Fish to Fly Again at Flora-Bama’s Mullet Toss

Mark your calendars now for Thursday, April 25. That’s when the Flora-Bama’s strange but popular rite of spring, the 29th annual Mullet Toss, gets under way. The iconic roadhouse’s curious celebration continues daily through Sunday, April 28, with a bikini contest, a keg toss, and a tug of war in addition to the mullet-throwing contests. For the uninitiated, a mullet (not to be confused with a bad haircut) is a kind of fish, and a mullet toss, according to the Flora-Bama Mullet Toss F.A.Q., “consists of individuals on the beach throwing a mullet, from a 10-foot circle in Alabama across the state line into Florida.” The winners, in categories based on age and gender, are the ones who toss their fish the farthest. (Some past champions have thrown their fish up to 150 feet.) There is a $10 daily admission charge for spectators, and an additional $15 entry fee for those who want to toss a mullet. Contestants also receive a Mullet Toss T-shirt. Proceeds for the event, officially dubbed the Flora-Bama Interstate Mullet Toss and Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party, go to local youth charities. By the way, the used mullets (frozen, not fresh) don’t go to waste. They’re fed to the local seagulls. For more information on the Flora-Bama Mullet Toss, go to www.florabama.com or   call 850-492-0611. Listings for accommodations in the area are just a click or two away at our Gulf Shores vacation rentals, Orange Beach vacation rentals, and Perdido Key vacation rentals pages. Book today and take advantage of one of the spring specials offered by local property management companies.

Published on Tuesday, April 2, 2013