Showing posts with label Wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wine. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The 34th Annual Destin Seafood Festival Kicks Off This Weekend!


OCTOBER 5 – 7, 2012
Friday, October 5: 3pm – 10pm
Saturday, October 6: 10am – 10pm
Sunday, October 7: 11am – 5pm
Admission: FREE (Donations Accepted)

If you enjoy fantastic entertainment, delicious food, and exciting activities for all ages, then you won’t want to miss the 2012 Destin Seafood Festival. This year, the festival will be presented by the Destin Charter Boat Association, along with many community businesses. To these folks, it’s more than just a festival – it’s a tribute to the rich history of the Destin Harbor. This year’s festival will be taking place along the beautiful Destin Harbor which now features the new and improved Harbor Boardwalk.
Free Live Entertainment

The event will feature tons of entertainment and fun for all ages, as the entire harbor district is abuzz with the excitement of the festival. There will be two outdoor main stages featuring performances from musical groups such as Heritage, Cadillac Willy, Coconut Radio and Cheryl Jones, just to name a few. An exciting addition to this year’s musical lineup is Wild Country Blue, an amazing U.S. Air Force band. There will also be live music at several other locations throughout the harbor. Kid’s activities will include bounce houses, pony rides, a petting zoo, hamster balls, Euro bungee, face painting, arts & crafts and more! If all this isn’t enough, the Destin Fishing Rodeo will be in full swing, with exciting weigh-ins taking place daily.
Food Vendors 

When you attend the Destin Seafood Festival this year, you better come hungry! Tons of succulent seafood items will be on the menu this year including lobster, crab cakes, scallops, shrimp, mullet, shark, mahi mahi, crawfish, clams and much, much more!

Come down to the Destin Harbor and see why more than 60,000 locals and visitors are expected to visit this year’s Destin Seafood Festival – exceptional food, outstanding entertainment, and loads of fun for the whole family.


Thursday, September 20, 2012

Fall in Love with the Emerald Coast


Sunset Boat Emerald Coast
Looking Forward to an Eventful Fall Season!

If you’ve been wanting to visit the always lovely Emerald Coast all summer long, and haven’t yet made it down, don’t worry! You haven’t missed your chance. The first official day of fall is this Saturday, September 22, and it is a wonderful time to plan an escape to this magical area.

Life's A Beach Fall/Winter CoverThere are a ton of things to look forward to throughout this lively season. One of my personal favorites of course is that the fall/winter edition of Life’s A Beach will be hitting the stands throughout the region. (We in fact, just received this edition from the printer this morning, so look for it at a location near you!) This means new artwork, photos, coupons, articles, events and more for our readers. How sweet is that!?

Another favorite is the weather. Fall weather on the Emerald Coast is ideal for almost any activity you can imagine. It’s still great for spending a day at the beach, or out on the water, and it’s fantastic if you just want to get out there and experience the beauty and wonder of Mother Nature in a comfortable setting. The slightly cooler evenings are awesome for a stroll on the beach, or for cuddling up with that special someone. If you enjoy camping, this is an optimal time of year for sleeping out under the stars and roasting marshmallows by the fire.

During the fall, the whole area comes alive with the vibrance of the season. There is always something happening, and there is so much to see and do you will never be bored. Let’s take a brief look at some of the things that will be happening throughout this magical season.

Rodeo Weigh-In Miss Destin
Throughout the entire month of October, spend a little time at the Destin Harbor, and enjoy the festivities of the 64th Annual Destin Fishing Rodeo. There will be tons of cash and prizes awarded to anglers from all over the country. Best of all, participation in the Rodeo is FREE to when you fish aboard any boat registered in the Rodeo. Even if you’re not fishing, you can still enjoy the merriment of the daily weigh-ins held on the docks. Don’t miss Shark Saturdays!

Seafood Fest
The 34th Annual Destin Seafood Festival will be entertaining thousands October 5-7. This tribute to the rich history of the Destin Harbor will feature 3 days of fun-filled activities for the whole family. There will be over 10 stages, and over 60 shows of amazing live music, kid’s activities, arts and crafts vendors, delicious food, beer, and much, much more! This event is also free and open to the public, however donations are accepted.

Beer MugThe Destin Beer Festival on October 13 will be held along the main street of Destin Commons. This event will feature an afternoon of specialty brews, eclectic cuisine, live entertainment, a merchandise booth and more! Event proceeds will benefit The Children’s Neighborhood of Children in Crisis, Inc. Come out and enjoy some great beer for a great cause!

Enjoy even more beer October 19-20 at the 5th Annual Baytowne Wharf Beer Festival. The event will feature over 40 onsite craft brewers, over 100 domestic and international beers, seminars and samplings, and live music.

