THE DISH

BIG, SMALL, EAT THEM A L L SH RIMP ALL OUT

For almost 50 years, the National Shrimp Festival has been dishing out shrimp, shrimp, and more shrimp

to thousands of hungry folks. Never been? Here are five reasons you should check it out this fall.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BIG DREAMZ CREATIVE

LACE UP, THEN FILL UP MAK E A RUN FOR IT The aroma of myriad dishes (both sweet and savory) saturating the air surrounding the Shrimp Festival should be enough to get you moving pretty quickly in that direction, but add some additional activity by signing up for the event’s 5k and 10k races. All proceeds benefit charities around coastal Alabama. Fried shrimp, steamed shrimp, boiled shrimp, shrimp kabobs, coconut shrimp, shrimp and grits, shrimp etouffee, barbecue shrimp, grilled shrimp. This is not an excerpt from the “favorite things” list of ForrestGump’s lovably shrimpobsessed pal Bubba. It’s a sampling of the many delicious variations on this seafood theme awaiting you and your taste buds at the 47st annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores on October 11-14, presented by Zataran’s and held mere steps from the sandy beach and the surf. But we do have a list for you, one that outlines the reasons why you should be making plans now to attend this popular event.

Find details about this huge event and all it offers myshrimpfest.com

-The food-The family fun-

Fill up the kids with the afore-mentioned food and then encourage some self-expression at the festival’s Children’s Activity Village where children can create their own works of art as well as play games. The sand sculpture contest will capture the imagination of the entire family as teams in different age categories transform sand into magical, majestic and just plain massive figures in a battle for bragging rights and a trophy. (In the “family” and “adult” categories, there’s actually $100 cash prize up for grabs.) And there’s always music floating in the air along with the shrimpy scents, thanks to all-day schedules packed with live music being played on multiple stages.

When it comes to ways to enjoy shrimp, if you can imagine it, you can probably find it here. Food vendors offer everything from tried-and-true favorites to -The fall weatherdishes that get creative with the event’s namesake Autumn’s cooler temps and pleasant breezes make October an crustacean. (How about some basil shrimp or Shrimp ideal month to explore the festival and the entire Gulf Shores Santorini?) And if for some unfathomable reason you and Orange Beach area. don’t like shrimp, there are non-shrimp options as well, classic festival favorites like barbecue, corndogs, nachos, funnel cakes and more. Plus, there are cooking demos and a restaurant challenge that pits area chefs in a competition that leads to the World Food Championship. -The fine art funky O 6 Period. For all people, all ages, all appetites. -it's freestuff-

While the event’s rows and rows of food vendors all in a seaside setting would surely draw crowds on their own, the festival has much more to offer. Its diverse selection of arts and crafts and fine art in more than 100 booths has become a major part of its appeal. Oil paintings, jewelry, pottery, candles, furniture and many other items are on display and for sale.

Haunted

Get closer to ghosts of the past at Old Cahawba Archaeological Park. History

PINK YOUR RIDE

BY JENNIFER STEWART KORNEGAY

O U T S I D E AL

Once Alabama's state capital (18201826), Cahawba became a ghost town shortly after the Civil War.

Cahawba was once Alabama’s state capital (1820-1826) and a thriving antebellum town. It became a ghost town shortly after the Civil War. Today, it is an important archaeological site.

photography by Big Dreamz Creative

WATCH your step.

Old Cahawba's most famous ghost story, Pegue’s ghost, originated during the Civil War years.

Generic ghost stories are everywhere. But a haunt that has roots in a rich history is much more thrilling. If you’re

after a fright of this type, check out Old Cahawba Archaeological Park, near Selma.

Cahawba was Alabama’s first permanent state capital, a title it held from 1820-1826. Once a vibrant antebellum town, it has since fallen to ruin and faded to memory; mammoth trees dripping with Spanish moss now stand sentinel alongside lonely columns. Yet the things long forgotten still linger. The outlines of once-tended-to gardens, the inscriptions chiseled into tombstones overlooking graves.

Remnants of the life the spot once held have been scaring up some spooky tales for decades. Staff and visitors commonly hear whispered voices in thin air as well as other eerie sounds, like children laughing where no children are present. But there were children in the town at one time. Right before the Civil War broke out, Cahawba was home to 3,000 residents. And even they experienced some unsettling events, hinting at the area’s deeper roots. The story of Pegue’s ghost, an apparition said to float through a grouping of cedars at the site, dates back to the 1860s. (Some have claimed to see the glowing orb again recently.)

Cahawba was built on mystery. In 1819, when the town was planned, founders discovered remains of another town, a Mississippian Indian village that popped up in the 1500s and then disappeared only one generation later. The location has also witnessed multiple intersections, making it a confluence that seemingly holds some otherworldly power. Two rivers (the Cahaba and the Alabama) join at the spot; several cultures (European settlers, Native Americans and later, African Americans) converged; and later, Union and Confederate troops clashed.

Legendary haunts don't just happen in the graveyard at Old Cahawba. Remnants of the life the spot once held have been scaring up some spooky tales for decades.

Frightening

FUN

Check out Old Cahawba on Facebook to find times you can visit and details on tours, including special Haunted History Tours coming up on October 20 and 27. These tours are the only time the general public can experience the site after dark and include guided transport to some of the site’s most haunted spots and an investigation by Alabama Paranormal Research Group.

St. Luke's Church

DISCOVER

what once was

Today, it’s a ghost town in every sense of the phrase. It was largely abandoned by its people shortly after the Civil War, when a massive flood devastated the town. By the early 1900s, most of its structures were gone, burned or purposely dismantled. Perhaps the land itself has held onto its yesterdays in a way that’s stirring up the supernatural.

Or maybe it’s all hooey. Maybe the glimpses of strange shadows and perceptions of odd sounds that send neck hairs straight up are just in people’s heads. You can explore the grounds to see for yourself. Walk through native vegetation like scuppernong vines and prickly pear trees, the same kinds of plants that helped sustain residents when provisions ran low. Marvel at the Gothic architecture of the still-standing St. Luke’s Church. Meander through the Crocheron Columns, all that’s left of a mansion where Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forest and Union General James Wilson worked out a prisoner exchange after the Battle of Selma. Wander among the town’s cemetery and read its moss-covered headstones.

While haunted encounters cannot be guaranteed, one thing is for sure, an alluring discovery of Old Cahawba’s special heritage and unique spot in our state’s history, is.

Learn more about Old Cahawba and plan a visit (if you dare) at cahawba.com

Meander through the Crocheron Columns, all that’s left of a mansion where Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forest and Union General James Wilson worked out a prisoner exchange after the Battle of Selma.

PINK YOUR RIDE