By Toni Dabbs

Seafood lovers, rejoice! The 2005 National Shrimp Festival will be held on schedule, the first full weekend of October in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

It was a close call.

For the first time since it began in 1971, the festival was cancelled in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan struck the Alabama coast on September 16, 2004. Then, even while damage from Ivan was still being repaired, Hurricane Katrina swept through on August 29, 2005. But Alabama was spared the worst of Katrina.

"Mayor Billy Duke of the City of Gulf Shores stated that the City and its contractors will do their best to ensure that the site will be ready in time for the Shrimp Festival (October 13 to 16, 2005)," says Matt Taylor, festival chairman. "The damage inflicted by Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina will be repaired, and we will be ready by festival time."

Shrimping is big business in Alabama. Four varieties of wild shrimp are found in the waters off the state’s coast: White shrimp were the first species to be sold commercially; Brown are the most plentiful; Pink are the largest; and Royal Red are considered a delicacy.

In her book "Alabama Classics: Unique Foods, Chefs and Recipes of Alabama," Alecia Archibald writes that a typical three-ounce serving of shrimp contains 25 grams of protein and that shrimp are low in saturated fat and rich in vitamins A, B1, B2 and B12.

No wonder the annual crustacean celebration attracts about 200,000 visitors to the main public beach in Gulf Shores, located at the intersection of Highways 59 and 182, on the Gulf of Mexico. In the carnival-like atmosphere created along the boardwalk, more than 30 vendors offer shrimp boiled, grilled and fried in styles as diverse as Cajun, Chinese and Greek.

For variety, dishes based on crab, lobster, clams, scallops, octopus, squid, amberjack, grouper, and other seafood also are available, along with funnel cakes, kettle corn and ice cream.

But food alone does not make a festival. So what else contributed to the National Shrimp Festival being named one of the top 20 events in the southeastern United States and one of the top five attractions in Alabama?

Approximately 200 local, regional and national artists and craftspeople display original paintings, pottery, blown glass, jewelry and other fine wares at the festival. Also, a marketplace sells hammocks, wind chimes and other beachy items.

A Children’s Art Village captures the little ones’ interest with games, crafts and interactive activities. The Saturday sandcastle competition gives four-person teams two hours to complete award worthy sculptures. And three stages provide continuous music, ranging from gospel to hard rock, throughout the weekend.

As a year-round vacation destination, the Gulf Shores area has a number of permanent attractions that might be of special interest to National Shrimp Festival visitors.

The Gulf Shores Museum features exhibits about how hurricanes form and the devastation they can cause, as well as displays related to the shrimping industry.

Let’s Go Shrimping offers a family oriented educational experience on the back bays of nearby Orange Beach.

Blue Dolphin Cruises, also in Orange Beach, provides close encounters with dolphins and other native wildlife while comfortably cruising the inland waterways.

Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, along Highway 180 west of Gulf Shores, with its four to five miles of hiking trails, is a good place to view birds.