Niceville Mullet Festival
Make your way to Niceville October 19-20 for the 36th Annual Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival. (Don’t worry folks, that’s mullet as in fish, not the popular 80’s hairstyle that’s business in the front and a party in the back!) The festival always promises a great time for the entire family with big-name entertainment, the highest quality fine art and home hand-crafts, numerous exhibits and a staggering array of food concessions. Don’t miss other special events throughout the festival such as the Mullet Toss!

A Celebration of Dogs
If you are a dog lover, you will not want to miss Dog Daze on October 20 at Liza Jackson Park in Fort Walton Beach. This canine-centered event featuring doggie arts and crafts, informational booths, lots of freebies and giveaways, a dog parade, wiener races and more! Come out for a day of fun focused around man’s best friend. Dog Daze benefits Alaqua Animal Refuge, RUFF (Rescue Unwanted Furry Friends), and PAWS (Panhandle Animal Welfare Society).

Henderson Beach State ParkIf there’s art in your heart you will not want to miss the 17th Annual Destin Festival of the Arts sponsored by the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation. The festival will be held October 27-28 at Henderson Beach State Park. The event will feature over 100 artists from across the United States in a vast variety of mediums. There will be kid’s events, live music and lots of fun.

November 1-4 grab your glass and head to Seaside for the Seeing Red Wine Festival. This for day event is choc-full of decades of southern tradition, and is sure to satisfy your taste for wine… and the beach! An extensive array of tasting tents will be onsite with wine samples from around the world.

The Great Golf Coast Arts Festival is a juried art show that takes place in Seville Square in Downtown Pensacola November 2-4. Over 250,000 visitors flock to the area to enjoy this event every year.

Destin Harbor Blues, Brews, & BBQ
On November 10 head down to the Destin Harbor for the Blues, Brews & BBQ event. Local restaurants will be firing up the frills and the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Northwest Florida chapter will be onsite hosting a craft beer tasting and creative BBQ competition.

These are just a few of the many events you can enjoy this fall. Other things you may want to check out include touring shows, orchestra performances, Halloween festivities including multiple haunted houses and more! Check back with us often for more information on these and other upcoming events in addition to your regular Emerald Coast connection.

Until next time, enjoy the fruits of the season and remember to send us your Emerald Coast vacation photos!


Kids Activities Destin Fishing Rodeo


Thursday, May 10, 2012

What Are You Doing This Weekend? May 11-13

What’s happening on the Emerald Coast this weekend?

Happy Mother’s Day weekend! It’s going to be a big weekend here on the Emerald Coast with a little something for everybody! Take in an art show or two, get a new wardrobe at a great price, help the community, enjoy fabulous wine and great atmosphere as you paint with your mom, play a little poker, take in an awesome concert and more!!! This weekend is brimming with options for those who love to get out there and experience the Emerald Coast lifestyle. Browse through the list of amazing events taking place right here along our beautiful shoreline this weekend!


Multi-Day Events

24thAnnual ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival featuring 130 international artists exhibiting over a dozen mediums will fill downtown Seaside, FL for two and a half days, (May 11-13) along with great live music, artist workshops, KidZone and fabulous food & beverage options. 
 
Talk about an event the ladies won’t want to miss! The Women’s Resale Clothing Event features over 4,800 square feet of brand name fashions, with all items being only $2. No men, no children, CASH ONLY. Event will be held Friday, May 11 from 3-7 p.m. and Saturday, May 12 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. $5 entrance fee applies both days. Proceeds of this event will benefit Head Start.



 
Friday, May 11

Treat your mom (and yourself) to the Mother’s Day Paint and Wine Party at Chautauqua Vineyards and Winery in Defuniak Springs from 5-8:30 p.m. Spend a fun-filled evening painting with your mother. Don’t miss out on the door prizes!




Saturday, May 12

Billy Bowlegs Poker Run sponsored by the American Business Women’s Association is now open to all types of vehicles, (boats, jet skis, motorcycles, automobiles, bicycles, etc.) The event will feature food, live entertainment, grand prizes for the top three hands, and lots of door prizes. All proceeds go into the scholarship fund for local high school seniors.

The Shelter House Princess and Pirate Ball will be held at Linkside Conference Center in Sandestin from 5-8 p.m. Your entire family is invited to wear their best princess and pirate costumes for an evening of dinner, dancing, treasure hunts, character pictures and more. Advance tickets may be purchased online.

Come spend a free day at the beautiful Henderson Beach State Park for the 5th Annual Family Fun Arts Fest hosted by the Okaloosa Arts Alliance from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Finish your Mother's Day shopping with the many arts and crafts vendors, get something to eat & drink while enjoying performances by local artists like Act4Murder, have fun doing multiple free family activities, and bid on fantastic silent auction items.

