Our Top Picks for October 24-26 Entertainment on the Emerald Coast

This upcoming fall weekend is full of season-inspired events! From a Fall Carnival and an Arts Festival to a Zombie Stomp and a Halloween Haunt—there is something for everyone to partake in. For current weather updates, be sure to reference weather.com or tune in via television to The Weather Channel.

The Life’s A Beach crew wishes everyone a safe and BEACHY weekend! Enjoy!

Friday, October 24, 2014:

City of Fort Walton Beach Fall Carnival

Docie Bass Recreation Center

54 Ferry Road

Fort Walton Beach

Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.

At this great event, there will be fun for the entire family, including a Haunted House, Trick-or-Treat Trail, candy carnival games, concessions, face painting, bounce houses and a cakewalk. Admission is free. Please call 850.833.9580 for more information.

Hog Rally Concert

HarborWalk Village

Time: 7-10 p.m.

Rally together for a free concert on the main stage with the Bobby Friss Band! Keep rocking on post concert with an After Party at Coyote Ugly at 10 p.m. For more information, visit www.flstatehogrally.com.

October 24 and 25

Haunted History Tours of Downtown Fort Walton Beach

139 Miracle Strip Parkway

Fort Walton Beach

The City of Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park & Cultural Center presents the 7^th Annual Haunted History Tours based on authentic local history, folk stories and spooky downtown historic sites. The tours will be conducted each night at 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tours are limited to 30 people each and early sign-up and ticket purchase is encouraged. The program offers a guided twilight walking tour of historic sites in the downtown area and features costumed actors interpreting local history and haunted happenings. All tour participants should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to start time for each tour at the Indian Temple Mound Museum. Tours end with spooky refreshments inside the Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum. For more information, visit www.fwbchamber.org/events.

Saturday, October 25, 2014:

19^th Annual Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation Festival of the Arts

Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village

4323 Commons Drive West

Destin

This annual, creative celebration highlights art, music, food and fun for everyone! The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) Festival of the Arts is located at 4323 Commons Drive West in Destin. It will take place Saturday, October 25, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday, October 26, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

There will be free parking at Grace Lutheran Church & Art Shuttle from Emerald Coast Center by Bealls Department Store. Admission to the festival is $3 per adult. MKAF members and children under age 12 get in for free. For more information, please visit MattieKellyArtsFoundation.org or call 850.650.2226.

Gulfarium’s Splash or Treat Spooktacular

1010 Miracle Strip Parkway

Fort Walton Beach

Time: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Eglin Zombie Stomp

Time: 2 p.m.

Kid Friendly – Haunted Heritage Day

Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida

115 Westview Avenue

Valparaiso

Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Wear your Halloween costume and receive admission for $1. Museum members and children age 4 and under get in for free. Come for the Halloween crafts, historic exhibits, playtime in the Discovery Room for kids and a stroll in “Paradise Gardens.” For more information, please contact info@hertiage-museum.org or call 850.678.2615.

Halloween Haunt at Destin Commons

Destin Commons Center Plaza

4300 Legendary Drive, Ste. 200

Destin

Time: 4-7 p.m.

This event will be full of spooky crafts, Trick-or-Treating, a costume contest for kids and dogs, and the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge’s spooky haunted house attraction. Costume contest registration is at 4 p.m., the contest kicks off at 5 p.m. and Trick-or-Treating begins at 6 p.m. Abrakadoodle will be on site with children’s fantasy face-painting and creepy crafts. For more information, please visit DestinCommons.com.

October 25 and 26

Pumpkinpalooza

HarborWalk Village

10 Harbor Boulevard

Destin

Children and adult costume contests will be held during this exciting Halloween event. There will be plenty of drinks and live entertainment to savor. Children can Trick-or-Treat with merchants all day during business hours. Pumpkin decorating, free crafts and face painting will also be available! To learn more, contact info@harborwalk-destin.com or call 850.424.0600.

