GULF SHORES, Ala. — The countdown is already on for the 2009 National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores. Held each year during the second weekend in October, this will be the 38th festival, drawing an expected crowd of more than 300,000 and as many as 300 vendors.

Sponsored and produced by the Alabama Gulf Coast Area Chamber of Commerce, the free festival draws crowds from more than 250 miles and five states away.

But this event doesn’t just happen, says Don McPherson, Special Events director for the AGCCC. It requires hard work from both the festival committee, and an abundance of dedicated volunteers that they count on to help.

“We have all ages helping us out. The Boy Scouts bring a group to help, we have some volunteers who help out every year who are in their 70s. So there is something that everyone can do,” McPherson explained.

The mission of the festival is to promote Gulf Shores and the surrounding area, offering visitors an opportunity to browse the numerous fine arts, arts and crafts, music and seafood varieties and to enjoy what the Gulf Coast has to offer. With so much going on, McPherson says the duties of the volunteers include everything from working retail, concessions, and offering information to working in the ever popular Children’s Activity Village.

“We count on the hundreds of volunteers who each give us a four-hour shift during the event, and they always seem to enjoy helping out. We have some who have been volunteering for the past 15 years,” McPherson said.

Money raised by the Shrimp Festival is used by the AGCCC for operating capital.

“We use it to offer workshops, for our First Friday Forums, for our Business After Hours events, things like that,” he said.

The Chamber does not expect recent economic problems to hinder visitors from attending this fall.

“This has become an important annual event for so many people, plus it is an after-Labor Day boost for our local rental agencies, restaurants and retailers. We are projecting 300,000 attendees,” McPherson said.

The 2009 Shrimp Festival will be Oct. 8–11. To volunteer, you may contact Don McPherson, Special Events director, at 968-4237 or Megan Smith, Special Events assistant at 968-7220. You may also go to the AGCCC Web site and sign up there.