Thread: Hangout Fest Weekend?

How are the crowds during the hangout fest weekend? Are they comparable to or worse than memorial weekend and July 4? Just trying to get an idea of how the festival impacts travel and the pier.

Don't wory about crowds on the pier, these people came for the party. As for travel, cut through the park if coming down HWY 59 because there will be road closures at the end of 59.

I made a trip down there last year during hangout fest, never again, as john g said the pier wont be crowded, but everything else is horrible, not to mention last years crowd of young holligans were obnoxious, though it was funny watching the cops clothesline one off a bike when he decided to ride onto the pier with it while drinking a beer

I have noticed the parking lot at the pier crowded with people parking there and walking to the Hangout from there. Got there before daylight one year and saw some guy passed out on the beach to the west of the pier sleeping it off coiled up in the sand.

If you are local and just driving in to fish, just arrive early before the partiers are even thinking about being awake.

If you are out of town thinking about coming down & staying for the weekend, avoid it like the plague.
If I was an "tourist" I woudn't come near the beach on Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July, Labor Day weekend or Shrimpfest weekend.

It's even going to get worse with the new amusement park opening on the beach express road and next year when our ex governor's conference center opens up next to the pier. We can't seem to get the boards on the pier replaced but we do get the hotel.

I came down during Shrimpfest 2 years ago and I thought my head would explode. Getting from West Beach to J&M seemed like an hour trip. You couldn't go anywhere without fighting traffic. Early in the day was definitely better.

If you are coming in on a holiday weekend and plan to fish the pier, get acomodations in Orange Beach. You don't have the closed roads and detours to put up with.

bill a place as paradise and you'll get visitors aplenty. i agree with my time spent (as a visitor who also adds to the traffic) that it can be inconvenient, but what do we really have going on than relaxing and going to places we what to go, like j&m, the pier, the beach, grabbing a beer at a local spot etc...

i agree it can be frustrating but the wonderful place that gs/ob offers us, along with a little patience is WAY better than time spent in other destinations...for me in particular my time spent above the tree line on this great planet. i can say without a doubt zero mackerel were caught.

Parking is going to be even worse this summer because of CC workers using the parking lot.