Gulfport, Mississippi is a city that is full of culture and history. From its seafood industry to its art scene, there is something for everyone in this charming city. One of the best ways to experience all that Gulfport has to offer is to attend one of its many food festivals. From the Biloxi Seafood Festival to the Gautier Mullet & Music Fest, there are plenty of opportunities to sample some of the best cuisine in the area.
The Biloxi Seafood Festival is an annual event that takes place on the second Saturday of April. This event features professional barbecue competition teams from across the country competing for the coveted title. In addition to the barbecue competition, there are also music, attractions for children, food vendors, crafts, and outdoor cooking products. The Magnolia State Barbeque Championship and Food Fair is another popular event in Gulfport.
This event is approved by the Kansas City Barbecue Society and takes place every year on the second weekend of April. More than sixty teams compete for the Grand Barbecue Champion and all profits go to charity. The Double Decker Arts Festival is a celebration of music, food and art in Oxford's historic Courthouse Square. This festival provides an enchanting setting for guests to mingle with painters, potters and carpenters and sample main courses from Southern chefs.
In the evening, enjoy an eclectic mix of music including jazz, funk, blues, and rock and roll. The Crab Festival is held every July at Bay St. Louis on the Mississippi coast. This festival features crab specialties, boiled and fried seafood, Cajun food, barbecue, New Orleans dishes and more.
The festival also includes games, crafts, live music, attractions and fireworks. The World Catfish Festival is one of the 20 most important events in the southeastern United States. This festival takes place every April in Belzoni and celebrates agriculture, hospitality and one of its favorite cash crops: catfish. The festival features crafts, live entertainment, a contest to eat catfish, the coronation of the queen of catfish and “the largest fried fish in the world”.
The Natchez Food & Wine Festival is held every September in Natchez. This festival includes gourmet chefs, wine tastings, a cooking contest and food tastings at several historic homes around Natchez. The festival also features delicious Southern cuisine, ethnic dishes, unique exhibits and costumes. Belhaven Nights is an end of summer tradition that celebrates everything that makes the Belhaven metropolitan area special such as art, music, activities for children and food. This event has been named one of the 20 best events in the Southeast by the Southeastern Tourism Society. The Gautier Mullet & Music Fest offers delicious Gulf Coast food, shopping, live music and the famous Mullet Toss Contest.
This exciting festival has to be held two consecutive weekends to enjoy all it has to offer. Finally, there are street food fairs, wine tasting events and food festivals in Gulfport throughout the year for all foodies who are avid students. There are also cooking workshops, baking workshops and pastry classes available.
