A note from me, a better reason this newsletter exists, and 12 events across Jackson, Harrison, and Hancock counties.
So here’s your Friday morning check-in: what’s happening, what looks worth your time, and a few local things to keep on your radar.
My Story
I didn’t come to Ocean Springs because I had some grand romantic idea about the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
I came here in 2005 because of a business deal.
At the time, I was living in California, and like a lot of moves people make in life, this one began in the least poetic way possible: a practical opportunity, a look at a business, a willingness to take a chance, and the half-formed belief that maybe life could be built somewhere different. Then a few months later, Katrina hit, and whatever story I thought I was stepping into got torn up and rewritten the hard way.
That’s how a lot of real relationships with a place begin. Not through tourism copy. Not through the kind of glossy nonsense people put on websites. Through survival, inconvenience, rebuilding, disappointment, grit, and eventually something that looks an awful lot like love — though maybe a little less sentimental and a lot more earned.
Katrina took a swing at everything. The house we had was left wrecked, half gone, barely standing. We ended up living out of the store. That wasn’t some charming entrepreneurial anecdote. It was what the situation required. There was a living space in the back, the business itself survived, and life kept moving because it had to. That kind of thing changes your relationship with a town. Once you’ve seen a place broken and still watched people show up, rebuild, work, buy, help, adapt, and keep going, you stop seeing it like an outsider.
At some point, without any formal announcement, the Coast stopped being “the place I moved to” and became home.
That happened through years, not slogans.
I built businesses here. I got married here. Carla and I built our family here. We raised our kids here. I’ve spent enough time in Ocean Springs and around the Coast to know what this place gets right, what it hides, what it tolerates, and what makes it worth staying for. And if you’ve lived here long enough, you know the same thing: there’s a lot more going on than the outside world gives this place credit for.
The problem is, most of that information is scattered to the wind.
A good event gets posted once and disappears into somebody’s feed. A local business worth noticing stays mostly known to the same fifty people. A fundraiser, market, music night, small-town festival, or genuinely interesting community thing gets buried under a landslide of junk, noise, bad news, spam, and algorithm sludge. Local life is still there. It’s just fragmented.
That’s a big part of why I started The Seawall.
I didn’t want to build another grim little machine that pumps out panic, fake urgency, and low-grade outrage. We have enough of that already. Everybody’s already got more negativity in their face than they know what to do with. I wanted something else — something useful, readable, and local. Something that feels like it was made by somebody who actually lives here and gives a damn.
Not polished within an inch of its life. Not fake-friendly. Not chamber-of-commerce fluff pretending every ribbon cutting is a cultural moment. Just a sharper read on the Coast: what’s happening, what matters, what might be fun, what’s worth your time, and who or what deserves a little more attention.
I also want this thing to feel alive.
That means I need your help. If there’s a good event I missed, a story worth telling, a business worth noticing, or a person doing something decent and useful around here, send it to me. The Coast has no shortage of material. What it needs is somebody willing to gather it, shape it, and put it in front of people in a way that doesn’t waste their time.
And yes, I mean that sincerely. One of my ideas bouncing around in my head is that if we can do a Pet of the Week, why not eventually do a Human of the Week too? Somebody local. Somebody interesting. Somebody good. Somebody building, helping, creating, fixing, organizing, feeding, teaching, or just showing up in a way that matters. This place has a lot of those people. They usually don’t get enough attention.
So today’s issue is built more like what a Thursday issue should be anyway: heavier on events, lighter on filler, and more useful if you’re trying to figure out what to do with your weekend.
Let’s get into it.
COAST FORECAST
This weekend looks like classic Coast spring: warm, a little sticky, occasionally dramatic, and still good enough to get out if you’ve got half a brain and a vague tolerance for uncertainty.
Jackson County
Warm, damp, and very recognizably Mississippi. Some sun, some clouds, maybe a passing shower, and every reason to assume the weather has the final vote.
Harrison County
Pretty workable overall. Not postcard-perfect, but nobody who actually lives here waits around for perfect. If you’ve got plans, make them.
Hancock County
A little softer around the edges, but still solid enough for festivals, food, and getting out of the house before you talk yourself out of it.
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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.
WHAT’S HAPPENING ON THE COAST
If this week’s weather is the nudge, this weekend’s calendar is the payoff.
Jackson County
• Earth Day - Saturday, April 18 10-230 Ocean Springs
• Crawfish & Cornhole - April 17 6-9 Ocean Springs
• Third Saturday Auction in April - April 18 430 - ?
• Sip and Shop - April 18 11-2 Pascagoula
Harrison County
• Date Night Wheel - April 17 6-8 Biloxi
• Goat Yoga - April 18 9-10 Biloxi
• LeAnn Rimes - April 17 8-? Biloxi
• Biloxi Beach Open Car Show April 18 9-2 Biloxi
• 33rd Annual Crawfish Music Festival Sunday - April 19 2-? Biloxi
Hancock County
• Story Telling with Honey Parker - April 20 530-7 Bay St. Louis
• Heroes Who Cook - April 19 4-7 Bay St. Louis
• Alt’r Ego at Rags to Riches of Bay St. Louis - April 17 6-10 Bay St. Louis
• Waveland Crawfish Cookoff - April 18 11-5 Waveland
That mix feels pretty on-brand for the Coast right now: something social, something active, and something local enough to actually feel like it belongs here.
If you’ve got something happening in Jackson, Harrison, or Hancock that should be on the radar next week, send it over. The goal is to make this sharper every issue.
PET ADOPTION OF THE WEEK
We’re keeping this section in the mix for a reason.
There are good dogs and cats sitting in shelters across the Coast right now that deserve more visibility than they usually get, and if this newsletter can help put even a little more attention on one of them every week, that’s worth doing.
This week’s pick:
Acorn is a 2 year old bundle of joy wrapped up in one incredibly handsome package. Found as a stray and never claimed, this sweet boy is ready to turn the page and start the life he was meant to have. Acorn is affectionate, eager, and absolutely full of personality. He gets so excited to be part of the action that he might forget his manners at first—but give him a moment (and maybe a treat or two), and he’ll show you just how smart and willing he is to learn. He loves squeaky toys and will happily entertain himself, making you laugh with his playful antics. Acorn is the kind of dog who just wants to belong—to a family, to a home, to someone who sees how special he is. With a little guidance and a lot of love, he’s going to be an incredible companion. He’s shown curiosity around other dogs—feel free to bring your pup by for a meet-and-greet to see if they’re a good match. Come meet him today!
If you’ve been thinking about bringing home a dog or cat, this might bae your sign.
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.
This week's Low Tide Laughs. Local. A little ridiculous. No further explanation needed.
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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
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That’s it for this one.
The Coast doesn’t need more noise. It needs better signal.
That’s the lane.
— Rob
The Seawall