seawall 12Good morning from The Seawall. The weekend forecast is: two parades.
One has pirates. Pirate Day in the Bay, 11th annual, takes over Old Town Bay St. Louis Friday and Saturday — Lil' Buccaneers parade rolls at 11 AM Saturday, costume contests at noon and 1, BSL Trio on the Pirate Central stage at 2, and fireworks over the Bay at 9 PM.
The other has motorcycles. Bikin' the Beach — moved this year from Biloxi to Long Beach — is in town through Sunday at Harper McCaughan Town Green, with the Wall of Death stunt show, the Twealth Co. team, and a bike-show awards ceremony at noon Sunday. Free for spectators all four days.
And the forecast — for the first weekend in a long stretch — is finally just sunshine. 78° Saturday, southeast wind 5–10, mostly sunny. No 80% precip chart we have to pretend isn't there. No "every festival is going on anyway" hedge. Just three days of upper-70s Coast weather draped over a weekend that already had a parade, a boat show, and a fireworks display on the books.
Pick your costume. Here's everything happening.
What's Happening on the Coast — Fri 5/15 – Sun 5/17
⚓ Hancock County
🏴☠️ Pirate Day in the Bay (11th annual) — Old Town Bay St. Louis, anchored at Pirate Central (S Beach Blvd & Court St) · Fri 5/15 + Sat 5/16. Free. Hosted by Mystic Krewe of the Seahorse, fundraising for Hancock County charities. Friday: 4 PM pirate skits → 5 PM Pub Crawl + Treasure Hunt (wristband) → 7–11 PM Delta Variant live at Pirate Central. Saturday: 11 AM Lil' Buccaneers Parade down Main toward the beach, 12 PM kids' costume contest, 1 PM adults' costume contest, 2–5 PM BSL Trio, 7–11 PM Retro live, 9 PM fireworks over the Bay. Pirate ship + decorated golf cart "Pirate Invasion Parade" rolls both days; arts & crafts vendors throughout.
🌊 Hancock County Farmers Market — 3068 Longfellow Rd, BSL · Sat 5/16, 8 AM–noon. Weekly market. Pair with Pirate Day morning before the parades start.
🎤 May Story Slam: "Adventures in Dating" — The Arts Hancock County, 405 Blaize Ave, BSL · Sun 5/17, 5–6:30 PM. Free. Community storytelling, themed. Sunday-evening grace note after Pirate Day weekend.
🦀 Harrison County
🏍️ Bikin' the Beach (2nd Annual MS Gulf Coast Motorcycle Rally) — Harper McCaughan Town Green + Long Beach Harbor · Thu 5/14 – Sun 5/17. Free for spectators. Moved from Biloxi to Long Beach this year. Wall of Death Show + Twealth Co. Stunt Show running multiple days. Live music slate: Rockstar Fish, Lonestar Skynyrd, Grits and Greens, Tyron Benoit Band (set times not posted as of send — check bikinthebeach.com or the Bikin' the Beach Facebook event page for current band/stunt times). Sunday anchors confirmed: 10:30 AM church service, noon Bike Show Awards.
⛵ Billy Creel Memorial Wooden & Classic Boat Show — Biloxi Schooner Pier Complex, 367 Beach Blvd · Sat 5/16, 10 AM–6 PM + Sun 5/17, 10 AM–5 PM. $8 adults, $3 students 13–18, free under 12. Wooden + classic boat exhibition. Schooner sails on the hour from 11 AM ($20). Shrimp and fish plates, full bar, live music, cast-net contests, model boat building, oyster shell painting, artist vendors. Honoring the late Billy Creel.
🏛️ The Gilded Gulf: Form & Décor — Biloxi Public Library, 580 Howard Ave · Sat 5/16, 2 PM. Free. Lecture by Jeff Rosenberg, architectural historian for the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, on the interiors and exteriors of the Coast's Gilded Age. Niche but exactly the Seawall demographic.
🌊 The Pass Market — War Memorial Park, Pass Christian · Sat 5/16, 9 AM–2 PM. Free. Outdoor marketplace, local vendors. Weather permitting — this weekend it's permitting.
