ORANGE BEACH, Alabama -- The Flora-Bama Lounge & Package lost roughly 35 percent of its business because of last summer’s oil spill, but organizers of the 27th annual "Interstate Mullet Toss & Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party" said they don’t expect lingering effects to dampen the mood this weekend.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather at the beach bar that straddles the Florida-Alabama state line for the nationally recognized fish-tossing party.
That could mark the largest crowds to hit area beaches for a traditional event since oil covered the sands last summer.
"The Mullet Toss is going to be busy anyway, no matter when it is," said Pat McClellan, co-owner of the Flora-Bama.
He said his business has already increased about 10 percent this spring, "one of the most beautiful times to come down to the beaches."
They’re hauling in a couple hundred pounds of the fish for the contest, which starts at 10 a.m. today and noon Saturday and Sunday. The rules are basic: stand in a 10-foot circle in the Alabama sand and toss the mullet toward Florida.
Along with the $10 cover charge for adults, anyone who wants to compete must pay a $15 registration fee, which McClellan said goes to youth charities.
For those who don’t want to touch the fish, there are other events, such as a keg toss and an interstate tug of war, McClellan said.
"I’m banking on a pretty good year here," he said, "and hoping everybody has a good time."
While the bar actually sits at 17401 Perdido Key Drive in Perdido Key, Fla., the crowds at the rite-of-spring event bode well for the beach towns along the Alabama coast, too.
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