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Flora-Bama Interstate Mullet Toss and Gulf Coast's Greatest Beach Party

8:32 PM, Apr. 26, 2012

At the end of each April, thousands converge on the Flora-Bama Lounge & Package in Perdido Key for the annual Interstate Mullet Toss. / News Journal file photo

Written by

Julio Diaz

Filed Under

Front Page

Music and entertainment scheduleToday• 8 a.m.: Mullet Toss opens.
• 10 a.m. : The Rez on the Tent Stage.
• 11 a.m.: Ken Lamert in the main room.
• Noon: Mark Sherrill in the main room.
• 1 p.m.: J. Hawkins Band in the Bama Dome.
• 3 p.m.: Bo Roberts/Chris Newberry in the main room.
• 3 p.m.: Ms. Mullet Bikini Contest.
• 5:30 p.m.: Jack Robertson Show in the Bama Dome.
• 6 p.m.: Troy Brannon Duo in the main room.
• 6:30 p.m.: Wayne Mills Band on the Tent Stage.
• 10 p.m.: Adam Holt Band in the Bama Dome.
• 10:30 p.m.: Hurricane Warning in the main room.
• 10:30 p.m. Jason Sturgeon on the Tent Stage.
Saturday• 8 a.m.: Mullet Toss opens.
• 10 a.m.: Albert Simpson in the Bama Dome.
• 10 a.m.: Cornbred on the Tent Stage.
• 11 a.m.: Al & Cathy in the main room.
• 1 p.m.: Hung Jury in the Bama Dome.
• 2:30 p.m.: Wayne Mills Band on the tent stage.
• 3 p.m.: Lea Anne & Rick in the main room.
• 3 p.m. Ms. Mullet Bikini Contest.
• 5:30 p.m.: Jack Robertson Show in the Bama Dome.
• 7 p.m.: Ryan B's Bowling Buddies on the Tent Stage.
• 7 p.m.: Troy Brannon Duo in the main room.
• 8:30 p.m.: Elaine Petty & Rhonda Hart in the main room.
• 10 p.m.: Adam Holt Band in the Bama Dome.
• 10:30 p.m.: Jason Sturgeon on the Tent Stage.
Sunday• 8 a.m.: Mullet Toss opens.
• 8 a.m.: Worship @ the Water on the Tent Stage.
• 11 a.m.: Al & Cathy in the main room.
• 11 a.m.: TBA in the main room.
• 11:30 a.m.: Wayne Mills Band on the Tent Stage.
• 2 p.m.: Big Muddy in the main room.
• 3 p.m.: Lea Anne & Rick in the main room.
• 3 p.m.: Ms. Mullet Bikini Contest.
• 3 p.m.: Ryan Sturgeon on the Tent Stage.
• 6 p.m.: Lucky Doggs in the Bama Dome.
• 6:30 p.m.: Jezebel's Chill'n in the Main Room.
• 8 p.m.: Ryan B's Bowling Buddies on the Tent Stage.
• 10 p.m.: Dave & J.J. & Nick in the main room.
• 10 p.m.: Foxy Iguanas in the Bama Dome.
• 10 p.m.: Shauna P. in the main room.

Mullet Toss rules• Tossers throw a whole mullet, weighing about 1 pound, across the Florida-Alabama state line.
• If you plan to toss, you’ll register on the beach. There’s a $15 entry fee, which includes an official Interstate Mullet Toss T-shirt.
• You’re tossing that bad boy bare-handed: No gloves are allowed and you may not dust your mullet in sand, salt, bread crumbs or anything else. No, you can’t just clean, fry and eat it on the beach, either.
• Don’t be a litterbug! After you’ve throuwn that mullet that you pulled out of the water bucket, chase it down and put it back. It’s like replacing your divot, except you’re not Bubba Watson and there’s no caddy to do it for you.
• You’ll be throwing from a 10-foot circle down a designated alley. Try not to slap a spectator with your fish — save that for Monty Python.
• Stepping out of circle during your throw and follow through will result in disqualification. If you can’t do it in bowling, you can’t do it here.
• Likewise, throwing your mullet out of bounds is an automatic disqualification. It’s the fish-tossing equivalent of throwing a gutter ball. And you only get one chance, so don’t miss!

On the last full weekend of April on the Gulf Coast, thousands of people flock to the Flora-Bama Lounge & Package Store on Perdido Key, right on the Florida-Alabama state line, with a single goal: To see who can fling a fish the farthest.

Okay, so flinging fish isn’t the ONLY reason people go to the Flora-Bama Intestate Mullet Toss and Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party, which returns to the sandy Perdido Key Gulf beaches this weekend. But it does make a dandy excuse for a party.

The participants in the hallowed tradition of tossing mullet line up to step into a 10-foot circle on the Alabama side of the line to throw their fish with all of their might across the line into Florida. (Some of them might be tossing prodigious mullet hairdos, as well, but it’s not a requirement.)

Prizes are awarded in multiple categories — there are even categories for the little ones and the physically challenged — and the money raised (that’s right, you pay for the privilege of grabbing a slimy dead fish, barehanded, and chucking it as far as you can) benefits a variety of charities.

More than $20,000 has been given to charity each year in the past, and the Mullet Toss organizers especially like to support youth organizations.

But lest you think flingin’ fish is the only thing on the agenda, think again. The weekend will be chock full of live music, entertainment, bikini contests and plenty of food and beverages — adult and otherwise.

It’s a Pensacola tradition. Don’t ask, just embrace it. And by it, we mean that loveable dead fish. You know you want to throw it.

Actual mullet throwing will start about noon today and about 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, with local celebrities taking their turns on the pitch about noon each day.

Mullet Toss rules

• Tossers throw a whole mullet, weighing about 1 pound, across the Florida-Alabama state line.

• If you plan to toss, you’ll register on the beach. There’s a $15 entry fee, which includes an official Interstate Mullet Toss T-shirt.

• You’re tossing that bad boy bare-handed: No gloves are allowed and you may not dust your mullet in sand, salt, bread crumbs or anything else. No, you can’t just clean, fry and eat it on the beach, either.

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• Don’t be a litterbug! After you’ve thrown that mullet that you pulled out of the water bucket, chase it down and put it back. It’s like replacing your divot, except you’re not Bubba Watson, and there’s no caddy to do it for you.

• You’ll be throwing from a 10-foot circle down a designated alley. Try not to slap a spectator with your fish — save that for Monty Python.

• Stepping out of the circle during your throw and follow through will result in disqualification. If you can’t do it in bowling, you can’t do it here.

• Likewise, throwing your mullet out of bounds is an automatic disqualification. It’s the fish-tossing equivalent of throwing a gutter ball. And you only get one chance, so don’t miss!

Parking

Let’s just play this straight: The Mullet Toss is a hugely popular event, and there isn’t much parking around the Flora-Bama.

So you’re going to want to look at carpooling and/or taking a shuttle or cab into the actual party.

If you’ve just gotta park at the ’Bama, limited parking is available for $10 in the beach lot while it lasts. That money is shared with area charities.

Shuttle bus rides are $3, and the shuttles pick up and drop off at Publix in Orange Beach, Ala., and at Winn-Dixie in Perdido Key.

Shuttles run starting at 9 a.m. daily.

On the Alabama side of the line, taxi service is available from Gulf Beach Express, (251) 981-1658 (offering $5 rides); Yellow Cab, (251) 948-TAXI; and A-1 Taxi, (251) 981-9300.

More Mullet Toss info

Visit www.florabama.com or call the ’Bama at 492-0611. The Flora-Bama Lounge and Package Store is at 17401 Perdido Key Drive.

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