Gulf Marine Education Festival

Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival

Celebrate the Gulf Marine Education Festival was first established in 1991 to teach residents and visitors about the importance of the Gulf of Mexico. The festival is held the first Saturday in April under the beautiful canopy of the live oak trees in Memorial Park in Pass Christian, Mississippi in conjunction with our sister festival, Art in the Pass. Join us and our 35+ exhibitors to learn about everything from our upland habitats and wildlife to the recreational and commercial services that the Gulf of Mexico provides! Come get a festival poster signed by our winning artist, and talk to our Student Science Showcase winners to learn about the science local students are doing in our community. Stop by our Registration tent to help your school win our School Attendance Award. We will have live animal shows, free family caricatures and photo booths, and tons of activities for kids of all ages. Come join us in celebrating our Gulf on the first Saturday in April!

Poster Contest
Enter our annual poster contest for the chance to have your artwork as part of the Celebrate the Gulf festival poster series! We encourage all artists, both amateur and professional, to submit an original poster design that depicts the conservation, recreational, or the scenic qualities of Mississippi’s coastal resources. The winning artist will be awarded $250.00 and ten posters. The artwork chosen will be printed as the official festival poster and the artist will sign the posters the day of the festival. Additionally, the artwork may be used as the artwork for the festival t-shirt.

Children's Art Contest
Celebrate the Gulf is hosting its annual Children’s Art Contest! We encourage all children in grade K-8th to submit an original design that depicts the conservation, recreation, or the scenic qualities of Mississippi’s coastal resources. Art submissions will be judged according to grade of artist. The winning artwork will be featured at the festival and awards will be given out at the festival to the winning artists.

Student Science Showcase
The Student Science Showcase is an exciting opportunity for students to showcase the science they are doing at their school, in their community, or at their home. This gives students the opportunity to present their works to the MS Gulf Coast community. This is a wonderful opportunity for young scientists to grow through experience and be recognized for their work. Projects from individuals or groups between the grades of 5th through 12th will be selected by our committee to showcase their science at the Celebrate the Gulf festival in April. Projects selected will receive a Celebrate the Gulf t-shirt and meals will be provided throughout the day.