Celebrate Mardi Gras season on the Mississippi Gulf Coast with the first parade of the season in Ocean Springs.  Hosted by the Elks Lodge, nearly 100 floats grace downtown offering beads and trinkets to festival goers.Ocean Springs Night Parade hosted by the Ocean Springs Carnival Association lights up the night in downtown with floats, music and more.

Click to view the Ocean Springs Carnival Association

St Patrick’s Day is held downtown, uptown all around town each St. Patrick’s Day in Ocean Springs featuring specials at shops, galleries and restaurants. The evening time comes alive with music, drink specials and more.

Battle on the Bayou is an annual kayak race in Ocean Springs and one of the largest in the state.  For experienced and novice, the competition welcomes kayaks, canoes, and stand up paddle boards for a 9.5 mile race through Old Fort Bayou Blueways.

Spring Arts Festival held the last weekend in March is a celebration of spring and the arts with more than 100 artists, crafters and plant booths. The event is an outdoor festival set amongst the historic live oaks in downtown Ocean Springs.  Partnering with the local arts community the festival emphasizes community arts and nature.

Click here to go to the Spring Arts Festival website!

1699 Weekend of Discovery celebrates the history and discovery of Ocean Springs founded in 1699.  Hosted by the 1699 Historical Society of Ocean Springs the weekend kicks off with a full dress presentation and reception, followed by a celebration with a 5 K run/walk, special mass, boat regatta, children’s pet parade and the full dress reenactment at Fort Maurepas Park on Front Beach.

Click to view 1699 Weekend of Discovery website

Taste of Ocean Springs Food & Wine Festival celebrates the dining culture of Ocean Springs featuring savory tastes from a selection of our restaurants. In celebration of May being Food Month, we will hold Free Food Friday giveaways (visit our Facebook Page to enter!) and more.

The Annual Red, White & Blueberry Festival is a community, family-fun event held in conjunction with the Ocean Springs Fresh Market featuring numerous vendors, blueberry recipes, free vanilla ice-cream topped with blueberries and strawberries, entertaining cooking sessions and more.

July Sidewalk Sale is held each July downtown, uptown, all around town at participating businesses. For two days, participating shops, restaurants and galleries will display their summer specials in front of their businesses and inside with deals such as 20%-75% off on clothing, shoes, jewelry, artwork, toys, food, drinks and much more. Some businesses will also feature artist demonstrations and live music.

Artwalk Downtown Ocean Springs is an annual event held over Labor Day weekend showcasing a mixture of potters, painters, sculptors, and more as they partner on the sidewalks of local boutiques, galleries and restaurants in downtown.  Artists partner with local businesses to bring together creative commerce.

The Ocean Springs Artwalk gives you an opportunity to watch artist in action.  This festival that takes place every August in downtown Ocean Springs features a mixture of potters, painters, sculptors, mixed media artists, and more.  Come to the Art Walk and shop for local art, eat and drink at more than 30 restaurants, and mingle with locals and tourists alike in our small boutiques, shops and galleries.

Click here to see our Artwalk Album!

Click here for the Artwalk on Facebook

The Mississippi Songwriters Alliance hosts a series of events during the Mississippi Songwriters Festival each September. From live performances at downtown Ocean Springs venues to a hall of fame event, Ocean Springs is host to up and coming songwriters and musicians.  Visit their website at www.mssongwritersfestival.com for more information on the festival and other musical performances and programs.

Cruisin’ the Coast is an annual event hosted by the Cruisin’ the Coast committee which welcomes more than 5,000 classic cars to the Mississippi Gulf coast.  Over the course of a week, classic cars cruise around enjoying activities at different venues including three days in Ocean Springs with a Friday Night Sock Hop and Stree Party, Chics Picks Car Contest, live music and more.

Click to view the Cruisin’ the Coast website.

Each October, Ocean Springs downtown, uptown, and all around town get into the fall and festive spirit from a Fall/Halloween Decorating Contest to a Witches Ride through downtown and a trick or treat-themed haunted house at the Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center.  Dress up in Ocean Springs and enjoy children’s activities, trick or treating at the Scary C and more.

Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival presented by Blue Moon is held the first full weekend in November each year.  Known as the largest fine arts festival in the state, this event brings in more than 400 artists, crafters and food vendors, a state-wide blue moon art contest, and more than 150,000 individuals to Ocean Springs.

Each year on the first weekend of November thousands of people travel from all over the United States for The Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival. The festival was created as a way to increase public awareness of local artists and businesses and to honor master potter, Peter Anderson. What began as a small celebration by a group of local artists has now grown into one of the Southeast’s premiere arts and crafts festivals bringing more than 100,000 people to historic Ocean Springs annually. This renowned festival is now presented by Blue Moon Brewing and includes the Blue Moon Art Project competition which gives artists from across the state an opportunity to artfully create an interpretation of Blue Moon and a chance to win $2,000.

Click here to apply to the Peter Anderson Festival!

Click here to see our Peter Anderson Festival Album!

Click here to go to the Peter Anderson Festival Website!

Annual Tree Lighting is a community event held to celebrate the holiday season with the arrival of Santa Claus to town and the lighting of the town Christmas Tree.  Christmas carols, refreshments, letters to the North Pole provided by the U.S. Postal Service and more are part of this event. Visit: www.oceanspringschamber.com or @facebook.com/oceanspringschamber and click on “events”.

Holiday Open House is a celebration of holiday festivities in Ocean Springs downtown, uptown, all around town at participating shops, restaurants and galleries.  Local businesses will come alive with Christmas cheer offering holiday specials, warm refreshments, live music, Santa sightings and more during the two-day event. Visit: www.oceanspringschamber.com or @facebook.com/oceanspringschamber and click on “events”