SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL – [August 12, 2026] – SEASIDE SCHOOL™ has once again earned Florida's highest school grade (A+) from the Florida Department of Education for the 2025–2026 school year, marking the school's 25th consecutive year receiving the state's highest distinction.…
When Martha LaGuardia-Kotite heads to the beach, she doesn’t just see the beauty in the vibrant waters of the Gulf. She hears its music. Those waters, clear and inviting, mysterious and calming, are a haven LaGuardia-Kotite knows well. She grew…
Along the Emerald Coast, creativity is an inheritance—shaped by hand, passed through generations, and rooted in the shared act of making something meaningful, lasting, and uniquely one’s own. For some families, it becomes a language spoken through wood, paint, and…
Chris DeLorenzo is on a hunt. The 30-year-old Grayton Beach resident stalks his way around ’70s muscle cars looking for light, looking for color, looking for treasure. That’s how he describes his fine art approach to photographing automobiles at a drag…
A locally based ticketing portal for live events is now available to Northwest Florida residents. 850TIX.com owned by Rowland Publishing, Inc. promises to provide a one-stop shop for residents and visitors to find and purchase tickets to local concerts, events, and shows.
On a bright afternoon in late winter, the Hotel Effie was flooded with light, warmth, and purpose––850 Business Magazine’s Pinnacle Award luncheon had returned for its 12th year. Each year, 850 Business Magazine presents the Pinnacle Awards to exceptional women…
I step off the dirt parking lot just off 30A and onto a mosaic path. Native plants brush the walkway’s edges. A massive tree throws dappled shade across the property, where three paintings framed inside wooden pavilion structures form a…
Every April since 2008, Record Store Day has celebrated the unique culture of independent record shops through in-store events around the globe. On the Emerald Coast, stores such as Central Square Records and Revolver Records offer locals a place to…
Whether you’re an art aficionado or simply an admirer, LeMoyne’s Chain of Parks Art Festival has sights to behold. Ranked the No. 3 fine art festival in the nation (including No. 1 in Florida) by Sunshine Artist Magazine, the 2026 event…
Movement to music is a melding of mind, body, and spirit. The mind works to remember the choreography or to create it. The body exerts energy, adrenaline, and stamina as it pirouettes, sashays, leaps, and lunges. The spirit is enlivened…
See who the readers of Emerald Coast Magazine voted as the Best Local Band, Best Community Event, Best Live Music/Entertainment Venue, Best Art Museum/Gallery, Best Place to Take the Kids — and dozens of other categories.
As a dad, Matthew Weinberg was certain his daughter Sienna’s future was promising. But when it came time to enroll her in school, frustration set in. The 4-year-old girl had apraxia, a speech motor dysfunction. Her parents tried to enroll…
April showers bring May flowers as well as National Poetry Month. “While poetry may not cure the ills of the world, it can help people cope by providing creative outlets that can turn brutality into beauty with the simple turn…
I love live music as much as the next person. But let’s be real. In an era of dynamic pricing tactics and endless added fees gouging our wallets, it can feel impossible to enjoy more than one festival or major…
The Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County, proudly announces Gerard Frank as the Featured Artist for the 37th Annual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival. Frank’s custom artworks—Clarence and Alabama, Great Minds, and One Man Show will be showcased on all…
When Sinfonia Gulf Coast raised its baton for the first time in 2005, it did so with an audacious promise: to redefine the symphony experience along Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast. Two decades later, that promise has become a lived reality—one…
Along the Emerald Coast, creativity is an inheritance—shaped by hand, passed through generations, and rooted in the shared act of making something meaningful, lasting, and uniquely one’s own. For some families, it becomes a language spoken through wood, paint, and…
Chris DeLorenzo is on a hunt. The 30-year-old Grayton Beach resident stalks his way around ’70s muscle cars looking for light, looking for color, looking for treasure. That’s how he describes his fine art approach to photographing automobiles at a drag…
I step off the dirt parking lot just off 30A and onto a mosaic path. Native plants brush the walkway’s edges. A massive tree throws dappled shade across the property, where three paintings framed inside wooden pavilion structures form a…
Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation's Festival of the Arts is one of the Southeast's premier festivals and showcases more than 100 artists from across the U.S. The Festival is a celebration of art, music, food, and family fun and features a…
Tucked along Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola, Blue Morning Gallery is a local treasure. It’s a place where creativity feels approachable, and art leads to a smile. Unlike traditional galleries, Blue Morning is entirely artist-run. There’s no owner, no paid…
She is only 9 years old. She progressed to the semifinals of America’s Got Talent at 7. She makes an impact on everyone she meets with her contagious energy and passion for movement. She is Eseniia Mikheeva—an up-and-coming dance star…
SEASIDE, FLA (Jan. 26, 2026) — Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant, the iconic Gulf-front gathering place known for its legendary sunset celebrations, marked its 40th anniversary by gathering its entire staff for a celebratory toast on the rooftop deck, honoring…
SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL – [August 12, 2026] – SEASIDE SCHOOL™ has once again earned Florida's highest school grade (A+) from the Florida Department of Education for the 2025–2026 school year, marking the school's 25th consecutive year receiving the state's highest distinction.…
When Martha LaGuardia-Kotite heads to the beach, she doesn’t just see the beauty in the vibrant waters of the Gulf. She hears its music. Those waters, clear and inviting, mysterious and calming, are a haven LaGuardia-Kotite knows well. She grew…
On a bright afternoon in late winter, the Hotel Effie was flooded with light, warmth, and purpose––850 Business Magazine’s Pinnacle Award luncheon had returned for its 12th year. Each year, 850 Business Magazine presents the Pinnacle Awards to exceptional women…
Freeport’s streets burst with color and history in the form of massive painted concrete anchors—each landmark telling a story. The Anchored in Freeport project transforms the city’s maritime symbol into a permanent public art installation. For a town shaped by…
Across Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties, an average of 12.5 percent of residents are experiencing food insecurity, according to numbers reported by Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study. A 2025 annual report from the Florida Council on…
Melli Pappas is a passionate advocate for literary accessibility. A proud mother, grandmother, and owner of The Book Rack in Fort Walton Beach, she’s always loved to read for herself and with her kids. “Both my parents were huge readers,”…
Ten weeks of stellar sounds this Spring
There’s nothing like a good prompt or theme to get a writer in the spirit of storytelling. It’s no wonder I was immediately drawn to the idea of dinner and a story. Founders of Emerald Coast Storytellers, Kristy Holditch and…
