Fall in love with Mobile this February: Mardi Gras, Black History Month events + Valentine’s vacations

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As if hosting America’s original Mardi Gras isn’t enough, the calendar for Mobile this February is full of fun events extending far beyond its legendary Carnival season.

Spend the month of love in Mobile for over 40 parades and parties, Black History Month observances and dreamy Valentine’s date nights.

Good news—Mobile is only four hours from Birmingham, so you can easily take a break for a weekend trip to the coast.

Mardi Gras in Mobile

Mobile is where Mardi Gras began in America way back in 1703, and with that long tradition comes almost countless parties, balls, parades and other events.

While many other places have Mardi Gras, only Mobile has Joe Cain Day to honor the local man who revived the city’s Mardi Gras traditions just after the Civil War. The legend goes that Cain rallied the town’s spirit in 1866 with a one-man parade dressed as a fictional character, “Chief Slacabamarinico.”

Mardi Gras in Mobile – America’s Original Carnival Celebration

Mobile’s Mardi Gras celebrations center on downtown and emanate throughout the city and the entire Gulf Coast region.

• When: Friday, Feb. 14–Tuesday, March 4
• Where: Various places, mostly downtown Mobile
• Details: Mardi Gras Essentials Guide

Joe Cain Day

Join Joe Cain’s Merry Widows graveside at the historic Church Street Graveyard before the afternoon procession in his honor. Keep your eyes peeled for Cain’s statue in Mardi Gras Park.

• When: All day Sunday, March 2, 2025 | Joe Cain Procession, 2:30PM
• Where: Procession begins and ends at the Mobile Civic Center, 401 Civic Center Dr, Mobile, AL 36602
• Cost: Free

Black History Month celebrations

Black History Month in Mobile will be next-level this year with the new, four-day OWAMBE Festival and countless other ways to experience and celebrate all month long. Here’s what you need to know to go:

OWAMBE Festival

This new event honors the cultural heritage, creativity and history of Africatown, which became a part of Mobile in the years following World War II. The community’s founders were survivors of the Clotilda, which arrived illegally in Mobile in 1860 and was the last known slave ship to land in America.

• When: Friday-Sunday, Feb, 13-16, 2025 | Times vary by day + event
• What + Where:
  • Thursday, 6-9PM | Community Economic Development Forum @ Historic Avenue Cultural Center, 564 Dr Martin L King Jr Ave, Mobile, AL 36603
  • Friday, Feb. 14, 9AM-1PM | Community Economic Development Forum Part 2 @ Mobile Museum of Art, 4850 Museum Dr, Mobile, AL 36608
  • Saturday, Feb. 15, 11AM-4PM | OWAMBE Festival @ Mobile County Training School Gymnasium, 800 Whitley St, Mobile, AL 36610
  • Sunday, Feb. 16 | A Live Ancestral Encounter @ Africatown Heritage House, 2465 Wimbush St, Mobile, AL 36610
• Full Event Schedule

African Americans & Labor: Black History Celebration

Explore career opportunities, create vision boards, network and socialize at Mobile Parks and Recreation’s annual Black History Celebration.

The event starts with a morning bingo game over coffee and pastries and ends with a thoughtful Black history program.

• When: Feb. 7, 2025 | 10AM-7:30PM
• Where: Robert L. Hope Community Center, 850 Edwards St, Mobile, AL 36610
• Cost: Free
• Register
• Details

Explore Black history + modern culture

Beyond the February festivals, plan to visit these other places to gain deep perspectives about Black history and modern culture in Mobile.

Africatown Heritage House

Hear the unforgettable stories of the 110 captive people brought from Africa to Mobile aboard the last known slave ship to arrive in America, Clotilda, in 1860. National Geographic named its 2023 launch the best museum opening of the year.

