Rising Tides is an opinion column exploring all things Mobile.
Pssst. Hey, Mobile: Now’s your chance to bring back BayFest.
The Hangout Fest is on ice for 2026. Hopefully it or its country cousin, Sand in My Boots, will return to Gulf Shores in May 2027. But right now the field is open – there’s less competition for bookings, ticket sales and attention. If you want to present southwest Alabama’s biggest music festival of 2026, the bar isn’t terribly high…