The Norriego Point Sea Oat Planting Event will be held at Norriego Point in Destin beginning at 8 a.m. Donations and volunteers are still needed for this public/private project to vegetate the new dune on Norriego Point.

The 20th Annual Letter Carriers Food Drive is the largest one-day food drive in the nation. Place your non-expired, non-perishable food items near your mailbox this Saturday and letter carriers from Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar, Mary Esther, Eglin AFB, Destin, Niceville, DeFuniak Springs and other post offices will pick them up for distribution to community food banks.

Rotolo’s Restaurant will be sponsoring a Blood Drive from 4-7 p.m. Free T-shirts will be provided to all donors! If you would like to make an appointment online visit NFBSDonor.org and use sponsor code W4212.

The 5K Run to Benefit JR Lifeguards starts at Beasley Park on Okaloosa Island at 5 p.m. T-shirt provided at registration and prizes awarded to the top runners. For more information about the run, visit Active.com. For more information on the JR Lifeguards program, visit OkaloosaBeachSafety.org.


Check out the 6th Ranger Training Battalion Open House with demonstrations at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. featuring snake and reptile shows, ranger squad demonstrations, parachute demo and spot jumps, down pilot/hoist demonstrations, and combative demonstrations. All proceeds benefit Gator Activity Fund and Emerald Coast Fisher House.






Sunday, May 13 HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Darius Rucker Headlines at the ANNIKA & Friends Concert at Grand Boulevard in Sandestin beginning at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the concert and from ANNIKA & Friends at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort will go to the ANNIKA Foundation, to help kids in Northwest Florida live better lives through fitness, nutrition, and life skills.








Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! Have a beautiful and beachy weekend!



            -The Life’s A Beach crew

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s Concerts in the Park Gears up for its 16th Season






It’s that time of year again folks. That’s right, it’s concert time! The 16th season of Concerts in the Park kicks off on Thursday, May 3rd. If you’re as excited as we are, grab your lawn chairs, pack up your wine and your picnic dinner, and head to the Village Green at the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village in Destin every Thursday in May and June. While you’re there, be sure to wave at your friends from Life’s A Beach. Seriously. We’ll be there. Every time. We’re sort of Concerts in the Park groupies.

This 9-week outdoor concert series, which has been voted one of the Top 10 things to do in Northwest Florida by Florida-Travel.Suite101.com, is sure to have you snapping your fingers and tapping your toes as you enjoy great music in an outstanding atmosphere. There’s something for everyone, so bring the whole family to this fun-filled community event. The series features a wide variety of music including jazz, blues, classic rock, country, Motown, reggae, R&B, golden oldies, and more, so no matter what your musical preference, there’s a band for you.

If you don’t have time or just don’t feel like preparing your own picnic dinner, not to worry. Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Outback Steakhouse and Jim N’ Nicks Bar-B-Q will be alternating being onsite serving up delicious freshly prepared food.

Concert admission is only $8 per adult or $15 per couple. All concerts are free to MKAF members and children under the age of 12. Don’t forget to get your raffle tickets! At each concert, a raffle is held and there are some great prizes up for grabs. Raffle tickets may be purchased onsite. Get 6 raffle tickets for $5, or 12 for $10.

Now that everyone knows where to find the Life’s A Beach gang Thursday nights in May and June, we’ll wrap things up. We look forward to seeing all of our friends and neighbors out on the Village Green for Concerts in the Park this season. If you’ve never been, definitely check it out.



Concert Schedule
Date
Artist/Band
Genre
May 3
Conner Lorre

Neil Diamond Tribute Artist
May 10
Emerald Coast Blues Brothers

Blues, Folk & Soul
May 17
Emerald County Line

Country
May 24
The Mike Veal Band

Stump the Band – You Name It, They’ll Play It!
May 31
Emerald Gold

Classic Rock, R&B to Motown
June 7
J. B. Lawson & Friends

Blues
June 14
Michael J. Thomas Band

Jazz & R&B
June 21
Heritage

Reggae, Pop, Funk & Soul
June 28
Cozy Corley & The Blue Gardenia Band

Motown, R&B, Soul, Blues, Jazz & Fantastic Show of Dancing



Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Sandestin Wine Festival is Just Around the Corner!

What: The 26th Annual Sandestin Wine Festival
When: April 26-29
Where: The Village of Baytowne Wharf 


Image from SandestinWineFestival.com
The Sandestin Wine Festival is a picture perfect event complete with white tents, flowing wine, gourmet food, ladies strolling in hats, live music, and more. Each year, the Village of Baytowne Wharf, the heart and soul of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, transforms itself into the South of France with a four day event providing patrons with an atmosphere to enjoy fine wine that is both entertaining and enlightening.

