PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) — The Pensacola & Perdido Bay Estuary Program is set to host the inaugural Evening for the Estuaries Gala on Oct. 12 from 6:30 to 9 pm at the Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach.

The event will include live music, drinks, hors d’oeuvres with local oysters, a silent auction featuring items for the PPBEP mission and giving back to the local waters. The Coastal Arts Center of Orange Beach, located on Wolf Bay, is a fine art gallery with works from artists, who reside on the Gulf Coast.

The gala is set to become an annual event supporting PPBEP’s education and outreach program including the Panhandle Manatee Program, workshops for local teachers, student field trips and educational kayak tours.

Private donations will supplement the PPBEP’s applications to federal, state and private grant programs.

PPBEP’s grant program has secured over $21 million in funding to support various projects, such as restoring 1,400 acres of oyster habitat in Pensacola Bay over the next 10 years and creating a Living Shoreline Cost Share Program set to launch in 2024.

Tickets are $150 per person and $250 per couple. Tickets can be secured, here.