📚 Sit, Stay, READ! — Pass Christian Public Library · Sat 5/16, 10 AM–noon. Free. Kids' reading program with a therapy dog. Quiet morning option if the parades are too loud for the little ones.
🌊 Jackson County
🌅 Ocean Springs Fresh Market — L&N Depot Plaza, downtown Ocean Springs · Sat 5/16, 9 AM–1 PM. Free. Mississippi state-certified, producer-only farmers market. Rain or shine — though there's no rain coming.
🎨 Words & Wonder — Courtney Blossman Art Cottage (Walter Anderson Museum), 505 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs · Fri 5/15, 11 AM. Free / donation. Third-Friday kids' story-time (under 5) on the WAMA campus.
🖼️ The Surreal South of Ke Francis (closing soon) — Walter Anderson Museum of Art, 510 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs · open Sat 5/16 + Sun 5/17 · closes May 24. Your last reasonable weekend to catch it. Pair with Quiet Waters: Paintings by Nathalie Pettit on the same campus (through June 19).
📖 Page Turners Monthly Book Club — Gautier Public Library · Sat 5/16, 10:30 AM. Free. Community book club, low-key Saturday morning option.
🔜 Coming up — pencil these in
Wed May 22 – Sun May 24 — St. Clare Seafood Festival, Waveland
Thu May 21 — Pascagoula Beach to Bay Bridge Run prep events
Sat May 23 — IP Casino Studio A reopens with Troggs / Gary Puckett / The Fortunes
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If last week was about introducing ourselves, this week is more about getting into rhythm.
And the rhythm right now looks pretty Coast-like: a little activity, a little local color, and a few reasons to leave the house before the weekend gets away from you.
🎸 Music This Week on the Coast
🎟 The Marquee — ticketed bookings worth planning around
Fri May 15 · 8 PM — Emo Orchestra w/ The Spill Canvas ("An Evening of Emo") · Beau Rivage Theatre, Biloxi. $60+ ticketed.
Fri May 15 · 8 PM — Killer Queen (UK Queen tribute, launching their 2026 US tour) · Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast, Bay St. Louis. Ticketed.
Sat May 16 · 7 PM — A Tribute Night to The Eagles · Immersive Media Performing Arts Center, Gulfport. $65+ ticketed.
Sat May 16 · 6:45 PM + 8:45 PM — Candlelight: The Soundtrack of the 60s (Beatles) then Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons · Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, Gulfport. $36–$62 per show / ticketed (back-to-back, can attend either or both).
🆓 Festival music — anchor your weekend
Pirate Day in the Bay (Pirate Central, Old Town BSL) — Fri 7–11 PM Delta Variant · Sat 2–5 PM BSL Trio · Sat 7–11 PM Retro. Free. (Sunday is officially dark — festival is Fri–Sat only.)
Bikin' the Beach (Harper McCaughan Town Green, Long Beach) — Fri/Sat/Sun · Rockstar Fish, Lonestar Skynyrd, Grits and Greens, Tyron Benoit Band. Set times not publicly posted as of send — check bikinthebeach.com or the Bikin' the Beach Facebook event page. Free.
Billy Creel Wooden Boat Show (Biloxi Schooner Pier) — Sat + Sun afternoons · live music on site (acts TBA). Admission $8.
🎷 The blues weekend at Ground Zero
Ground Zero Blues Club, downtown Biloxi booked itself a five-set weekend — the loudest single-venue lineup on the Coast this weekend, and all of it free.