• When: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM (Last ticketed entry @ 4PM)
• Where: 2465 Wimbush St, Mobile, AL 36610
• Cost: Varies
  • Free for Mobile County residents (donations encouraged), anyone ages 5 or younger + History Museum of Mobile Members
  • $15 for ages 19-64
  • $9 for retired or active military, students 18+ and anyone 65+
  • $8 for ages 6-18
• Details
• Get Tickets

Historic Avenue Cultural Center

This circa-1931 historic library turned cultural center was once at the heart of Mobile’s “Black Main Street” business district known as The Avenue through the 1970s. Today, the entire area is part of the city’s growing Civil Rights & Cultural Heritage District.

• When: Tuesday-Saturday, 10AM-5PM
• Where: 564 Dr Martin L King Jr Ave, Mobile, AL 36603
• Cost: Free
• Details

Dora Franklin Finley African-American Heritage Trail

On this two-hour tour, some of the places you’ll visit include Hank Aaron’s childhood playground, several historic churches and the Africatown Graveyard, where many Clotilda survivors were buried.

• When: Monday-Saturday | See available booking times
• Where: Tours begin at the History Museum of Mobile, 111 S Royal St, Mobile, AL 36602
• Cost: $44 for ages 18-64 | $33 for ages 65+ | $22 for students with ID
• Book a Tour
• Details

Support Black-owned businesses

Honor Black History Month by supporting local Black-owned businesses. and here are a few local favorites:

• Enjoy authentic soul food dishes like oxtails, collard greens and cornbread at Cozy Brown & Son’s Kitchen.
• Grab a roll of paper towels and sink your teeth into world-famous ribs, white bread and sides at Dreamland Bar-B-Que.
• Menus include much more than morning meals at The Breakfast Spot, known for shrimp and grits, wings and many more things.
• Arrive in style wherever you go in the Port City with Blaq Beauty Transportation Services.

Discover more Black-owned businesses via the Mobile Area Black Chamber of Commerce.

Valentine’s Day date night ideas

With menus offering fresh-caught Gulf seafood and scrumptious soul food to elevated contemporary cuisine, Mobile is a worthy date night destination even if only to drink and dine.

(Pssst: If you haven’t heard, one of their chefs was just named a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for the second year in a row!)

To make your Valentine’s vacation to Mobile extra special, we handpicked a few events we think you’ll love:

Mobile Symphony Presents Modern Romance

Share the experience of classical music with your favorite person at the beautifully restored, circa-1927 Saenger Theatre for Mobile Symphony Orchestra’s performances of Philip Glass’ Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists and Orchestra followed by Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

• When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, 7:30PM | Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025, 2:30PM
• Where: Saenger Theatre, 6 S Joachim St, Mobile, AL 36602
• Cost: Ticket fees vary, starting at $10 for students to a range of $20-$96 depending on seat selection. K-12 students may attend Sunday’s performance free with a paying adult.
• Get Tickets
• Details

Perdido Queen’s Romantic Valentine’s Dinner Cruise

Board the Perdido Queen for a Valentine’s Dinner Cruise and enjoy your meal and company as you glide along the Mobile River in comfort. Depending on the date you choose, the cruises feature live music or a Valentine’s Comedy Murder Mystery theme.

• When: Wednesday-Saturday, Feb. 12-15, 2025, 6:30PM-9PM | Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, 3PM-5:30PM + 7PM-9:30PM
• Where: Mobile Waterfront, 1 S Water St Berth B, Mobile, AL 36602
• Cost: Booking fees vary depending on the passenger’s age, preferred seating + day. Prices start at $49.99 for children younger than 12 and $77.99 for adults.
• Book
• Details

Date Night at Mobile Museum of Art

Sample hors d’oeuvres and a romantic gallery tour focused on surrealist artists and married couple Yves Tanguy and Kay Sage, then hit the dance floor with your partner at Mobile Museum of Art.

• When: Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 | 6:30PM-9:30PM
• Where: Mobile Museum of Art,
• Cost: $30 for members | $40 for not-yet-members
• Details
• Get Tickets

Make your plans now to visit Mobile in February and be sure to check out Visit Mobile’s calendar of events to customize your trip!

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