The Annual National Shrimp Festival is announcing a delay of the festival’s opening to 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12, due to threats of severe weather on Wednesday afternoon.

The forecasted high winds and rain will be delaying the time typically slated for vendor setup. The decision was made to ensure everyone working on-site remains safe throughout the set-up process, according to a news release distributed on Tuesday afternoon.

From Thursday afternoon on, forecasts are favorable, and organizers are looking forward to celebrating what will be a milestone weekend for the Gulf Coast.

Further information on the Shrimp Festival can be found by visiting myshrimpfest.com. As always, admission into the festival grounds is free.