Ocean Springs Hosts Mississippi’s Largest Arts Festival Every November. 7 Things Worth Doing Beyond the Booths

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The Peter Anderson Festival takes over downtown Ocean Springs, Mississippi, on the first weekend of every November. Organizers bill it as the largest arts festival in Mississippi and on the Gulf Coast, with crowds estimated at around 150,000 people and more than 400 artist, craft, and food booths. In 2026, the 48th annual festival runs November 7 and 8, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The festival honors Peter Anderson, the potter who founded Shearwater Pottery in 1928. Most visitors spend the day shoulder to shoulder on Washington Avenue and Government Street. That is fun, but the town’s real art story sits a few blocks away. Here are seven things worth your time once you step away from the booths.

7 Things to Do in Ocean Springs Beyond the Peter Anderson Festival Booths

A practical note: streets close during the festival, parking fills early, and traffic backs up on US 90. Arrive before 8 a.m. or use festival shuttles if they are offered. If you can, stay through Monday and do some of these stops after the crowds leave.

1. Walter Anderson Museum of Art

Walter Inglis Anderson was Peter Anderson’s brother, and he is the artist most closely tied to Ocean Springs. He painted the Gulf Coast’s birds, plants, and islands in bold, flowing lines. The Walter Anderson Museum of Art downtown holds a large collection of his work.

The centerpiece is the Little Room, which Anderson painted floor to ceiling in his cottage. It was moved into the museum and shows a full day on the coast from sunrise to night. During the festival, the museum grounds host Young at Art, a market for artists ages 8 to 18 on Saturday. Go on Sunday morning or after the festival to see the galleries without a crush.

2. Shearwater Pottery

Shearwater Pottery is the reason the festival exists. Peter Anderson founded it in 1928 on family land along the water, and the Anderson family still runs it. The showroom sells pottery made on site, along with prints based on work by the Anderson brothers.

The setting is part of the visit. Shearwater sits under live oaks on a quiet road east of downtown. Pieces range from small cups to large vases, and much of the glazework reflects the colors of the coast. It is a calm stop after a loud festival day.

3. Davis Bayou at Gulf Islands National Seashore

Davis Bayou is the mainland unit of Gulf Islands National Seashore, and it sits inside Ocean Springs. It has a visitor center, a campground, picnic areas, short nature trails, and boardwalks over marsh and bayou.

Early November weather is usually mild, which makes this a good time for a walk. Look for wading birds, ospreys, and, on warm days, alligators in the bayou. The campground is also the closest place to camp near the festival, so book early if you want a site that weekend.

4. Front Beach and Fort Maurepas City Park

Ocean Springs traces its European history to 1699, when French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville established Fort Maurepas near today’s town. Fort Maurepas City Park on Front Beach is named for that fort and sits on the shore of Biloxi Bay, with a playground, picnic space, and a pier.

Front Beach itself is a long, calm stretch with a walking path and views across the bay. It is the place to sit with a coffee and let the festival noise fade. Sunset is the best time, when the light turns the water gold.

5. The Live Oaks of Washington Avenue and Government Street

The festival happens under some of the most striking trees on the coast. Huge live oaks shade the downtown streets, and their limbs stretch across sidewalks and storefronts.

Walk these streets again on Sunday evening or Monday morning, when the booths are gone. You see the canopy, the small shops, and the restaurants without the crowd. Downtown has more than 150 shops, restaurants, and galleries, according to festival organizers, so there is plenty to explore.

6. Ocean Springs Harbor

The Ocean Springs Harbor sits at the edge of downtown, where Biloxi Bay opens toward the Mississippi Sound. Shrimp boats, sailboats, and charter vessels tie up here. It is a working waterfront and a good place to watch boats come and go.

Walter Anderson famously rowed from this area out to Horn Island, where he spent long stretches painting. Horn Island is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore and is only reachable by boat. Some charter operators run trips out to the barrier islands, so ask around the harbor if you want to see the place that shaped Anderson’s art.

7. Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center

The Mary C. O’Keefe Cultural Center sits in a historic former school building on Washington Avenue. It hosts art exhibitions, classes, performances, and community events throughout the year.

It is a good place to see what local artists are doing now, beyond the festival. Check its calendar before you go, because exhibits and events change often. It also gives you a sense of how much the arts shape daily life in Ocean Springs, not just one weekend a year.

How the Peter Anderson Festival Started

The festival began in 1978 as a small show organized by local artists and the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce. The first year had 56 booths in the chamber’s parking lot. In 1984 it was renamed for Peter Anderson, who had died of ALS. Margaret Anderson, his daughter-in-law, helped guide it for its first 26 years.

Organizers have kept a juried format, which means booths must meet quality standards. That is why it feels more like an art show than a flea market. Festival season now starts in late summer with kickoff events, a commemorative T-shirt, and the Blue Moon Art Project contest.

Tips for Festival Weekend

• Bring cash and cards. Many artists take cards, but cash is faster at food booths.
• Wear comfortable shoes. You will walk miles on pavement.
• Expect rain or shine. The festival runs in either.
• Book lodging months ahead. Ocean Springs, Biloxi, and Gulfport hotels fill up.
• Plan a quiet day after. Monday is the best time to see the museums and Shearwater.

Who Peter and Walter Anderson Were

The Anderson family is the reason Ocean Springs became an art town. Peter Anderson founded Shearwater Pottery in 1928. His brothers Walter Inglis Anderson and James McConnell Anderson, known as Mac, also worked as artists, and the family’s work shaped the look of the town for generations.

Walter Anderson, who lived from 1903 to 1965, is the best known outside Mississippi. He often rowed a small boat to Horn Island and stayed for days, sketching birds, plants, insects, and weather. Much of his work was found and celebrated after his death. His murals, watercolors, and block prints now sit in the museum downtown and in collections across the South.

Peter’s pottery gave the family a steady business, and Shearwater has stayed in the family ever since. That continuity is rare. When you buy a piece at Shearwater, you are buying from a workshop that has been in the same family, on the same land, for nearly a century.

Where to Eat During Festival Weekend

Food booths line the festival streets, with Gulf Coast staples like shrimp, crawfish dishes, gumbo, and po’boys. Lines grow long by lunchtime, so eat early or late.

Downtown restaurants fill fast on festival weekend, and many do not take reservations. If you want a sit-down dinner, book ahead where you can, or plan to eat on Sunday evening or Monday when crowds thin. Gulf oysters show up more often on menus in the cooler months, depending on harvest seasons and conditions, so ask what is fresh.

Getting There and Where to Stay

Ocean Springs sits on the east side of Biloxi Bay along US 90, across the bridge from Biloxi. Interstate 10 runs just north of town. Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport is the closest airport, and New Orleans is about 90 minutes west by car.

Lodging inside Ocean Springs is limited. Small inns, bed-and-breakfasts, and vacation rentals book up months ahead for festival weekend. Biloxi, a short drive across the bay, has far more hotel rooms, including large casino resorts, and Gulfport adds more options to the west. Expect higher rates and minimum-night rules on festival weekend. If you cannot find a room in town, staying in Biloxi and driving over early is a common plan.

Why Ocean Springs Works as a November Trip

Early November on the Mississippi coast is warm by most American standards, with highs often in the 70s. Hurricane season is winding down, and summer humidity has broken. That makes the festival weekend one of the most comfortable times of year to visit.

Ocean Springs also differs from its neighbors. Biloxi is known for casinos, and Gulfport has a busy port. Ocean Springs leans into art, oaks, and a walkable downtown. The festival is the town’s biggest weekend, but the stops on this list show why artists and visitors keep coming back the rest of the year.