10/22/2024
3,000 fans will be here to raise a toast to Jimmy Buffett during Meeting of the Minds; “We didn’t choose Jimmy, we were on a parallel path. We knew the words the first time we heard them.”
By Fran Thompson
Parrot Heads have been described as a combination of Canadians, hippies, Gandhi and your cool uncle.
They love to get together and party with or without Jimmy Buffett being there to join them. But it’s a party with a purpose, they will be quick to tell you.
“We have donated over $62 million to charity since we started,’’ said Pete Ferralli, co-chair of the Meeting of the Minds celebration of trop rock that will bring more than 3,000 Parrot Heads to Pleasure Island from Oct. 23-28 for mostly music themed events. Pre-registration has closed. For more MOTM info, visit motm.rocks.
“We will be doing all kinds of stuff to raise money for the city’s charities while we are there,’’ Ferralli added. “We arranged for bloodmobiles to be there for three days. We will have auction baskets, raffles, a silent auction, a 5K Run. Just about everything we do will raise funds for the host city’s charities.’’
The convention will give patrons ample opportunity to raise a glass to the Gulf Coast native who invented the genre, and the group and anyone else who wants to join them are invited to raise a toast to the event’s spiritual leader on Oct. 25 beginning around 5 p.m. The Gulf Shores High School Steel Drum Band play a set of Buffett songs before the toast.
“We decided to do something as a group on Wednesday (Oct. 25) at The Hangout,’’ Ferralli said on his way home from a Parrot Head event at the Surf Ballroom (venue for Buddy Holly’s last concert) in Clear Lake, Iowa.
“We have not finalized everything, but our president and some other people will say a few words and then we will all come together and raise a toast. All of us are taking this pretty hard. We knew he was sick, but we didn’t realize how bad it was. Please tell all the Jimmy Buffett fans from town to come down and join us.’’
Ferralli said although the Oct. 25 party at the Hangout is open to the public, Hangout events slated Oct. 26-28 are for MOTM registrants only.
And there are many to choose from, as Lucy Buffett’s LuLu’s at Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores, Live Bait in Orange Beach, The Flora-Bama on Perdido Key and Sassy Bass in Fort Morgan have music scheduled every night and most days.
There is no cover charge for most of the events outside of the Hangout.
Highlighted MOTM charitable events open to the everyone include the Skippin & Sippin 5K & 1-Mile Fun Run/Walk at LuLu’s at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28 benefitting Bras Across the Causeway, a shoe and toy drive at The Hangout open throughout the week and a blood drive with blood drives Oct. 25, 27 & 28 at LuLu’s.
Another MOTM fundraiser is the first annual Celebrity Putt Putt Tournament on Oct. 25 at Shrimpy’s Grill and Golf. Registration is $45, and Shrimpy’s has $3 drinks (this ain’t Key West!).
The registration fee includes a free drink. Trop rock celebrities will be at every hole along the way. You can even pay $5 to have the trop rock celebrity play the hole for you. (Register at MOTM.rocks.)
Ferralli has attended 20 of the first 30 MOTMs, including the first one in 1992 at Margaritaville in the New Orleans French Quarter.
The MOTM Board decided to move its gathering to Gulf Shores after 20 years in Key West because it is more centrally located, less expensive, just as beautifully tropical and provides more infrastructure for future growth.
“The history of this area when related to Parrot Heads is so iconic, and the community has been amazing to work with as we endeavored to move the event from Key West,’’ said Suzanne Calhoun, Meeting of the Minds co-chair. “We invite the community to join us at our public events, and we look forward to giving back to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.”
While the main focus of the convention is live music, there will also include breakout sessions, leadership growth opportunities and philanthropic efforts to benefit the local community.
“Between the philanthropic events they are planning and the number of restaurants and venues they will be using, the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach will feel the economic lift during an otherwise slower time,’’ said Michelle Russ, vice president of special events for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism.