Fri 5/15 · 7–10 PM — Cuffing Season w/ Saint Social (opener)
Sat 5/16 · 11 AM–2 PM — Cary & Anna Hudson (brunch set)
Sat 5/16 · 7–10 PM — DK Harrell Blues Band
Sun 5/17 · 11 AM–2 PM — Titus Gillard (brunch set)
🆓 Casino Row & free anchor blocks
Silver Slipper Stage Bar (Hancock) — Fri New Orleans Quarter Notes 7–11 PM · Sat Razzoo 7–11 PM · Sun Cody Seal (Beach Bar) 1–3 PM
Island View Casino (Gulfport) — Fri Sunset Bar Eddie Mac & Dan 7–10 PM + Beach View Stage Bar Old School 8–11 PM · Sat Sunset Bar Sugar Cane 7–10 PM + Beach View Stage Bar Autumn Rise-N 8–11 PM
Hard Rock Biloxi (Saturday only) — OG Cola (Center Bar) 9 PM · DJ Doc Roc (Live Remix) 10 PM · Karaoke w/ MC Angie (Road House 777) 9 PM–1 AM, 21+
Boomtown Biloxi — 1 Accord Fri + Sat (venue and time TBC)
Palace Casino (Biloxi) — DJ Hurricane Fri + Sat 8–11 PM · Wahoo's Poolside live act Fri/Sat 7–10 PM + Sun 6 PM
Margaritaville Café (Biloxi) — Sat 7–10 PM live music (weekly slot, act not announced)
Harrah's Stage Bar (Biloxi) — Saturday-night recurring live music (act not announced)
Beau Rivage / IP Chill Ultra Lounge / Hollywood / Scarlet Pearl / Treasure Bay — usual weekend lineups continue; specific acts not posted publicly
🗓 Day-by-day rundown
Friday 5/15
Beau Rivage Theatre, Biloxi · Emo Orchestra w/ The Spill Canvas 8 PM $
Hollywood Casino, BSL · Killer Queen 8 PM $
Pirate Central, Old Town BSL · Delta Variant 7–11 PM
Ground Zero, Biloxi · Cuffing Season + Saint Social 7–10 PM
Murky Waters Blues & BBQ, Gulfport · Heather & the Monkey King 6:30–9:30 PM
The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, Ocean Springs · Thomas Jackson Orchestra (time TBA)
Coastal Daiquiri, Long Beach · D. Jr and the Shinesoul Band 7–11 PM
Smokey Jo's, BSL · True Story 8–11 PM
Depot District at Dusk, Gulfport (Historical Society of Gulfport) · Jarad Daws 5–7:30 PM
Silver Slipper Stage Bar, Hancock · New Orleans Quarter Notes 7–11 PM
Island View Casino, Gulfport · Eddie Mac & Dan (Sunset Bar) 7–10 PM · Old School (Beach View Stage Bar) 8–11 PM
Palace Casino, Biloxi · DJ Hurricane 8–11 PM · Wahoo's Poolside live act 7–10 PM
Celtic Irish Pub, Pascagoula · Happy Hour Karaoke with DJ Richard Martin 4–7 PM, then live music or more karaoke
Hard Rock Cafe Biloxi · Dee Snider meet & greet 5 PM (not a show, but the Godfather of Heavy Metal at Hard Rock is news)
Boomtown Biloxi · 1 Accord (venue + time TBC)
Bikin' the Beach, Long Beach · band lineup running (times TBA)
Glory Bound Gyro Co. (OS) + Mosaic (OS) · recurring Friday live music (acts not posted)
200 North Beach (BSL) · Friday live music (act not announced)
Saturday 5/16
Immersive Media Performing Arts Center, Gulfport · A Tribute Night to The Eagles 7 PM $
Lynn Meadows, Gulfport · Candlelight: Beatles 60s 6:45 PM $ · Candlelight: Coldplay & Imagine Dragons 8:45 PM $
Pirate Central, Old Town BSL · BSL Trio 2–5 PM · Retro 7–11 PM
Ground Zero, Biloxi · Cary & Anna Hudson brunch 11 AM–2 PM · DK Harrell Blues Band 7–10 PM
Murky Waters Blues & BBQ, Ocean Springs · Jesse Loya & the House Katz 7–10 PM
The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint, Ocean Springs · Drew Fulton & The Showtime Strangers (time TBA)
Coastal Daiquiri, Long Beach · Mike Sanchez (time TBA)
Smokey Jo's, BSL · Replay 8–11 PM
Silver Slipper Stage Bar, Hancock · Razzoo 7–11 PM
