GULF SHORES, Ala. — The 40th Annual National Shrimp Festival Presented by Zatarain’s is in full swing, and the crowds have been outstanding.

Organizers from the Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce, which produces the event, optimistically forecasted that 300,000 people would attend this year’s event, but judging from the first two days, that mark might be shattered.

“We’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the number of people that have come to the Festival Thursday and Friday,” Chamber Special Events Director Jan Umphrey said. “I believe that after several years of economic uncertainty, people have just decided they want to enjoy themselves in our beautiful beachfront setting, eat some of the best food anywhere and look to the future with optimism.”

Festival Chairman Ron Kutter said partial credit for the crowds has to go to both Mother Nature and Entertainment Chairwoman Tammy Halco.

“While Mother Nature has blessed us with perfect weather this year, Tammy booked some outstanding entertainment to celebrate out 40th Anniversary,” he said. “We had our normal lineup of local favorites the Sand Band and the Tip Tops on one stage Thursday night, which drew their expected large crowd, but Tammy also booked Chasing Scarlett Thursday evening, and they drew a tremendous crowd as well.”

Kutter said Friday’s crowds for rock legends Blackfoot, country star Colt Ford and Festival stalwarts Dr. Zarr’s Amazing Funk Monster exceeded expectations.

“We knew we had some crowd pleasers,” he said. “But we were blown away by the crowds at both stages.”

While it will be several days until the tally is completed, Festival Concessions Co-Chairman Steve Jones said the amount of concessions sold at one booth during the Ford concert may be the highest grossing shift in the 40-year history of the Festival.

“While the great acts brought people to the Festival, the volunteers who cheerfully donated their time to serve the people at the concerts really made our great nights possible,” he said. “We believe the Thursday and Friday trend will continue through Sunday. This has been a great weekend so far and we look forward to more people coming to our beautiful shores. We’re ready to tell the world that we’re open for business and the perfect way to enjoy our beaches and our seafood is to take in the Shrimp Festival.”

Entertainment for Saturday evening will include contemporary country artists the LACS and Sunny Ledfurd, along with nationally known power-ballad stars Firehouse and platinum-selling 90’s hair band Warrant.

The Festival runs through tomorrow where Ala. Hwy. 59 meets the beach in Gulf Shores. The Festival will run until 10 p.m. tonight and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. tomorrow.

For more information on the Festival, see their website at www.nationalshrimpfestival.com.