Image from SandestinWineFestival.com
The festival’s bounty of unique events open up a wide range of experiences from attending private dinners, participating in auctions for rare and distinctive wines, and taking part in wine tastings that showcase an unprecedented 800 wines. Wine novices are able to learn more about wines and sample from a comprehensive selection in all varieties, styles, and price ranges. Seasoned wine connoisseurs can enjoy meeting winemakers, asking detailed questions, and acquiring hard-to-get selections. As an added bonus, participants have the opportunity to immediately purchase their favorite selections from the retail tent at discounted prices.


Image from SandestinWineFestival.com

If you’re ready for an event that combines a great time with some of the best food and wine from around the globe, mark your calendar for April 26-29 and attend this year’s Sandestin Wine Festival. For more detailed information, visit their website at SandestinWineFestival.com

Thursday, March 1, 2012

What Are You Doing This Weekend? March 2-4


What’s happening on the Emerald Coast this weekend?

It’s going to be a HUGE and eventful Emerald Coast weekend this week. Wooooo! Who’s excited? No matter what your fancy, you will find some great events and entertainment to banish any and all boredom. If you haven’t made your weekend plans yet, Life’s A Beach wants to help. We’ve taken the liberty of highlighting a few of the area happenings for the upcoming weekend for your convenience. Take your pick!


Multi-Day Events

Calling all dog lovers! Head out the Okaloosa County Fairgrounds this Thursday and Friday, March 1st and 2nd for the Okaloosa AKC Dog Show. Show starts at 9:00 a.m.

If you love all things sewing and quilting you won’t want to miss the Flying Needles Quilt Retreat & Show at the Emerald Coast Conference Center from 9-5 March 1st – 3rd. Take in the beautifully crafted quilts, learn a thing or two with classes from national and local instructors, or peruse the show and rub elbows with vendors.

It’s that time of year again, folks, that’s right it’s COBIA TIME! The HarborWalk Marina 16th Annual Destin Cobia Tournament starts this Friday, March 2nd with a kick-off party at the Emerald Grande Ballroom at 7:00 p.m.  This month-long event attracts hundreds of anglers from Northwest Florida. The tournament provides anglers with a great fishing experience and excellent payout.

The 4th Annual WSRE Wine, Women, and Shoes Dinner & Live Auction, the fastest-growing charity event series created by women for women in the U.S. is coming to the Emerald Coast from March 2nd-4th.The annual event will include a wine tasting, gourmet dinner, and live auction to benefit WSRE’s ongoing efforts to provide educational programming for over 77,000 viewers nationwide.

The 30A Wine Fest at Alys Beach is a two-day event (March 3rd-4th) featuring seminars, a wine symposium, tastings, and food pairings from local restaurants, live music and dancing - all in the elegant surroundings of Alys Beach.


Friday, March 2

Head out to Destin’s Hard Rock Café this Friday as they host the final event in their Hard Rock Rising series. Bands performing include FADED SAINTS, SKINCRAWL, 13th Shade, FOR SHAME, Hotel Oscar, Heritage, The Ayers, SKYVIEW and Vantage Point. Local winners will then be pitted against eighty-six other Hard Rock Cafe local winners from across the globe. Prizes are awesome!

Saturday, March 3
For those with a love of the music of the 60’s and 70’s, Hotel California – a tribute to The Eagles – will fill the bill. Hotel California will be performing at 7:30 p.m. at the Mattie Keller Arts Center in Niceville. www.emeraldcoastconcerts.com, 850.362.9356

Brides-to- be will love the 2nd Annual Navarre Area Bridal Show, which will take place from 12-3 p.m. at Hampton Inn and Suites in Navarre. Many recognized and popular wedding vendors will be available. Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a free getaway! This event is free and open to the public, so grab your girls and check it out!
www.NavarreChamber.com, 850.939.4848

The Green Earth Living Craft Show will be featuring Yarn Weaving with Phyllis Hunt – Learn this simple weaving technique to make coasters, bowls, baskets and more using extra yarn. Neat!
850.833.9595




Sunday March 4

"Republicans are a party with bad ideas and Democrats are a party with no ideas." Enjoy the comedic insights, of Lewis Black, one of the most prolific and popular performers working today, at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center in Niceville.

The 10th Annual Seaside Half Marathon and 5k Run starts at 7:00 a.m. Entries for runners are unfortunately sold out, however, feel free to come down and cheer the runners on, or come out for the Friday Night Party.





Wishing everyone a warm and beachy weekend!
            -The Life’s A Beach crew