Island View Casino, Gulfport · Sugar Cane (Sunset Bar) 7–10 PM · Autumn Rise-N (Beach View Stage Bar) 8–11 PM
Hard Rock Biloxi · OG Cola (Center Bar) 9 PM · DJ Doc Roc (Live Remix) 10 PM · Karaoke MC Angie (Road House 777) 9 PM–1 AM
Boomtown Biloxi · 1 Accord (time TBC)
Margaritaville Café, Biloxi · live music 7–10 PM (act not announced on resort calendar)
Harrah's Stage Bar, Biloxi · live music (Saturday recurring slot)
Palace Casino, Biloxi · DJ Hurricane 8–11 PM · Wahoo's Poolside 7–10 PM
100 Men Hall, BSL · ELLENPALOOZA 10 AM (community benefit)
Bikin' the Beach, Long Beach · band lineup + Legacy Ride + Wounded Warriors check
Sunday 5/17
Ground Zero, Biloxi · Titus Gillard brunch 11 AM–2 PM
Silver Slipper Beach Bar, Hancock · Cody Seal 1–3 PM
Captain Al's Steak & Seafood, Gulfport · Sunday brunch live music 10 AM–2 PM
Salute Italian Restaurant, Gulfport · Sunday brunch live music 11 AM–3 PM (jazz / R&B / soul / blues vocalists)
Wahoo's at Palace Casino · live act 6 PM
Bikin' the Beach, Long Beach · 10:30 AM church service · noon Bike Show Awards
Dark this weekend (confirmed): Hard Rock Live (theater) · IP Studio A (next 5/23 — Troggs / Gary Puckett / The Fortunes) · The Sound Amphitheater (next 6/28) · MS Coast Coliseum · Grand Magnolia Listening Room (next 7/9) · Bay Saint Louis Little Theatre (next 5/22 — Tyron Benoit Big Zydeco) · Mary C. O'Keefe · Walter Anderson Museum · Mockingbird Cafe (5/9 was the second Saturday slot) · Government Street Grocery (next 5/23). Buttercup on Second is permanently closed (Yelp, April 2026) — dropping from the rotation.
Know a show we missed? Reply and tell us — we'll add it next week.
Venue owners: Email your weekly lineup to editor@theseawall by Wednesday noon for Thursday's issue. No charge.
Coast Forecast
Friday 5/15 — Sunny. High 79°F | Low 67°F | East wind 5–10 mph, turning south in the afternoon
Saturday 5/16 — Mostly sunny, partly cloudy overnight. High 78°F | Low 69°F | Southeast wind 5–10 mph
Sunday 5/17 — Mostly sunny, partly cloudy overnight. High 76°F | Low 73°F | Southeast wind 5–10 mph
Bottom line: First fully dry Coast weekend in over a month. Upper 70s, light southeast wind, no rain in the column. Pirate Day fireworks Saturday at 9 PM will go off under a clear sky. Sunscreen, not ponchos. Hydrate — the humidity climbs by Sunday with that 73° low.
Real Estate on the Coast
This week's rates (Freddie Mac PMMS, week ending May 7, 2026):
30-year fixed: 6.37% (▲ 7 bps week-over-week · ▼ 39 bps year-over-year)
15-year fixed: 5.72% (▲ 8 bps week-over-week · ▼ 17 bps year-over-year)
Rates ticked up for a second straight week off the early-May lows — the 30-year is now ~7 bps above where it was in the 5/7 issue, the 15-year ~8 bps above. Still cheaper than this time last year on both products.
House of the Week — The Hubbard-Armstrong-Bauman House · 509 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs
$995,000 · 3 BR / 2 BA · ~2,330 sqft · circa 1855
There are not many pre-Civil War houses left on the Coast. Camille got most of them. Katrina got most of the rest. The Hubbard-Armstrong-Bauman House — 509 Washington Avenue, directly across from the Walter Anderson Museum — is one of the few that's still standing, and it's currently for sale for $995,000.
