Go! Gulf States and Stuckey’s help get you where you’re going.

Stuckey’s – We’re Making Road Trips  Fun Again!

The post When Biloxi Was the Seafood Capital of the World appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Scott Gold’s modest King Cake proposal had us not only guffawing, but also in serious crave mode. Dang it, as if the countdown after Christmas isn’t tough enough – the tantalizing tick-tock that there are 12 more days to countdown before King Cake is available. He makes a good argument, but still manages to taunt tastebuds. For those of us in non-Mardi Gras cities (can you believe there are such things?), not only do we have to wait for January 6, but we also have to endure the indignity of shipping.   – Editor

Gather round, my children, and let the gnarled old sage tell you of a time long ago in New Orleans, in that paleolithic era known as “the early 1980’s.” It was a simple time, back when Emeril had a last name and was known only as a local restaurant chef, when Maison Blanche still operated out of a storefront on Canal Street, and the idea of the Saints ever making it to the Super Bowl was considered a fantasy as far fetched and unlikely as the development of cold fusion or interstellar travel. Also, people who took pictures of their food at this time were considered to be “touched in the head.” Oh, how the world has changed, my young friends.

Back then in New Orleans, too, even king cake was different. It was a simple carnival treat, and not the platform for unabashed decadence and excess it has become today. Back then, they were massive circular loaves of dense, doughy, vaguely cinnamon-inflected bread topped with granular sugar colored purple, green and gold.

For many years, this is what “king cake” meant to me as a child, and as you can imagine, I wasn’t much of a fan. Why gnaw on what seemed to be six baguettes worth of bread when you can have doberge cake or buttermilk drops? It was, to my mind, the red-headed stepchild of New Orleans baked goods. Then, one glorious day, I tasted a cream cheese stuffed Haydel’s king cake, and my entire king cake worldview encountered an intense paradigm shift.

Since that time, king cakes have been getting steadily more elaborate and creative, with bakers insisting each Carnival season on a kind of good natured one-upsmanship that, for the most part, has resulted in king cakes with ingenious new flavor combinations, frostings and fillings. (This is consistent, of course, with the New Orleans bushido of excess.)

The post ⚜️ Peak King Cake Season Means Serious Carnival Craving appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Well folks, here we are in the midst of another holiday season. That means it’s time once again for Christmas lights, Mariah Carey only wanting you for Christmas, and pirates on parade.

“Wait a minute,” you’re probably saying to yourself now, “Did they just say ‘pirates on parade’?”

Yes. Yes we did.

That’s because it’s that time once again for the annual Pirates of Fish River Christmas Parade in Baldwin County, Alabama.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Though pirates parading down the river may seem a bit unusual, Christmas boat parades are all over the Gulf Coast and have been around for years. In fact, the first Santa Claus parade in America was held in 1887 on the Illinois River in Peoria, Illinois. Assorted boats, floats and barges floated down the Illinois in celebration of the completion of a new bridge. At the end of the parade was the main attraction – Santa Claus!

The next year Peoria held a land parade through the center of the city. The guest of honor, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, has ended the parade ever since. In fact, Peoria’s parade is the oldest running Christmas parade in the world and celebrated its 137th year on November 25.

A Christmas Miracle

Along with parades and lights, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas nowadays without a Lifetime or Hallmark Channel Christmas miracle story. And if any story is a worthy Christmas miracle story, it’s the story of the Pirates of Fish River.

On September 16, 2020, Hurricane Sally, a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds, made landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Sally’s winds brought with them storm surges, freshwater flooding, and widespread destruction. Making matters worse, Sally was a slow-moving hurricane traveling inland at only 5 mph and causing even more sustained destruction. 

One of the Gulf’s hardest hit areas was the Fish River community where Hurricane Sally caused massive flooding along the river. Many homes and vehicles that sat near the river’s banks were submerged. Power was out and local roads were impassable for many days after.