Sunday, October 26, 2014:

Some Sunday Brunch spots in and around Destin:

Crab Island Cantina, Destin Harbor www.crabislandcantina.com

Harry T’s, Destin Harbor www.harryts.com

Angler’s Beachside Grill, Okaloosa Island Boardwalk anglersgrill.com

McGuire’s Irish Pub, Destin www.mcguiresirishpub.com

A Festival of Fish and Much, Much More -- The 36th Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival

What:    The 36^th Annual Boggy Bayou                   Mullet Festival

Where:  Niceville, FL

When:   October 19-21, 2012

www.MulletFestival.com

www.BoggyBayouMulletFestival.info

If there’s one thing you won’t want to miss this weekend, it’s the 36^th Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival. Recently named one of the USA’s top 12 food festivals by Parade Magazine, this spirited fall festival offers something for everyone. Festival fun will include high-quality arts and crafts, a huge selection of clothing, jewelry and other goods, collectibles and merchandise, carnival rides and booths, kids’ activities, local and big-name entertainment, and more!

Festival History

Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival 1978

The festival began back in 1976 in the town of Niceville, then a happy little fishing village known simply as Boggy Bayou. In those days, local fisherman poled flat-bottomed skiffs out into the bay at night, listed for the jumping mullet, and cast their nets. During the depression, mullet saved the Boggy Bayou area by providing pioneer families with the means to barter with regional farmers for needed goods and services, so this little town owes the mullet a lot.

Since its beginning, this annual festival honoring the mullet has grown to one of the South’s most celebrated festivals, gaining much recognition and notoriety nationwide. It has become one of the best-known country music events in the South.

For folks living in the area, it’s an event that brings the townsfolk together every year, allowing them to renew old friendships and celebrate with neighbors. For visitors, it’s an excellent opportunity to have some good old-fashioned family fun.

Food

Photo: MoscatoMom.com

Throughout the three day festival, thousands of hungry mullet fans will consume up to 4 tons of this tasty fish. Of course, everyone who goes the Mullet Festival will have something to eat. Aside from fried and smoked mullet, a wide variety of menu options will be available including seafood, oriental foods, Cajun and country cooking, sweet treats and more. Just a few of these must-try items include shrimp, shark, alligator, crawfish, BBQ, shrimp tempura, fried vegetables, bratwurst, wings, chicken, burgers, funnel cakes, kettle corn, cotton candy, hot apple dumplings and ice cream!

Arts and Crafts

A large arts and crafts show will make for some truly unique finds. This juried show features only original, high-quality work. All exhibitors are eligible for the “Best of Show” Purchase Award. In addition, there will be tons of hand-made and/or decorated clothing available in the Boutique section.

Entertainment Galore

As previously mentioned, the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival has become known as one of the South’s best country music festivals. Known for featuring nationally-recognized country acts in a small, festival atmosphere, if there’s one thing there’s no shortage of at this event it’s entertainment. The best part? The festival’s low admission price INCLUDES all the entertainment. How awesome is that?

To see a complete schedule of entertainment Click Here.

Family Day

Sunday, October 21 is Family Day at the Mullet Festival. Sponsored by Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities Hospital, this is the festivals only alcohol-free day. No sales of beer or any other alcoholic beverages will be permitted on this day. On Family Day, volunteers from Fort Walton Beach Medical Center and Twin Cities Hospital will be selling soft drinks on site to raise funds for the United Way.

The entertainment on this day is geared specifically towards a family audience. Children can enjoy rides, clown shows, cartoon characters, pony rides, magicians, face painting, and much, much more!

What’s A Mullet?

Black or striped mullet are a versatile fish that can be found throughout the world in warm, coastal marine waters and sometimes in fresh water. They are abundant in Florida Waters, especially in Choctawhatchee Bay and its bayous. Mullet are sometimes called jumping, or happy mullet because these fish leap right out of the water and skip along the surface in great exuberance.

Well known and held in high esteem for centuries, these fish were often included in the writings of the ancient Romans. Mullet, which feed on vegetation, algae and plankton, take on the flavor of their surroundings. In most areas, dirty or polluted waters render mullet inedible. For this reason, the mullet is no longer a prize delicacy in Rome because Italy’s canals and coastal waters became polluted.

Mullet taken from the Niceville’s sandy-bottomed waters are fat and clean. Their firm-texture has a mild, almost sweet, nutlike flavor. Don’t take my word for it, come out to the 36^th Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival and see for yourself!

Check out this Mullet Festival T-Shirt
Worn by the "Sam Merlotte" Character
on HBO's Popular TRUE BLOOD Series