Whether planners are seeking fresh flavors, unique activities or just good old Southern comfort, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is bursting with potential.
From the Gulfport and Biloxi region along the central coast, to Hancock County in the west, and Jackson County—home to Ocean Springs—in the east, this sure-fire shoreline offers a mild climate, a bounty of beaches and plenty of new offerings as well, including some dynamic dining choices.
“The Mississippi Gulf Coast is growing every year with new meeting spaces, fabulous restaurants and beautiful hotels for groups,” says Taryn Pratt Sammons, media relations manager for the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB. “New museums are opening that showcase the rich history and cultural of the Gulf Coast, and the great weather allows for outdoor activities almost year-round. These fresh additions to our area are great for new visitors and our returning friends alike.”
Here’s a look at the multifaceted Mississippi Gulf Coast, beginning at the heart of the action in Gulfport and Biloxi.
Gulfport/Biloxi
The center of Mississippi’s coast is also the hub of new activity for the region, and the current happenings certainly reflect that.
A definite dining highlight is the Blue Crabhouse in Biloxi, which opened earlier this year right on the shore and goes beyond the expected fresh local catch to serve up menu delights such as freshly rolled sushi and seaweed salad.
Elsewhere in Biloxi, the colorfully named Slap Ya Momma’s BBQ House has just opened a second locale to follow up its popular Gulfport establishment. The casual barbecue joint will provide seating for 80 on an outdoor patio and another 80 in a main dining area, and a game room is also part of the fun.
Major excitement has also been building around a $36 million downtown baseball stadium that will play host to a yet-to-be-named minor-league franchise beginning in 2015. The new sports venue will be built on land owned by the Beau Rivage Resort Casino, and the ambitious project will also include an entertainment center boasting a hotel, a bowling alley, a cinema, a sports tavern and a dining venue.
Hotel happenings are also taking place in the region, including major upgrades to the Island View Casino in Gulfport, where a $50 million investment is slated to wrap by next spring. The renovation will include the addition of new beachfront guest rooms, plus new dining and event spaces. And in Biloxi earlier this year, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino debuted the Platinum Tower, adding 154 guest rooms.
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For something a bit different, Biloxi’s Beauvoir is the estate and presidential library of Jefferson Davis, who presided over the South for the duration of the Civil War. The enticing estate offers meeting space, including the Beauvoir Room in the Library, which can host up to 200 attendees, and daily tours take place every 90 minutes between 9:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. The venue is open everyday year-round, aside from Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Another unusually compelling venue awaits at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum, a trove of artwork housed in an unusual compound of buildings designed by Frank Gehry and offering singular event space and regular tours.
Bay St. Louis/Hancock County
To the west, Hancock County—most prominently home to Bay St. Louis—boasts some new and upcoming hotel activity, in addition to a wealth of whimsical settings and attractions.
The Bay Town Inn reopened last October in Bay St. Louis, and with 10 guest suites and the inviting second-floor Lighthouse Room, it is an option for smaller meetings and events. The 93-room Coast Inn in Waveland just completed a major makeover and includes some cozy meeting space as well. The property is a good option for attendees integrating family fun into the mix, as it’s home to a waterpark and mini golf course.
Elsewhere, the Hollywood Casino in Bay St Louis, home to 291 guest rooms and 14,000 square feet of event space, is adding a lazy river to its arsenal, which should be flowing by this summer. And the Silver Slipper Casino will significantly boost its allure in the summer of 2015 when it unveils its 142 Hotel.
Area lures range from modern to bucolic. For the former, the Infinity Science Center is an official NASA Visitor Center located about 15 miles west of Bay St. Louis near the Louisiana border. The venue is popular for private events, and is home to all manner of space-age fun, including a recently added Omega Flight Simulator thrill ride.
For some quirky fun that film buff attendees are sure to love, the often-overlooked classic This Property is Condemned (starring Robert Redford and Natalie Wood among others) was filmed in Bay St. Louis’ Historic Depot District in 1965. The city’s Little Theater company, whose headquarters was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, now resides in the film’s “Starr Boarding House” building and presents numerous live productions. They can also arrange for outdoor group showings of the film, and attendees can wander the walking path showcased in the movie.
Colorful dining with a Southern flair is a mainstay of Bay St. Louis, with options such as Mindy’s and its famed gator burger, Lil’ Joes and its iconic crispy fried catfish, and Trapani’s, featuring fried green tomatoes topped with crabmeat and Hollandaise sauce.Ocean Springs/Jackson County
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In Jackson County, located along the state’s eastern shores, Ocean Springs offers a blend of the old and new, including a newly renovated historic home perfect for a Saturday tour. Designed by the “father of the skyscraper,” Louis Sullivan, with help from his assistant Frank Lloyd Wright, the bungalow-style Charnley-Norwood House is open for free tours daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is considered a breakthrough structure in the world of residential architecture.
While substantial lodging activity has been modest in recent years, the community is home to ample meetings hotels and other space options, including the Gulf Hills Hotel & Conference Center, with a capacity for about 300 attendees; the Ocean Springs Community Center; the Ocean Springs Civic Center; and the Alice Street Recreational Center.
Ocean Springs is also a tasty stop with a lively evening scene for its size. It has more than 100 restaurants and nightlife establishments, and often celebrates the region’s flavors through large and festive events. A unique St. Patty’s Day celebration each year includes a “green” dessert crawl, where ticketed attendees can explore the various sweet finales offered by dining venues around town, and the yearly Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival in November showcases countless food purveyors as well, drawing more than 150,000 annual attendees.
For a serious explosion of flavors, planners should ponder organizing an outing around the Taste of Ocean Springs Food & Wine Festival, held each May, or the Feast of Flavors shindig, taking place every September.
