Event
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo hosts the Harvest Moon Festival on September 26, featuring after-hours access, animal activities, and a glow party.
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is holding the Harvest Moon Festival on Saturday, September 26. The event runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and includes after-hours access to the entire zoo.
Tickets include nocturnal animal activities, an interactive hay maze, animal ambassador meet and greets, a s'mores station, bounce houses, and a DJ glow party. Adult admission costs $15, while children ages 3-17 pay $10. Zoo member adults pay $10, and zoo member children ages 3-17 pay $5. Children aged 2 and under attend for free. Food truck items, popcorn, and drinks cost extra beyond the ticket price.
The festival will take place rain or shine, with activities moved inside the event center pavilion if it rains. All ticket sales are final and no refunds will be issued. Some animals may not be on exhibit during the Harvest Moon Festival because of their normal sleep schedules.
The Harvest Moon Festival at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 26.
Check the weather before heading out. Since activities move inside if it rains, the event is weather-independent. Bring cash for food truck items, popcorn, and drinks, as these cost extra beyond the ticket price.
The zoo is home to more than 250 animals and is a non-profit organization. A portion of the proceeds from the 2026 Harvest Moon Festival will be donated to the SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) American Red Wolf Program. The zoo cares for red wolves until they are ready to be paired for breeding or released into the wild. The zoo received two red wolf brothers named Jenkins and Walker.
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo offers venue rentals for weddings, private events, and birthday parties. The zoo also offers school groups, community outreach, and interactive learning programs.
Newsroom
The beach festival that reshapes Gulf Shores every May did not happen in 2026. Neither did the event that replaced it in 2025. The city has been working towards a return in 2027.
Who reported this
Senior Editor
Brandi grew up in Foley and has covered Baldwin County for fourteen years, long enough to remember this beach before the Beach Express toll came off and after two direct hurricane hits. Her beat is the detail that costs a reader money when it is wrong: which city an access belongs to, what the parking rules changed to, what a storm actually closed.
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