Make Your Stay Eventful
A calendar of local events and happenings
January
30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL
More than 175 singer-songwriters will take the stage at over 30 venues throughout the 30A region. The 30A Songwriters Festival is the largest gathering of nationally recognized songwriters performing on the Florida coast.
30ASongwritersFestival.com
PCB MARDI GRAS
& MUSIC FESTIVAL
Promenade to this festive Mardi Gras beach parade featuring the Krewe of Dominique Youx. This event is held the weekend before Fat Tuesday and features family-friendly entertainment.
VisitPanamaCityBeach.com
February
SANDESTIN GUMBO & BLOODY MARY FESTIVAL
Spoons up! This lively two-day festival in The Village of Baytowne Wharf dishes up gumbo from competing area restaurants, Bloody Marys, beer, live music, and lots of family fun.
SandestinGumboFestival.com
SEASIDE SCHOOL
HALF-MARATHON
AND 5K RUN
Choose between the half-marathon or 5K. Either option will be scenic, and both benefit the Seaside School. Proceeds enable students to participate in advanced placement and career readiness courses.
RunSeasideFL.com
30A WINE FESTIVAL
Sip and sup at the annual 30A Wine Festival, a must-experience for lovers of fine wines and the culinary arts. Proceeds from the wine festival will support the Children’s Volunteer Health Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing access to health services for children in Walton and Okaloosa counties.
30AWineFestival.com
March
EMERALD COAST CRUIZIN’ CAR SHOW
Car enthusiasts of all ages are welcome to check out thousands of classics, hot rods, customs, muscle cars, and trucks on display.
EmeraldCoastCruizin.com
April
UNWINED
Spend the weekend sampling craft beer, wine, and spirits while enjoying cuisine from renowned area chefs and local eateries. Aaron Bessant Park will be transformed as it hosts a stylish garden party.
VisitPanamaCityBeach.com/unwined
CONCERTS
IN THE VILLAGE
Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s annual al fresco 10-week concert series is staged Thursday evenings April through June at the Dugas Pavilion in Destin. Enjoy regional and national musicians and tribute bands, food truck fare, BYOB, and a festive community vibe. Proceeds benefit MKAF and its ArtsReach programs.
MKAF.org
SANDESTIN WINE FESTIVAL
Sip and savor for four days at the annual Sandestin Wine Festival, featuring tastings from hundreds of wines, exclusive wine dinners with celebrity chefs, live music, culinary tents, and discounted bottled-wine rates. Festival proceeds
benefit the Fisher House and Sandestin Foundation for Kids.
SandestinWineFestival.com
SEABREEZE JAZZ FESTIVAL
The Seabreeze Jazz Festival brings together top smooth jazz artists
with a full weekend of fun, sun,
good times, and great tunes.
SeabreezeJazzFestival.com
SOUTH WALTON BEACHES FOOD
& WINE FESTIVAL
More than 800 wines, spirits, and craft beers will be poured and paired with celebrity chef cuisine and local bites during this four-day celebration benefiting the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation. Enjoy VIP and Grand Wine tastings, plus live music and seminars with the country’s leading winemakers and distillers. Proceeds benefit Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation.
SoWalWine.com
May
ARTSQUEST
FINE ARTS FESTIVAL
The ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival presents a juried art show with a range of art mediums, live music, food, bars, and family fun. The event welcomes attendees to view and purchase original art from over 100 artists from around the country.
CulturalArtsAlliance.com/arts-quest
IRONMAN
70.3 GULF COAST
The official Ironman 70.3 Gulf Coast triathlon half-race takes place along the coast of Panama City Beach each year. Triathletes are challenged to complete a 1.2-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico, followed by a 56-mile bike ride, and finish with a 13.1-mile run.
Ironman.com/races/im703-gulf-coast
BILLY BOWLEGS FESTIVAL
Fort Walton Beach’s signature annual event, the Billy Bowlegs Festival, features a pirate invasion, a skirmish between the Krewe of Bowlegs and the mayor, the pirate landing and capture, and the celebratory Torchlight Parade. Plus, a treasure hunt, fireworks show, live music, arts and crafts festival, and more.
BillyBowlegsFestival.com
GULF COAST JAM
Get your jam on with the
biggest names in country music, featuring four days, 32 artists,
and one big beach party.
GulfCoastJam.com
June
BLUE MARLIN CLASSIC
The Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic is a much-anticipated fishing tournament that attracts top anglers who compete to land the biggest billfish, tuna, wahoo, and more. All are invited to witness weigh-ins and enjoy live music, seafood, fireworks, and other festivities.
