GULF SHORES, Ala. — Although it was touch-and-go several times during the weekend, Mother Nature smiled for the most part on the 38th Annual National Shrimp Festival, making it one of the most successful in history according to festival organizers.

“With the national economy in the shape it is, we decided last year to implement a budget for the festival this year,” Festival Chairman Ron Kutter said. “We were able to find areas to tighten our belt, and it worked. Preliminary indications are that this will be one of our most successful Shrimp Festivals ever.”

The festival is the only fundraiser of the year for the Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Our Chamber’s success is directly tied to the success of the festival and the revenue it brings to the Chamber,” Festival Concessions Chairman Steve Jones said.

The Chamber makes money through the sale of festival space, sponsor fees, festival souvenir retail booths and concessions.

Although Kutter and Chamber Special Events Director Don McPherson declined to say what areas were affected by the belt tightening, they did say they received no complaints that were a result of the reduced budgets.

“I’ve been on the Shrimp Festival Committee for 10 years,” Kutter said. “This was one of the smoothest running Shrimp Festivals I’ve been associated with.”

Both Kutter and McPherson said the primary reason for the success of the festival was the volunteers who make the festival what it is.

“We have 100 or so volunteer staff members who spend four days at the festival from before it opens to after closing,” Kutter said. “These staff volunteers along with 500 to 600 more volunteers who work in every area from the Children’s Art Village to our retail and concessions booths are the real reason the festival is always as successful as it is.”

“The volunteers truly make this a community event,” McPherson said. “They take pride and ownership of the festival.”

Kutter cited Mary Jane Ewing, the manager of the Gulf Shores WalMart, as someone who was able to get her employees excited about the festival and volunteer.

“I went to her on Tuesday and said we still have a number of slots that are open for volunteers. She told me to leave that to her,” he said. “By the time the festival opened on Thursday, there were 61 slots filled by WalMart employees, and Mary Jane led by example. She was down here volunteering in several capacities all four days.”

Jones said his concessions booths utilized almost 300 volunteers.

“I can’t say enough about these volunteers who stick their hands and arms into ice-cold troughs to pull out drinks for festival patrons,” Jones said. “Each and every one of them jumped in with no complaints and did whatever they were asked to do. They made our booths run as smoothly as I’ve ever seen — and they did it all for a T-shirt.”

Kutter and McPherson expressed gratitude to Tammy Halco, the entertainment chairman of the festival, for lining up the entertainment this year.

“This was the best entertainment lineup top to bottom we’ve had,” Kutter, who was the entertainment chairman for several years, said. “Lee Ann Womack and Foghat, our two headliners, were home runs.”

They also expressed gratitude to the rental companies who provided rooms for the entertainers.

“They did a great job of providing some of the best rooms we have available for these entertainers,” Kutter said. “And the entertainers took notice of that. They were very complimentary of their accommodations.”

While Mother Nature did give organizers a scare Friday evening, the rains and thunder held off much longer than the National Weather Service expected, and did not hit the beach until after the festival was closed.

“We got word that a heavy band of thundershowers was headed our way with 35-to-40 mph winds in the middle of our Friday night concerts,” Kutter said. “Luckily it held off until after the festival was closed. Lee Ann Womack rode the weather out in our staff tent signing autographs and taking photos with staff and sponsors. It could have been a disaster, but it ended up working out great.”

Kutter and McPherson said in just a few weeks, plans will be underway for next year’s festival.

“We love our volunteers,” McPherson said. “Anyone who wants to help us next year, just give us a call at the Chamber and we’ll find something for them to do.”