There’s an old, overused adage that says: “Every cloud has a silver lining.” For four Fish River neighbors, that silver lining was the new friendship they formed in the storm’s aftermath.
As the community came together, Charli Linn, Leah Wilkins, Mitzi Rollins, and Sayle Roberts became quick friends. Soon after, they would come to be known as “The Pirates of the Fish River.”

When COVID necessitated the cancellation of the traditional Fish River Christmas Parade, the group took action. They decided to hold their own parade – a Christmas Boat Parade. On December 5, 2020, about a dozen boats all lit up in their Christmas best set sail down the Fish River. Even a little Alabama rain wouldn’t dampen their Christmas spirit as locals stood out on their docks cheering them on. The parade was a success – a Christmas miracle in the time when COVID was playing the Grinch to everybody’s Christmas.

A Christmas Tradition

When COVID-19 cancelled the country’s 2021 Mardi Gras parades, the Pirates stepped up again with their own boat parade. By the summer of 2021, the Pirates of Fish River became an official community organization. Along with their annual boat parades, they also hold annual poker runs, river cleanups, and other get-togethers throughout the year.

This year marks the fifth year of their annual Pirates of the Fish River Christmas Parade. And they just keep getting better every year.

Previous parades have sailed 30+ boats featuring dancing dolphins, Santa’s workshop, a 12′ Christmas Pirate, and much more!

The parade will set sail at 5:30pm on December 14, 2024, from Weeks Bay at the 98 Boat Launch. The parade sails north on the Fish River for about 6.5 miles. Once it reaches the basin just past the County Rd 32 Bridge, the parade will then turn around. The journey from Weeks Bay to the turnaround takes about an hour and a half.

For more boat parades, light trails, festivities, and other holiday events, check the regularly updated Events section at Go! Gulf States to see what’s lit along America’s third coast.   🌊

No matter where you go in the Gulf States, don’t forget to check in with our friends at Go! Gulf States for lots of fun on the coast. And as you search for the special Christmas gift for that special someone, head over to Stuckeys.com. There you’ll find great Christmas gift ideas like our Stuckey’s “Merry Christmas, Y’all” holiday T-shirt. You’ll also find a variety of Stuckey’s hoodies to help keep you comfy cozy throughout the year.

What’s more, Stuckey’s has brought back the Stuckey’s Mystery Box for the holidays.  Each all-new Mystery Box includes an EXCLUSIVE Stuckey’s Santa hat. Every box is different and packed full of retro fun, but one thing’s for sure. They’ll all contain a 2 oz pecan log roll and a Santa hat. Ho Ho Ho! Enjoy!

Stuckey’s: We’re Making Road Trips (and Holidays) Fun Again!

The post 🎅🏽 Parading Pirates Light Up Alabama’s Fish River for Christmas appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Photo by Erika Nortemann/Florida Museum

Sharks, on their own, are fascinating enough for Florida students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Add artificial intelligence to the study of these creatures and their fossilized teeth, and you get Shark AI – a program that is blending paleontology and cutting-edge technology in STEM curriculums statewide. 

Funded by a $1.3-million grant from the National Science Foundation, Shark AI (also known as AI Learning in K-12 with Fossil Sharks) is a collaboration between the University of Florida’s Thompson Earth Systems Institute, UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, UF’s College of Education, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

“Sharks are the hook to get students interested and, with their simple morphology, they are easy specimens to identify using AI,” said Bruce MacFadden, Ph.D., the former director of the Thompson Earth Systems Institute and a principal investigator on the project.

The project builds on students’ natural curiosity about sharks while introducing them to customizable, standards-based lessons in computer science, engineering, and technology through tools like interactive machine learning models. 

To learn how to implement the Shark AI curriculum, 55 educators throughout Florida have participated in Scientist in Every Florida School professional development workshops on UF’s Gainesville campus for the past three years.

Florida, which is a hotspot for fossilized shark teeth, serves as an ideal backdrop for the Shark AI program.

The post When Artificial Intelligence Meets Very Real Sharks appeared first on Go Gulf States.

The post NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter Squad: More Than Meets the Eye appeared first on Go Gulf States.