It's a one-story raised cottage with a full-width five-bay gallery and three transomed center doors, the kind of facade that makes museum-goers stop on the sidewalk on their way out. Sophia Hubbard built it around 1855 and let visiting priests use the front rooms to celebrate Catholic Mass before Ocean Springs had a church of its own. The chain-of-title since reads like an Old Town walking tour: Helen Thomas Armstrong (1890–1928) and her brother George — the man credited with planting the live oaks that still arch Washington Avenue. The Penton-Bauman family, who ran it as a $2.50-a-night rooming house in the early 1900s. Carroll B. Ishee — the regional architect who built roughly 150 homes across the Coast — used it as his storage and base. And in 1979, John Blossman (Yale, Vanderbilt Law) sank a careful restoration into it that's held up through every hurricane since.
The current configuration is technically a duplex — Unit A, 2BR/1BA; Unit B, 1BR/1BA — but it's the same house, the same gallery, the same six-over-six windows. Brick pier foundation. Metal roof. Tongue-and-groove walls. Listed by Alston Reed Real Estate (MLS 4142195), on the market since March 12.
It is, exactly, the house people slow down for on the way to the museum.
Reader Question of the Week
"We're closing on a house in Pass Christian next month and I keep hearing about flood-zone reclassifications happening on the Coast. Is it worth getting a new elevation certificate before we close, or am I overthinking this?" — D.M., Pass Christian
Short answer: get the elevation certificate. Even if your lender doesn't require one — and most won't if the house has one on file from a prior sale — a fresh EC tells you exactly what FEMA thinks your lowest floor is right now, against the current flood maps. On the Coast, the difference between a house at +1 ft above BFE and one at -1 ft can be the difference between a $1,400/yr flood policy and a $5,200/yr one. The certificate runs about $400–$600 from a licensed surveyor and is good as long as the flood map doesn't change. If you're closing in the next 30 days, that's a small line item against a 30-year decision. Most local surveyors — Compton Engineering in BSL, Coastal Land Surveying in Gulfport — can turn one around in 10 days. Tell them you need it for closing.
Got a Coast real-estate question? Reply to this email — we'll answer one a week.
PET ADOPTION OF THE WEEK
Meet Frank
Frank, 3yo male hound · 67 lbs · good with kids AND dogs · JCAS Pet ID S2026247 · $50 adoption fee.
Frank has been waiting at JCAS for over two weeks — long enough to be one of the dogs the staff knows by name when you walk in, short enough that he hasn't given up on the door opening for him. He's a 67-pound adult hound mix who tested well with both kids and other dogs, which is the easiest possible adoption pitch and somehow also the rarest. Big-but-not-giant, past the chew-everything stage, settled enough to be a porch dog and a couch dog in the same afternoon.
He's the kind of dog you adopt and three weeks later you can't remember what your living room looked like without him in it.
🐾 Meet Frank at JCAS, 4400 Audubon Lane, Gautier · (228) 497-6350 · Mon–Fri 11–5, Sat 11–3
🐾 Photo + more info: adoptapet.com listing
LOW TIDE LAUGHS
A Coast newsletter should probably make room for at least one thing that doesn’t ask anything from you except a smirk.
So we are.
Pirate Day and the bike rally landed on the same corner this weekend. Both had permits. This week's Low Tide Laughs was there to document the negotiations.
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A FEW LOCAL LINKS WORTH KEEPING HANDY
If you want to go deeper by county, keep these local sites handy:
Jackson County MS
https://www.jacksoncountyms.com
Harrison County MS
https://www.harrisoncountyms.com
Hancock County MS
https://www.hancockcountyms.com
That’s part of the larger idea here too. The Seawall shouldn’t just point at itself. It should help connect people to the broader local web that already exists across the Coast.
SPONSOR
Cornerstone Numismatics works with collectors and buyers looking for coins, currency, bullion, and real numismatic expertise. If you want trusted guidance in the coin world, this is a name worth knowing.
See you Tuesday morning. We'll have what opened, what's coming, what made the Coast better this week.
Got news, an opening, or a tip? Reply to this email — every reply goes straight to the editor.
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Rob
The Seawall