FishECBC.com
July
RED, WHITE
& BAYTOWNE
Enjoy fun in the sun during the day, and light up your night with fireworks. The Village of Baytowne Wharf will host an Independence Day celebration featuring live music, crafts, face painting, family activities, and of course, fireworks!
BaytowneWharf.com
REAL. FUN. FOURTH.
Panama City Beach celebrates Independence Day with a massive fireworks show. For three nights, visitors and locals alike can witness the wonderful display from various locations along the water.
VisitPanamaCityBeach.com/events/holiday-events/realfunfourth
September
DESTIN SEAFOOD FESTIVAL
The Destin Seafood Festival presents the freshest catches the Gulf has to offer. Seafood lovers won’t want to miss this opportunity to dine and shop your way along the historic Destin Harbor and HarborWalk Village while enjoying live music, arts and crafts, and kids activities.
DestinSeafoodFest.com
October
BEST OF THE EMERALD COAST
The public is invited to celebrate the best of the best businesses as voted by the readers of Emerald Coast Magazine at the annual Best of the Emerald Coast winners’ party. Guests will enjoy an evening of live music, visual arts, delightful cuisine, and refreshing libations. Each year’s event will benefit a deserving local charity or nonprofit organization.
EmeraldCoastMagazine.com/bestofec
PANAMA CITY BEACH FISHING RODEO
The fishing tournament is a
three-weekend, 17-day event with two weigh-ins daily. Competitors will pursue 11 species from shore, boats, paddleboards, kayaks, and more. There will be live music
and food vendors daily.
PCBFishingRodeo.com
BAYTOWNE WHARF
BEER FESTIVAL
The Village of Baytowne Wharf presents its annual festive beer tasting featuring over 200 domestic and international beers, food samples, live music, and more.
Taste local brews while chatting
with the brewers themselves.
BaytowneBeerFestival.com
PIRATES OF THE HIGH SEAS AND RENAISSANCE FEST
Ahoy, mateys! In celebration of the marauders who once sailed the Gulf, pirates will invade Panama
City Beach for a weekend of activities, including a big parade, a kids parade, a treasure hunt, a costume contest, live music, food vendors, fireworks, and more.
VisitPanamaCityBeach.com/
pirates-of-the-high-seas-fest
HARVEST WINE
& FOOD FESTIVAL
Epicurean excellence awaits at this festival, which merges fine wines and culinary creations. The weekend features wine dinners, vendor tents, a silent auction,
and a grand tasting with over
400 wines from around the world.
DCWAF.org/harvest-festival
FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
One of the Southeast’s premier juried art festivals showcases more than 100 artists selling original artwork on the Dugas Pavilion green in Destin, continuous live music, local performing arts groups, live artist demos, children’s creative activities, food truck fare, beer, wine, and Bloody Mary bar, and more. Proceeds benefit Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation and its ArtsReach programs.
MKAF.org
November
SEEING RED WINE FESTIVAL
Wine lovers flock to Seaside for this annual wine weekend filled with world-class wines, intimate vintner dinners, grand tastings, coastal cuisine, and memorable moments by the Gulf. Proceeds benefit Sinfonia Gulf Coast and other local charities.
SeasideSeeingRed.com
ALYS BEACH CRAFTED
Alys Beach Crafted invites you
to gather with food and drink masters and renowned craftspeople from around the country sharing the products of their crafts. Events include the Makers Market, Firkin Fête, Cocktail Seminars, and a Spirited Soiree. All proceeds
will benefit the Cultural Arts
Alliance of Walton County.
AlysBeachCrafted.com
IRONMAN FLORIDA
The official Ironman Florida triathlon race takes place along the coast of Panama City Beach each year. Triathletes are challenged to complete a 2.4-mile swim
in the Gulf of Mexico, followed
by a 112-mile bike ride, and
finish with a 26.2-mile run.
Ironman.com/races/im-florida
December
COASTAL CHRISTMAS
Gather at Grand Boulevard
with family and friends to enjoy
a holiday music revue, photos
with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, and don’t miss the
Festival of Trees while there.
GrandBoulevard.com
12 NIGHTS OF LIGHTS
During December at The Village
of Baytowne Wharf, enjoy a festive light show every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday leading up to Christmas. This sparkling event will also be featured during the special holiday edition of the Wednesday Night Concert Series.
BaytowneWharf.com