The Gulf State Park Pier has officially reopened! The newly repaired pier “soft” opened on Monday, Aug. 19 to rave reviews from locals and tourists.

A proper ribbon-cutting ceremony brought together civic, business, and community leaders to officially celebrate the re-opening of iconic pier on Friday, Sep. 13, 2024. This more formal event allowed community leaders to show their appreciation for the Gulf Coast landmark. The commemoration occurred just three days shy of the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Sally, which destroyed significant portions of the pier on September 16, 2020.

The pier underwent an extensive $13.6 million renovation project that began in November, 2023. These repairs were paid with funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Deepwater Horizon Natural Resources Damage Assessment (NRDA) funds, and Alabama State Park revenues. The pier’s restaurant, gift shop, and beach access are fully operational. However, the observation deck, located above the octagon on the pier’s south end, will reopen later this season.

The post Renovations Revealed at Reopening of Gulf State Park Pier appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Our Gulf Coast is a canary in the coalmine of climate change, and there’s no better harbinger to sound the alarm than New Orleans. We’ve been intrigued and encouraged by the the city’s various Mardi Gras bead recycling initiatives, to rescue and reuse what would otherwise slide into a drain. Upcycling and recycling movements have also been adopted by many other Mardi Gras communities across the Gulf. ‘Via NOLA Vie’ student Hannah Hogan explores a few NOLA fashion retailers that are taking the commitment one step further.   – Editor

The post How to Preserve New Orleans Natural Wonder and Wear It Well appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Imagine this: A weekend dedicated to you and your squad, starting with a powerhouse women’s conference and unfolding into a perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, and sisterhood bonding. As the back-to-school rush settles, Galveston Island beckons with open arms for the ultimate girlfriend getaway starting with the 17th annual Galveston Women’s Conference at the Moody Gardens Convention Center on Friday, Sept. 13.

The conference features none other than the celebrated actress, iconic star of 80s classic Dirty Dancing, and Golden Globe nominee, Jennifer Grey, as keynote speaker. Prepare for a day brimming with inspiration, empowerment, and retail therapy at the vibrant vendor market featuring more than 150 vendors.

The vendor expo showcases health and wellness products and services, jewelry, clothing, and other merchandise. The event also features inspiring speakers, personal development opportunities, and fitness breaks.

The Galveston Women’s Conference, a one-day conference aimed to empower women and ignite entrepreneurial spirit, attracts over 1,200 participants from across the region.

The post Need an Excuse for a Girls Getaway? Head to the Galveston Women’s Conference appeared first on Go Gulf States.

Not that glorious Key Lime Pie isn’t enough! There are many other treats capable of representing the food of Florida Keys. Mango and Citrus and Conch everything, Cuban sandwiches, Bahamian BBQ, plus so much more. Cuisine of the region will take center stage in a national touring museum collaboration coming to Key West in early 2026.  – Editor

Florida Humanities, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution’s Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), has launched a new exhibition partnership program, “Exhibition Starter Kit: FOOD.” The partnership has selected the Key West Art & Historical Society as an inaugural recipient. In total, eight nonprofit organizations received funding from Florida Humanities in June 2024. These nonprofits will create exhibitions that capture local narratives on food, utilizing resources and support from the Smithsonian.

Exhibition Starter Kits provide a Smithsonian-developed framework to guide selected venues through the development of local humanities-based exhibitions using their own collections. While working on their exhibition project, funded venues will receive guidance from the Smithsonian. These venues will learn how to design and develop compelling exhibitions that highlight their local history and culture through the lens of food.

“Peeling back the layers of our local and regional food, you uncover a much larger story centering around the Key West’s diverse community,” says Dr. Cori Convertito, curator for the Society. “We are elated to have been selected by the Smithsonian and Florida Humanities to be one of eight partners in the state. It’s an opportunity to tell the abundant Florida Keys food story that has been shaped by a mixture of Indigenous, Bahamian, Cuban, and international peoples.”

The post Food Is the Main Dish as Key West Preps to Highlight Florida Keys Cuisine appeared first on Go Gulf States.