Img 0310 1 Edited Alabama, Alabama Boardwalk, Arts Festival, Daphne, Daphne Alabama, Daphne Shopping, Jubilee, Jubilee Festival — View of the waterfront at Bayfront Park in Daphne. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

There are very few places in the world where the Jubilees occur — one of which is Tokyo Bay in Japan, while Alabama’s own, Mobile Bay, remains the other.

A “Jubilee” is a rare, natural phenomenon where large numbers of marine life swim from the depths of the bay to shallower waters along a shoreline.

In Daphne, commonly known as “The Jubilee City,” this phenomenon brings blue crabs, shrimp + fish to the Eastern Shore — into the readied hands, and ice chests, of the city’s locals.

Keep reading to learn more about Daphne!

Daphne’s history

City Hall Fountain Edited Alabama, Alabama Boardwalk, Arts Festival, Daphne, Daphne Alabama, Daphne Shopping, Jubilee, Jubilee Festival — A fountain sits in front of Daphne’s City Hall in front of Centennial Park. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

Records show that Daphne was discovered by Spanish explorers around 1557. Prior to its discovery by the Spanish, it was inhabited by the Tensaw, Alabama, Choctaw, Creek + Seminole Native American tribes.

Here’s a brief timeline of the city’s history:

1763: The Daphne community was known as “The Village”
1874: Daphne was officially established with a Post Office on April 9
Early 1900’s: Several Italian families settled in the city, bringing with them expertise in agriculture, food + wine
1927: Daphne was incorporated on July 8 with a population of about 500 people

The Jubilee Festival of Arts

Lott Park Edited Alabama, Alabama Boardwalk, Arts Festival, Daphne, Daphne Alabama, Daphne Shopping, Jubilee, Jubilee Festival — The City of Daphne’s annual Jubilee Festival is held near Centennial Park, near Olde Towne Daphne. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz).

In honor of the city’s Jubilees, the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce holds an annual Jubilee Festival. The festival takes place along the streets of Olde Towne Daphne. This year will be the 37th annual festival for the city.

The festival as a whole includes:

Local cuisine
Fresh produce + canned jellies
The work of over 140 local + regional artists
Live music on entertainment stage
Art contest prizes
High school art exhibitions
Games
Grill demonstrations
Appearances by the Dogwood Trail Maids
Tailgating

Admission to the festival is entirely free. Across from the Daphne City Hall, in Centennial Park, “Kids Art in the Park” takes place — a concept that was established in 1999 as a way to promote art + crafts to children.

“Kids Art in the Park” features:

Fence painting
Hand fan creation
Beaded jewelry making
Fish printmaking
Wooden structure building
Face painting
Rock painting
Freeform art

When: October 18, 2025, from 10AM to 5PM
Where: Lott Park, 2000 Main St., Daphne 36526
Admission: Free
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Artist applications for this year will go live at the beginning of April + can be found on their Facebook.

The Gator Boardwalk

Gator Bw Alabama, Alabama Boardwalk, Arts Festival, Daphne, Daphne Alabama, Daphne Shopping, Jubilee, Jubilee Festival — The Daphne Gator Boardwalk is a half-mile in length. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

Running over D’Olive Creek in Daphne is the Gator Boardwalk, a half-mile, wheel-chair accessible boardwalk + butterfly garden. This attraction is a great spot to observe wildlife like the local alligators (as long as you don’t feed them).

Where: Entrance on N. Main St. (Near Exxon Station) Daphne, AL 36526
Hours: Dawn to dusk

The Jubilee Square Shopping Center

Jub Square Alabama, Alabama Boardwalk, Arts Festival, Daphne, Daphne Alabama, Daphne Shopping, Jubilee, Jubilee Festival — Jubilee Square has a Coastal Outfitters + RockN’Roll Sushi. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

The Jubilee Square is Daphne’s most popular shopping center, featuring a combination of chain stores + restaurants as well as locally-owned businesses. The center is located at 6850 US-90, Daphne, AL 36526.

Here are some businesses to be found in the center: