Summertime Fun is All Here, Including the Farmhouse-Chic Apron Sink!

It’s summer, and that means it’s time for the highly anticipated ballot issue for the 2015 Best of the Emerald Coast awards. We revisit the list each year, adding and changing categories, so be sure to check it out and cast your votes.

We’ve got that in this issue and so much more about the best place to live, work and play in the Sunshine State, all with a fun summer twist.

To start, we assure you in our A Taste For … column that soaking up Vitamin D is a good thing!

School may be out, but we are always up for learning something new. Thanks to Diane Fraser at the newly expanded Emerald Coast Science Center, we got to test out the theory of all things fun in the museum’s new Fort Walton Beach location and bring that story to you.

What says summer more than Shakespeare in the park? Grand Boulevard is transforming its Grand Park into a stage thanks to Emerald Coast Theatre Company, and for the first time that we know of Shakespeare will be performed right here in the tradition of the Greeks, free of charge and out of doors!

Digital Graffiti is not new; it marks its eighth year this summer, but every year this amazing EC Best of winner is even more exciting than the last. Get all of the details for the June 4–6 festival in our Calendar listing, and come say hi to the EC team on Saturday night. We will be proudly sponsoring the welcome lounge near the entrance. Find out for yourself why this is 30A’s must-not-miss event of the summer season. 

Summer on the Emerald Coast is not as refreshing until you add a little water. In this issue, we explore a number of ways to soak in plenty of fun in the sun, from clear canoes and the snuba craze to surfing lessons and the tradition of sailing.

Speaking of traditions, Gulfarium Adventure Marine Park turns 60 this year. To honor this milestone, we give you a chance to take a sneak peek at a new photo essay book about the attraction’s amazing history co-authored by Emerald Coaster Krista Stouffer.

We are not all play here on the Emerald Coast, but as one of Florida’s most successful coastal tourist destinations, it just seems that way. Our feature story on the growth of the vacation rental industry from the perspective of local owners who have invested in it is one we hope is helpful for those of you who may be considering taking the plunge.

“The Truman Show” may have debuted 17 years ago, but the memories of this indelible experience of locals who joined in the making of the film serve as a reminder to all of us of just how special our part of Northwest Florida really is. Take a walk down Memory Lane with Amy Coble in The Last Word and learn some juicy behind-the-scenes tidbits from her Seaside silver-screen experience.

And did I mention a big, juicy story on watermelon? Yep, filled with sweet and savory recipes from area restaurants, no less.

Oh, and for good measure, when you read Habitat, you’ll find we even threw in a “farmhouse chic” apron sink.

Enjoy!