‘Sand In My Boots' fest brings $70M impact to South Baldwin, but event's future uncertain
UPDATE: No foul play suspected in death of woman at Pensacola Publix
The big beach in Gulf Shores is 'almost' back to normal. The final remnants of the 'Sand in my Boots' festival are slowly disappearing.
'I'm just glad to have it back,' said Susan Parker, now able to set up her beach chair on her favorite stretch of sand.
By all accounts, this year's festival was a huge success, pumping an estimated $70 million into the South Baldwin economy. 'It was a very good year for them, it was a very good year for our city, a very good year for all of us and to try and build on that and maintain that is going to be all of our goals,' said Gulf Shores City spokesman Grant Brown.
The current franchise agreement with festival organizers expired with the end of 'Sand in my Boots,' and now the decision to be made is whether that was the final curtain for the festival or if it will return, and if it does, what that will look like. 'It doesn't matter to me whatever they do. I just miss having the beach access for the month of May,' said Parker.
'There weren't a lot of bad things that went on,' said newcomer Robin Colbert. 'I didn't see any kind of horrible stuff, so people were pretty respectful of the beach and the area. A lot of mixed feelings, I guess.'
A public meeting is expected to happen in the next couple of weeks to hear the pros and cons from local residents and business owners. But, for now, the stages are gone, and the music has been replaced with the sound of the surf. Whether all that returns next year is still up in the air.
UPDATE: Mobile police investigating deadly crash as homicide; man found with gunshot wound
A decision will have to be made soon. The clock is already ticking on next year's planning for music festivals around the country.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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